APM Studio

APM Studio is intended to design 3D objects using surface and solid modeling functions. It is a basic tool of the APM WinMachine system. APM Studio was created based on its own geometric kernel - APM Engine, developed in the Reseach and Software Development Center APM Ltd. The module includes built-in finite element mesh generators. It permits to import a model with the drawn finite element mesh into the APM Structure3D design module, where all required strength calculations can be performed and overall picture of the structure deflected mode can be obtained.

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APM Studio – 3D objects modeling module

Fig. 1. Pump casing 3D-model, meshed 3D-model(step 10 and step 20)

Module purpose

• Modeling of objects structure in order to develop working design plans and specifications.
• Computer-aided generation of the finite element mesh on created models and further import of these models into APM Structure3D to analyze deflected mode under the influence of various load-bearing factors.

Modeling in APM Studio

Operation in APM Studio finally results in surface and solid-state objects, created by means of 3D modeling function.

One of the basic solid modeling objects is a sketch. The sketch can be one of orthogonal coordinate planes or an arbitrary plane in space. All 2D drawings are fulfilled as a sketch. In this case the following functions are used: drawing of lines, circles, arcs, polygons, setting fillets and bevels, truncation, aligning along the border, displacement, copying, moving, mirroring, creating arrays — rectangular and circular, rotation of objects etc.

Data can be transferred into the sketch from external graphics editors, by means of its import from *.dxf, *.agr file formats. Export of geometry from the sketch to 2D APM Graph editor is also possible.

3D models are imported to APM Studio via the exchange STEP format. Further you can change its and prepare for assessment of the stress-strained state.

Fig. 2. Drive unit case 3D-model

Surface modeling

Surfaces are created by means of operations on 2D curves, prepared in sketches. APM Studio makes it possible to form surfaces by following instructions: sphere, extrusion along the normal and arbitrary curve, rotation, contour plane etc. Curved surfaces can be defined by a set of arbitrary cross-sections.

Fig. 3. Drive unit case 3D-model

To create more complex surfaces, the following operations with finished surfaces can be used: intersection, fillet, setting bevels, sewing of surfaces, removing existing edges.

Fig. 4. Drive unit 3D-model

Solid-state modeling

Solid-state bodies are created by means of extrusion, rotation, torsion etc. carried out on 2D objects prepared in sketches. To create complex models it is necessary to select one of the following operation: unification, subtraction or intersection. Therefore, the model on the screen will be result of the selected operation’s type on the existing and newly created object.

Fig .5. Shaft assembly 3D-model

APM Studio interface

The front-end interface of APM Studio can be divided into five regions: a main menu, a working window, a toolbox, an operations tree window and a status line. These areas can be arranged by the user on the screen to his discretion.

Operations tree

All objects created by the user in APM Studio are reflected in the operations tree. The root of the operations tree is a Part. The first element of the operations tree is the Geometry node. It contains the coordinate planes, which can be chosen as the sketch planes. Further the objects are following: sketches, curves, surfaces, solid bodies. Every surface or a solid body drawn in APM Studio is designated with a node in the operations tree. When in the choice mode, required elements can be chosen from the operations tree and the following operations with them can be performed: deletion, modification etc.

Viewport

The viewport is a main window for modification and viewing operations, performed in APM Studio. Global orthogonal coordinate system is introduced for orientation of objects in space.

The viewport has two modes- the sketch editing mode and the surface editing mode, as well as of solid bodies.

Shortcuts

When working with APM Studio several operations are called most often and sometimes it is not convenient to access them via menu or toolbar. Editing environment of APM Studio contains speed buttons, called by means of the mouse and keyboard keys, which are necessary to move and rotate view as well as for dynamic zooming.

When creating some curve it is possible to call an object snapping which is necessary for this specific matter. It is called a local snap.

The system of context menu is developed rather widely for different cases of objects editing.

Connection with APM Structure3D

As it was mentioned above, APM Studio represents also a powerful tool for creation of objects for the finite element analysis in APM Structure3D. The special mode is provided in the module – “Finite element analysis”. In this mode the operation is carried out with the model itself, but not with the final element mesh, which undoubtedly is a positive factor simplifying performance of the required operations. Directly in the viewport the model can be arbitrary secured and loaded both by force and by thermal effect.

Further to create the finite element representation of an object in APM Studio, there is the function of the finite element mesh generation. When calling it corresponding fragmentation of the object with preset step is performed. If there are complicated and non-uniform geometric transitions in the designed model, so-called non-adaptive fragmentation can be carried out. In this case the program itself varies the fragmentation step value to improve the quality of the design result. APM Structure3D permits to import the 3D model created and divided into the finite elements, to prepare it for calculation (to set materials etc.) and to carry out the design for the purpose of determining the stress-strained state or temperature fields.

Fig. 6. Car wheel disk 3D-model

Fig. 7. Meshed Car wheel disk 3D-model

Fig. 8. Deflected mode map of car wheel disk model calculated by APM Structure3D

 

Download APM Studio+APM Structure3D Demo (solid modelling and FE analysis)