You use submodeling to study in detail an area of interest in your model; for example, a region of high stress. In most cases you will mesh the region of interest with a finer mesh, and the submodel can provide an accurate, detailed solution. You can also change the modeling space from a shell global model to a more representative solid submodel—shell-to-solid submodeling.

Creating a submodel is a two-step process. First you create and analyze the global model. You then create the submodel and drive the boundaries of the submodel with time-dependent variables that were saved during the analysis of the global model. You can drive submodel boundaries either with boundary conditions or in some cases with stresses from the global model. Submodeling is described in detail in “Submodeling: overview,” Section 10.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User's Guide. “Shell-to-solid submodeling and shell-to-solid coupling of a pipe joint,” Section 1.1.10 of the Abaqus Example Problems Guide, includes an example of a submodel created using Abaqus/CAE.

The following topics are covered:

• “Analyzing the global model,” Section 38.1

• “Creating a submodel,” Section 38.2

• “Removing regions,” Section 38.3

• “Creating the submodel boundary condition,” Section 38.4

• “Creating the submodel load,” Section 38.5

• “Modifying the submodel,” Section 38.6

• “Analyzing the submodel,” Section 38.7

• “Checking the results from the submodel,” Section 38.8