When producing a part, you want it to match the design, the geometry. How to achieve this is not always evident.

For example, when the part is created from sheet metal by pressing it between an upper and lower die, the final part may not fully match the space in between the dies due to the spring back effect. If the deformation would be fully plastic, then the deformed shape will not change during unloading. If it is partially elastic, then the elastic deformation is recovered upon unloading and hence the final shape differs from the shape between the dies. In this blog I’ll give an example of this effect, showing that we can model it with Abaqus.

To model the behaviour of rubbers and rubber-like materials, typically hyperelastic material models are used. A hyperelastic material is elastic: after unloading, the material returns to its original shape. The material state therefore does not depend on the history or the rate of deformation, but only on the current loading. The model is based on a strain energy potential, which is a function of the (invariants of the) current strain.

There are things of which I know that it is possible, without ever taking the time to figure out how to do it and actively use it. Until recently, that was the case for what I want to discuss here: using the environment file to automatically do things when you startup Abaqus.

If you find yourself frequently doing the same thing after starting up Abaqus, then this may come in handy. You can do anything that you can script, so the options are extensive. For example, you can change the background color, change the default views so that Z is considered up, change font sizes, etc.

We’ve noticed that not everyone is familiar with the different ways in which we can help you if you have a simulation challenge. In this blog post, I want to go through the different options, explain what they are, for who they are available, and how to request this type of help.

In finite element analysis, traditionally we define the geometry at the start of the analysis and assume that while it may deform, the amount of material stays the same. For additive manufacturing, this is clearly not the case: material is continuously added. If we look at the thermal aspects of things, we also see a constantly changing problem: over time heat is added at different points in space; and the outer surface, where heat loss occurs, changes over time. Specific capabilities are therefore needed to efficiently set-up the simulation of problems that continuously change, such as the additive manufacturing process.

In the past, we have already given an example of optimizing a structure using Tosca. Now, I want to revisit this topic and focus specifically on geometry issues. I’ll explain how I obtained the geometry used for optimization, and also show how to get a 3D model of the optimized geometry, that can be used for further finite element analysis.

The example: a hip implant

Though we probably don’t always realize it, we use our hips a lot. After years of loading, they can become damaged and painful. In these cases, replacing the hip with an implant can be a solution. Here we are going to let Tosca design an optimized hip implant, as an example.

What if … you could let Abaqus draw a Christmas tree for you, according to your own specifications, and would then show it deforming under the load of the balls?

If wouldn’t change the world, but it would be kind of fun, wouldn’t it? At least that’s what I thought, which led to the Christmas tree plugin, that you can download from this page.

Abaqus 2020 is available. The installation is similar to that of Abaqus 2019, and we have a separate post to guide you through it. Click here for our blog Abaqus 2020: download an installation instructions.

Here I want to show a few of the modifications, and then provide a list of other improvements so you can check them out yourself if the topic is of interest to you.

Abaqus 2020 is now available. The download and installation is similar to that of Abaqus 2019.

As with Abaqus 2019, it is straight forward as long as the downloaded files are extracted to a common file structure and that the installation is done using (full) administrator rights, especially using Windows 10.

I’ll go through the process below. It includes print screens of most windows. Those that only require confirmation are left out for brevity. 

If you want to know what's new in the Abaqus 2020 release, please go to our other blog topic. Abaqus 2020: What's new.

Lately, I’ve received a few questions related to python scripting. It is a nice way to add to the default Abaqus functionality and automate repetitive work. Here I want to give a few tips that may help when you are creating your first Abaqus python scripts.