If plane strain or plain stress element types are used in a Nastran 2D Axisymmetry FEM file, the later versions of Advanced Simulation or Simcenter Pre-Post, uses different load types for pressure.
Solution
Plane Stress and Plane Strain elements, such as CPLSTS4 and CPLSTN4 elements, use the PLOADE1 load for edge loads as surface tractions. PLOADX1 is the pressure load for axisymmetric elements, such as CQUADX4 CTRIAX6 elements.
The Nastran 2D axisymmetric solver User Interface, in NX 9 and 10, uses the edge load function that creates PLOADE1 card. The Pressure load function exports out the PLOADX1 load cards for axisymmetric elements. .
NX/Simcenter Pre-Post 11, User Interface combines both functions into the Pressure Load function. The card name on the pressure dialog lists the card types as PLOADX1/PLOADE1. If the elements are of the type Plane Stress or Plane Strain, PLOADE1 cards will be creates. If the element types are Axisymmetric, such as CTRIAX6 and CQUADX4, the PLOADX1 cards will be created instead.
Notes