ABAQUS Users’ Conference 2004

ABAQUS Version 6.4—An Overview

Process Automation Portal

ABAQUS for CATIA V5

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In this issue:

1-2 Methods Evolution...

2 ABAQUS Users’ Conference 2004

3-6 ABAQUS Version 6.4—An Overview

� Software Performance� Mechanics Technology� Engineering Productivity

6 Engineering Services

7 Process Automation Portal

8 In The News

9-10 ABAQUS for CATIA V5

10 Web Seminars

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Methods Evolution...

Welcome to the new edition of ABAQUS Insights. I hope that all our readersenjoyed a peaceful and relaxing holiday and are ready to start the New Yearbrimming with energy and enthusiasm! Here at ABAQUS we’re looking forward to2004 with a tangible degree of excitement.

During the past few months I�ve been told many times by both customers and by other software vendors thatABAQUS appears to be on the ascendant�and they also ask me why this is.The answer is very simple�we have made clear, conscious decisions to adopt a consistent philosophy in ourapproach to our customers and to the finite element market in general. This philosophy is founded on somebasic beliefs:-Finite Element Analysis is not a commodity. There is almost unlimited scope for new mechanics, better functionality, and improvedperformance within FEA. Even today, there is far more testing of hardware prototypes than simulation using virtual prototypes. I believethat the right FEA technology can make a difference to the way engineers get things done and will play an increasing role in the future.Those who think that FEA is a fully mature technology with no real impact on product design are just plain wrong. FEA is not acommodity and will not be any time soon.Methods need to evolve. We�re proud of our heritage, and we will continue to invest in fundamental research and technologies torealize new methods and applications. Even today, many of the FEA methods being used in engineering are based on linearassumptions that were made 10 or 20 years ago, mostly due to lack of powerful computing, but also due to FEA software immaturity.I sincerely believe that we are on the cusp of a significant evolution in these methods, brought about by the availability of affordableand powerful parallel computing, new materials and manufacturing techniques, and by the intense competition of the current economicclimate. Our job at ABAQUS is to make sure we have the technology our customers need to develop and deploy these new methods.

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Methods Evolution... (continued)

FEA users want to rationalize and unify their softwareenvironment. Multiple FEA tools in the design process are badnews. Multiple tools mean multiple workflows, redundant trainingand skills, and worst, of all, multiple finite element models. Managingthis information, knowledge, and data is a nightmare, as many of youknow. Our role here is to develop ABAQUS functionality to do morethan we have traditionally been expected to do; in this way ABAQUScan be used for more disciplines and can do the job for multipleapplications from essentially a single model. Over the past fewreleases, we�ve made significant advances in linear dynamics,acoustics, and mechanisms simulation. We intend to continuebroadening the scope of our application so that our users can domore without leaving the ABAQUS environment.There is a common thread that binds these beliefs and indeedmakes them real and worth pursuing�our customers. ABAQUSusers are the single most important factor in our success so far andwill be in future. We get our ideas from users driving ABAQUS

software to extremes and by customers proposing new technologyand better ways of doing things. We appreciate this, and that�s whywe�re committed to providing local, experienced engineers to supportour users. It�s also why we�re trying hard to provide better supportand communication systems, like the on-line support system, theenhancement request tool, and the Process Automation Portal.In 2004, I hope we�ll be able to improve our ability to understandthe needs of you, our users, with an aim to deliver even better andmore robust technology in ABAQUS Version 6.5. We believe ourmomentum is significant and building. As old methods evolve andnew technology emerges, we�ll do everything we can to make sureABAQUS stays ahead.

