Abaqus is one of the tools that can be fed an almost unlimited computing power, over the years we have seen it been used on everything from old laptops (!!) to centralized well-driven HPC clusters. In this post I highlight some of the commands and functions that are useful when working on a Linux server. Some of these commands will still be useful on a windows platform.

Almost all of these topics deserve their own posts. The motivation behind this blog is to give a few useful pointers for readily available functionality, commands and tools for working on a remote server. 

The TECHNIA Simulation technical team were asked for advice in how to create videos for PowerPoint presentations with Abaqus/CAE. As this information can prove useful for more users, we’ve decided to publish it as a quick blog post.

Abaqus version 2022 now offers fully embedded additive manufacturing (AM) process simulation features. The AM Modeler plug-in, which previously had to be downloaded from the Dassault Systèmes website, is now available as a built-in plug-in in Abaqus/CAE. 

Traditionally, the human input from the designer play an essential role in design process. The design is mainly based on established practice and experience of the designer. The design variants depend on the previous design shapes. In comparison, with Generative Design, computers generate the optimal shape. Requirements for installation space, material and manufacturing process are considered. The function of the component determines the results.

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to build a tiny yet highly useful python script that can easily be modified to include more useful features. This solution is based on built-in functionality, i.e., no additional installation or investment is required.

A batch in this setting is a collection of Abaqus jobs. These can be the cause of several load-cases and geometries, parameter studies and design of experiments, or just a mix of everything. Regardless, the possibility to run a batch of jobs without any human interference is an essential feature in the FEA analyst toolbox.

There are many techniques and tools that are designed to do exactly this – from advanced third-party queuing systems to OS-dependent batch scripts. One-size fits none as team-size, hardware, OSes, and usage poses different needs from one company to the next when it comes to the implementation of FEA.

New for 2022!
The Simulation Innovation Forum (SIMIF) is evolving into a series of online bite sized advanced simulation events. In the opening session the focus will be on the benefits and possibilities of Electromagnetic (EM) simulation.

On the 8th June 2022, get a hands-on overview how to simulate EMC behaviour of a PCB from start to finish in our live workshop. You will see how the PCB layout is imported from Altium/Cadance/Zuken into the 3D simulation tool CST and investigated for radiated emissions.

Up until the last few years, Abaqus ran exclusively as a standalone product licensed with tokens (analysis, portfolio or extended). The number of tokens required is dependent on the task you need to perform, and the number of cores you require to solve it.

These token licenses are usually leased for a year (but quarterly licenses are available). With this licensing scheme, tokens are used most effectively if there’s a constant simulation load throughout the year.

So, what happens if there is a sudden need for additional solving capacity over a brief time period? Adding tokens for a year (or 3 months) might not be the best option any more.

Abaqus/CAE is integrated with Python 2.7, settings and commands are read through python-based environment files at start-up and commands are streamed to replay files along the session. This produces powerful opportunities to form the CAE environment into a specialized package to accelerate day-to-day tasks. Instead of painting a flowery picture I’d rather jump in and demonstrate selected techniques that enables you to customize the user interface to your will.

I often work on organically shaped CAD data and often find the default geometrical refinement setting too low – this does sadly not exist in the session.default* objects so we need to apply some creative approaches.

Join the “Introduction to Non-Linear Analysis Workshop” on the 20th of May from 13:00 - 17:00 CET, this free ONLINE event is suitable for anyone* who has some experience of simulation and FEA, but would like to look at extending the scope of the work they do. This workshop is an ideal way to understand what advanced simulation and SIMULIA Abaqus can offer, and find out how easy it actually is to perform a real world non-linear analysis.

This is my last blog here and I want to take this opportunity to not talk about Abaqus or other technical stuff for once, but instead focus on something that is even more important to me: human connections.