In this blog post, we will be discussing about the different methods in modeling bolted connections with Abaqus FEA. At the last section of the post,we will be showcasing a bolted connection, incorporating a pretensioned bolt. Flanged connections are used extensively in most engineering disciplines. They provide a way of interconnecting  various (metallic, plastic etc.) components and their design is often critical for the strength of various components (e.g. bolt strength) and sealing of the assembly. 

Starting with a lecture session covering the essential concepts of advanced simulation for Rubbers, the course also gives the attendees the opportunity with our hands-on workshop, to model advanced phenomena such as non-linear elastic behaviour & material calibration, in-compressibility, element selection, shrink-fit & pressure penetration and other highly complex events with SIMULIA Abaqus.

Let’s start with a problem:

“A ladder hangs over the side of a ship anchored in port. The bottom rung of the ladder touches the water. The ladder is 30 cm wide and 270 cm long. The rungs are 1 cm thick and the distance between them is 34 cm. If the tide is rising at a rate of 15cm per hour, how long will it be before the water reaches the top rung?”

The “Introduction to Non-Linear Analysis Workshop” on the 31st of Aug is a free event 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.

In this blog post we will be discussing about the symmetric model generation feature that is incorporated in Abaqus. This feature is targeted towards reducing the solution time needed for an analysis. We will first present the supported features and limitations, followed by an exemplary analysis of a flanged connection wherein this feature can be used.

At the 16th & 17th of August 2018, Simuleon will hold a 2-day classroom training at our location in Bruchem, The Netherlands. The training is called "Abaqus Buckling, Postbuckling & Collapse Analysis Training".

Buckling and postbuckling behavior is critical to the success of certain designs. For example, crash worthiness of an automobile requires that particular vehicle components collapse in ways that maximize energy absorption. On the other hand, successful designs of imperfection-sensitive, thin-walled shell structures, ranging from beverage containers to large pressure vessels, must prevent unintentional buckling.

In the previous webinar on civil engineering and Abaqus, we covered the basic topics in modelling buildings and infrastructures. First we introduced the principal material models used in this field, with a focus on the Concrete Damaged Plasticity model. Structural elements – in particular beam and shell elements – have been described in detail, presenting several special applications and the construction of the model of a steel framed building. Also, a detailed description of different techniques used to model reinforced-concrete were described. 

Maybe you recognize this: you set up your model, start running the job, open the monitor window and ... it stays empty, longer than you would like. The simulation is taking longer than you hoped or expected and you wonder: "how can I do this faster (without significantly reducing the accuracy of the results)?" In this blog I'll discuss some ideas and experience we've had related to simulation speed.

In this months upcoming webinar, we will look at the capabilities for Multi-Scale Modelling with Abaqus FEA and we will cover the techniques recently implemented in Abaqus for multi-scale modelling. It will take place on Friday the 29^th June.

Two new methods are available in Abaqus to couple analyses performed at different scales: mean field homogenisation (MFH) and FE-based Representative Volume Element (RVE).

The objective is to predict the mechanical response of a structure using data from a smaller scale. These methods are particularly useful when studying complex materials or structures such as composite materials or lattice structures.

The “Introduction to Optimization for Abaqus Workshop” is a free event for anyone who has some experience with Abaqus and would like to explore the possibilities of optimization. Both non-parametric topology optimization using Tosca and parametric optimization using Isight are discussed, focusing on the optimization of problems using the finite element code Abaqus.