Ken Short, VP Marketing

The 17th annual ABAQUS Users� Conference will be held May 24�27,2004, in Boston, MA USA. This event brings together users fromaround the world to meet and share their experiences withABAQUS, to discuss enhancements, to learn about new capabilitiesin the software, and to hear about new offerings from ABAQUS intraining and other support services. This event will again offer acomplementary technology pavilion where providers of ABAQUS-related software and hardware will be on hand to explain how theirproducts and services can help make you more successful in theoverall engineering process. As is typical for this event, seniormanagers, technologists, and founders from ABAQUS will be onhand to meet with users and listen to presentations. Technical sessions consisting of invited and contributed lectureswill be held as well as tutorials, technical sessions, andpresentations by ABAQUS personnel relating to new or advancedfeatures in ABAQUS. We expect attendees from all over theworld. The meeting provides an opportunity for users to learn ofeach other�s technical work and to become acquainted informally.Social evening activities will be planned for this purpose. If you wish to present a paper at the conference, please submit a titleand an abstract before February 6, 2004. You can submit your abstractonline at www.abaqus.com/AUC2004 or by simply sending an emailto conference2004@abaqus.com. We will be publishing a bound set of Conference Proceedings for thisevent. In addition, we will provide an interactive CD with electronicversions of all presented papers, which will be mailed to all attendeesafter the event. To ensure that your paper appears in the publishedproceedings, you must provide final text and high-resolution graphicsbefore March 1, 2004. We reserve editorial rights in selecting papersfor publication in the Conference Proceedings.

An early bird conference registration fee of $750 is available untilMarch 1, 2004, after which the normal fee of $900 will apply. Toqualify for the early bird registration fee, we must receive paymentor approved purchase order details before March 1, 2004. Theconference registration fee includes all conference events andsocial activities but does not include accommodations. Additionaltickets for social activities only (for example, so that you canbring your spouse to the banquet) will be available. The presenterof an accepted paper will receive an additional $100 reduction tothe registration fee. On-site registration will be available at anadditional charge. The day prior to the conference we will offer a number of tutorials inparallel sessions covering advanced topics in ABAQUS. Additionaldetails on these tutorials will be available shortly. A fee of $375 isthe expected cost for each of these day-long training sessions. We hope you will attend and contribute to the success of this meeting.To help our planning, please visit www.abaqus/com/AUC2004 andcomplete the information request and survey form you will find there.By registering, you will receive further details on the event as theybecome available.

The meeting will be held at the renowned Charles Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts.

ABAQUS Users’ Conference 2004Boston, MA USA

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ABAQUS Version 6.4—An Overview

Software PerformanceThe demand to model, solve, and evaluate increasingly larger andmore complex simulations remains high in the ABAQUS usercommunity. Accordingly, providing best-in-class softwareperformance continues to be a long-term strategic priority forABAQUS. From a general perspective, ABAQUS Version 6.4 offersmore than double the throughput capability over previous versionsof ABAQUS on many large simulations, such as powertrain analysisor cell phone drop simulation. Gains in solution speed directlyshorten analysis turnaround time, thus allowing ABAQUS users toconsider more design alternatives in a shorter time period.Version 6.4 considerably enhances throughput forABAQUS/Standard as a result of a number of new and/orimproved parallel processing techniques and the introduction of anoptional iterative solver. Dynamic load balancing for the directsparse solver improves parallel performance in a number of areas,including parallel scaling for a given number of processors, scalingover a greater number of processors, and scaling for smaller modelsizes. In addition to the advances made on the direct sparse solver,Version 6.4 includes the first implementation of a domaindecomposition iterative solver in ABAQUS/Standard. Iterativesolvers typically perform quite well for certain types of problemsbut can perform poorly and even fail on other problems. Theiterative solver generally works well for blocky structuresconstructed of solid elements; it is currently available for the staticand steady-state heat transfer procedures for models that havesymmetric stiffness matrices. The iterative solver runs in parallelon shared memory computers and shows good scalability on largemodels. Continued improvements are planned for the iterativesolver in Version 6.5 and beyond.

ABAQUS/Explicit also benefits from a number of the scalar andparallel performance improvements in Version 6.4. Throughput forthe �analysis input processing� and �packager� phases is significantlyfaster; the time to process a typical large automotive crash modelthrough these phases of the analysis has been reduced from severalhours to minutes. The scalar performance of the general contactalgorithm and other parts of ABAQUS/Explicit is improved as well.For a typical automotive crash model, the performance measured interms of microseconds per element increment (MSPEI) has gonefrom approximately 50 MSPEI for Version 6.3 to less than 10 MSPEIfor Version 6.4. In terms of parallel performance, the domaindecomposition parallelization method in ABAQUS/Explicit has beenextended to include general contact. In addition, a new architecture forparallelization in Version 6.4 based on MPI (Message Passing Interface)allows ABAQUS/Explicit to be run in parallel on distributed memorysystems such as clusters. While performance gains will vary dependingon the particular application, users should expect to see significantlyimproved performance in this release of ABAQUS/Explicit.

