Agent skill

abaqus-interaction

Define contact and interactions - contact pairs, tie constraints, connectors. Use when user mentions contact, friction, tie, parts touching, or bonded surfaces.

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Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry/tree/main/skills/data/abaqus-interaction

SKILL.md

Abaqus Interaction Skill

Define contact pairs, tie constraints, coupling, and connectors between parts in an assembly.

When to Use This Skill

Route here when user mentions:

  • "Contact between surfaces"
  • "Friction", "sliding contact", "frictionless"
  • "Tie constraint", "bonded surfaces", "welded"
  • "Parts touching", "parts can separate"
  • "Coupling", "connector", "spring element"
  • "Join different meshes"

Route elsewhere:

  • Complete contact analysis workflow → /abaqus-contact-analysis
  • Fixed supports or displacements → /abaqus-bc
  • Applied forces or pressures → /abaqus-load

Key Decisions

1. What Type of Connection?

User Describes Interaction Type Key Feature
Welded, glued, bonded Tie constraint Permanent, no relative motion
Parts can slide and separate Surface-to-surface contact Friction, gap allowed
Load from point to surface Coupling Reference point control
Spring, damper, hinge Connector Stiffness/damping behavior
Adhesive, delamination Cohesive Damage initiation criteria

2. Contact Formulation

Formulation When to Use
Surface-to-surface General contact (recommended default)
Node-to-surface Legacy compatibility, special cases
General contact Automatic detection (explicit dynamics)
Self-contact Folding, buckling, large deformation

3. Typical Friction Coefficients

Surface Pair Friction Coefficient
Frictionless 0.0
Lubricated metal 0.1 - 0.3
Dry metal-to-metal 0.3 - 0.5
Rubber on surface 0.5 - 0.8
No slip (rough) Use ROUGH formulation

What to Ask User

If unclear, ask:

  1. Bonded or sliding?

    • Bonded (no relative motion) → Tie constraint
    • Sliding allowed → Contact with friction
  2. Friction coefficient?

    • If not specified, suggest typical value for material pair
    • Frictionless is valid for lubricated or normal-dominant cases
  3. Which surface is master/slave?

    • User may not know - guide them (see below)
  4. Can surfaces separate?

    • Yes → allowSeparation=ON
    • No (always in contact) → allowSeparation=OFF

Master/Slave Selection Guidelines

Criterion Master Surface Slave Surface
Stiffness Stiffer body Softer body
Mesh density Coarser mesh Finer mesh
Size Larger surface Smaller surface
Geometry Flat/convex Curved/concave

When in doubt: The coarser mesh should be master.

Workflow: Setting Up Interactions

Step 1: Identify Contact Pairs

List all surfaces that interact. For each pair determine:

  • Type (contact vs tie)
  • Master and slave assignment
  • Friction requirements

Step 2: Create Surfaces

Surfaces must be defined on assembly instances before creating interactions.

Step 3: Define Contact Properties

For contact interactions, define:

  • Normal behavior: Hard contact, allow separation
  • Tangential behavior: Friction formulation and coefficient

Step 4: Create Interaction

Assign contact property to surface pair in appropriate step.

Step 5: Verify Setup

Check for:

  • Correct master/slave assignment
  • Appropriate initial gap/overclosure
  • Contact pair is active in correct step

Common Gotchas

Symptom Likely Cause Solution
Contact not detected Surfaces too far apart Use adjust=ON or reduce initial gap
Severe discontinuity warnings Contact chattering Add stabilization, use smaller increments
Negative eigenvalue Wrong master/slave Swap master and slave surfaces
Overclosure too large Initial interference Use shrink fit option or adjust geometry
Tie not working Surfaces not close enough Increase position tolerance

Validation Checklist

Before running analysis:

  • All contacting surface pairs identified
  • Master/slave correctly assigned
  • Contact properties defined (normal + tangential)
  • Interaction assigned to correct step
  • Initial gaps/overclosures within tolerance
  • Friction coefficient appropriate for materials

Code Patterns

For API syntax and code examples, see:

  • API Quick Reference
  • Common Patterns
  • Troubleshooting Guide

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