Mesh Generation Workflows
How to plan and execute an efficient meshing workflow — hex versus tet, batch meshing, transition zones and quality control.
Engineering Task
Generating a mesh that is adequate for the analysis purpose without wasting time on unnecessary detail.
Hex versus Tet
| Aspect | Hex Mesh | Tet Mesh |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy per element | Higher (for same count) | Lower — needs ~3× more elements |
| Geometry flexibility | Limited to regular shapes | Handles any geometry |
| Meshing time | Manual — labour intensive | Automated — fast |
| Best for | Regular components, critical regions | Complex castings, fittings |
| Typical element | C3D8R (hex, reduced) | C3D10 (tet, quadratic) |
Workflow
- Identify critical regions — stress concentrations, contact, load introduction
- Mesh critical regions first with hex or refined tet
- Transition to coarser mesh away from critical regions
- Limit mesh size transitions to 2:1 per element layer
- Run mesh quality checks — aspect ratio, skewness, Jacobian
- Run a trial analysis and check deformed shape and stress continuity
Common Mistakes
- Using automated tet meshing everywhere without local refinement at stress concentrations
- Large mesh size transitions (> 2:1) creating stress discontinuities
- Not checking mesh quality histograms — poor elements in critical regions
- Meshing the entire model uniformly — wasteful and slow