To support the increasingly large models users are creating,ABAQUS/CAE has been rearchitected to improve interactiveperformance dramatically when processing large finite elementmodels. Further, the performance of the ODB API (a mechanismto access model and results data from the ODB outside ofABAQUS/Viewer) has been improved significantly.Mechanics TechnologyABAQUS continues to lead the FEA industry in the developmentof advanced mechanics technology; Version 6.4 offers a numberof new elements, materials, and solution procedures. Composite beams enable complex structures to be represented as abeam with various cross-sections along its length. The cross-sections forcomposite beams are meshed initially with two-dimensional elements;a new procedure in ABAQUS/Standard calculates the appropriatebeam properties to be used in a three-dimensional beam analysis ofthe structure in either ABAQUS/Standard or ABAQUS/Explicit.Another new element, the continuum shell element, is available inboth ABAQUS/Standard and ABAQUS/Explicit. This element has

Dynamic load balancing means the sparse directsolver in ABAQUS/Standard now scales very wellon large models for up to 16 processors. Theseresults are from a typical powertrain model withapproximately 3 million degrees of freedom.

Version 6.4 of ABAQUS/CAE features dramaticallyimproved interactive response.

Significant advances in software performance, mechanics technology, and userproductivity highlight this important release.

ABAQUS Version 6.4 represents a significant step forward for the ABAQUS product suite. This article highlights some of the more notableadvances in the release. For a comprehensive review, current ABAQUS customers can consult the Version 6.4 ABAQUS Release Notes.

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the topology of a continuum element, such as a brick or wedge, butbehaves very much like a shell element and, thus, can yield theaccurate bending solutions typically associated with a shell element.Only one element through the thickness is required to obtain accurateresults. For multi-material composite applications, continuum shellelements can be stacked together as needed. In addition, since theseelements have the topology of solid elements, they provide for moreaccurate contact modeling. Two important enhancements have been added to the hyperelasticmaterial models in ABAQUS. Mullins effect, which models theobserved damage of rubber materials when initially loaded, can beincorporated in any of the hyperelastic material models. Theimplementation provides for the specification of test data, wherebythe material parameters are calibrated automatically from thesupplied test data. In addition, a completely new hyperelasticitymodel, conceived by an ABAQUS staff member, is available inVersion 6.4. The Marlow model is unique in that the strain energypotential that is constructed exactly replicates the homogeneousdeformation mode test data that are supplied. The Marlow model alsoexhibits reasonable behavior in other deformation modes, making thisthe model of choice when only limited test data are available.

A complex eigensolver is introduced in ABAQUS/Standard forVersion 6.4, with an initial application focus on brake squeal.This capability can be used in conjunction with contact and othernonlinear capabilities in ABAQUS. TRW and Delphi have alreadywritten separate papers documenting the benefits of this newABAQUS solution technique.

Version 6.4 includes a new �direct cyclic� procedure intended tospeed up low-cycle fatigue calculations for high-temperaturecomponents and assemblies, such as those commonly found inautomotive powertrain applications. Past approaches to this problemhave required that a number of transient load cycles be analyzeduntil steady-state response is achieved. This new procedure avoidsmuch of that computational cost by using an iterative algorithm toachieve the stabilized steady-state response to cyclic loading.

Distortion control in ABAQUS/Explicit is designed to keepelements from collapsing and the analysis from prematurelyterminating when large deformations are involved. This newfeature is available for solid elements and is used primarily withmaterial models such as crushable foam, where elements canbecome very highly distorted.Eroding contact, previously available for shell element-basedsurfaces with general contact, is now available for solid elementswith the general contact algorithm using element-based surfaces.Contact between multiple eroding bodies, such as in ballisticapplications, can now be modeled. This capability is also usefulin manufacturing operations such as drilling or other operationswhere material is being removed. Better integration of ABAQUS/Standard and ABAQUS/Explicitcontinues to be a priority. In Version 6.4 modified 10-nodetetrahedral elements and acoustic elements can be importedbetween the two products. The robustness of the transfer of solidelements is improved by the implementation of the sameenhanced hourglass formation in ABAQUS/Standard that waspreviously available in ABAQUS/Explicit.

Hyperelastic materials can now includeMullins effect, modeling the damage inrubber when it is first loaded.

ABAQUS Version 6.4—An Overview (continued)

The new �direct cyclic� procedure provides a much fastersolution to obtain the steady-state response to cyclic loading.Model courtesy of PSA

ABAQUS/Standard Version 6.4 offers abreakthrough approach to brake squealanalysis that seamlessly combines themodeling of contact and other nonlineareffects with complex eigenvalueextraction. This image shows a contourplot of one of the mode shapes of thecomplex eigenvalue solution.Model courtesy of Delphi Corporation

Engineering ProductivityVersion 6.4 establishes ABAQUS/CAE as a compelling solutionfor desktop modeling and results visualization. A more intuitiveand streamlined user interface is provided as a Windows-nativeapplication (Exceed has been eliminated). ABAQUS/CAE has afresh new look and operates in a much more Windows-likefashion. The dialog boxes are streamlined, and the viewport areacan be maximized, providing more room for model viewing andmanipulation. Images can be copied and pasted into otherWindows applications. Icons have been redesigned to result ina more modern-looking application. As mentioned earlier,ABAQUS/CAE and ABAQUS/Viewer offer significantlyimproved graphics speed, enabling more efficient manipulation,display, and animation of large models and results sets.Advanced virtual topology capabilities, as well as severalautomatic meshing technologies and procedures, make it easierto create robust and intelligently sized finite element meshes inABAQUS/CAE. Virtual topology is more robust and easier touse with highlighting of entities associated with a virtualtopology feature. Advancing front mesh quality is improvedfor quad and quad-dominated meshes. Swept or revolvedmeshes can now use the advancing front algorithm, which helpsavoid creating skewed elements, especially where one sweptregion bounds another. Hexahedral meshing of swept regionswith constant cross-sections allows complex �twisted� geometry(like a spring) to be meshed easily without partitioning.Tetrahedral meshing is improved in a number of areas,including usability, robustness, and speed. Further, it is nowpossible to create a persistent boundary (preview) mesh, whichcan then be edited manually by moving boundary nodes beforecompleting the solid mesh. Many mesh edit enhancements havebeen made, including the ability to clean up and merge nodeswithin an orphan mesh and edit nodes within a native mesh. Geometry import as well as native geometry creation benefit fromadvances in several areas in Version 6.4. The geometry translatorshave been upgraded to include for the first time direct importfrom CATIA V5 and Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire. To aid in thecreation of geometry, ABAQUS/CAE offers a new interactiveinterface for generating lofts that allows users to select a numberof sections (not necessarily planar) and optionally specify guidepaths to loft between selected sections. In addition, ABAQUS/CAEnow provides for both radial and linear patterning of sketchedgeometry. Part Boolean operations allow parts to be merged andallow one part to be used to cut another. This functionality alsoallows two orphan meshes to be merged.Part regeneration is improved�a certain number of snapshotsof the model may be cached, which makes regeneration muchfaster since the starting state of the model is the last savedsnapshot, not the first feature.

A number of enhancements make it easier to understand theprogress of an analysis as well as to visualize material data and in-depth results information. As a first step in a multi-release effort,new visualization tools help users understand and troubleshootcomplex simulations. This first release focuses on general staticprocedures, providing a capability to interactively explore andvisualize the diagnostic information normally written to themessage file. The material evaluation feature for hyperelasticmaterials in ABAQUS/CAE is easier to use, as the numericalsolution is now calculated in closed form, eliminating the usageof analysis tokens. The graphical results comparing experimentalto numerical data are now displayed in the Visualization module,and stability information for each strain energy potential is nowprovided. Path plots that extend across multiple part instancescan now be created, which enables the creation of, among otherthings, a stress linearization that spans part instances. Tensorcomponents can be operated on as if they were scalar variables,and tensors or vectors can be transformed into user-definedcoordinate systems. In fact, any results quantity can be transformedeasily into user-defined coordinate systems, which can be created inthe Visualization module after the analysis has been completed.

ABAQUS/CAE now provides a simple graphical user interface forthe creation of rebar in membranes and shells and for thespecification of multi-layered composite shells. Shell-to-solidcouplings and the embedding of one set of elements inside anotherare also supported. In addition, it is now possible to replace a stepdefinition from one procedure type with another without losing theassociated step-dependent attributes such as contact interactions,boundary conditions, and loads. Support for ABAQUS analysisfunctionality in ABAQUS/CAE has been extended to includeadditional procedures, materials, contact options, and other features.

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ABAQUS Version 6.4—An Overview (continued)

New visual diagnostics in ABAQUS/CAE help you assessthe progress of complex analyses.

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Capabilities for interoperability with NASTRAN continue to bedeveloped. The fromNastran utility, which takes a NASTRANbulk data file and translates it to an ABAQUS input file, has beenenhanced. In addition, an ABAQUS ODB file can be translated to aNASTRAN Output2 (or OP2) file. This capability allows ABAQUSto be used seamlessly in complex NASTRAN-specific workflowswhich often have special postprocessing tools and procedures.Version 6.4 also includes the first general release of the ABAQUSGUI Toolkit that, together with the ABAQUS Scripting Interface,constitute the ABAQUS Process Automation toolset. The GUIToolkit allows users to customize ABAQUS/CAE in any numberof ways, from making simple modifications to the user interfaceto developing complete vertical applications. To support users in

the areas of scripting and GUI development, a ProcessAutomation Portal (a web site where users can exchange scripts,find and post tips, and download example applications) has beencreated. The Process Automation Portal is discussed in moredetail on Page 7 of this issue of ABAQUS Insights. SummaryVersion 6.4 represents a very strong release for the ABAQUSproduct line in terms of software performance, new and improvedmechanics technology, and significantly improved interactivemodel creation and visualization. To learn more, please consultthe Version 6.4 ABAQUS Release Notes, or contact your localABAQUS office.

ABAQUS Version 6.4—An Overview (continued)

ABAQUS Engineering Services

Did you know that over the past year ABAQUS offices have delivered over 200 significant engineering services projects to ABAQUSsoftware customers? These projects have ranged from short-term mentoring on ABAQUS, to methods development, through to complex process automationsystems. A complete list of our service offerings is as follows:

� Customized training� On-site support and mentoring� Methods development and technology transfer� Extended ABAQUS capabilities� Process Automation� Advanced simulation and consulting� Product liability and patent infringement support

ABAQUS services help our customers expand user productivity, advance and integrate technologies,accelerate and streamline processes, and meet special time-to-market and resource challenges.Your local ABAQUS office can deliver most of these services directly; and when a particularly daunting challenge arises, they can drawupon the wide range of advanced and industry-specific skills available from engineers in our worldwide network of ABAQUS offices.How can we help?To see some examples of our services, visit www.abaqus.com/services. For an interactive discussion about your challenges and howABAQUS services may be able to help, contact your local ABAQUS office to setup a meeting at your location or via the web.

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ABAQUS Process Automation Portal

New class: GUI Customization with ABAQUS

Increasingly, ABAQUS is being applied to more routine, repeatable workflows and analysis procedures. Theseworkflows can be captured using specialized ABAQUS Process Automation tools, such as the ABAQUS GUIToolkit. The ABAQUS GUI Toolkit provides programming routines that allow you to change the ABAQUS graphicaluser interface (GUI) and build customized applications. Such applications can enable you to capture provenABAQUS-centric workflows and methods for deployment to a wider range of users and generate ABAQUSsolutions more efficiently and reliably.This seminar covers basic syntax and the fundamentals of the ABAQUS GUIToolkit. Hands-on workshops are an integral component of learning about theABAQUS GUI Toolkit and represent a significant portion of theseminar experience. The workshops focus on distinct aspects ofthe GUI Toolkit and build upon each other to create a completestand-alone application.Additional details on this course as well as the current worldwidetraining schedule for 2004 can be found at www.abaqus.com/training.

Open for Collaboration As many users know, ABAQUS/CAE includes tools that can beused to automate many pre- and postprocessing tasks. Thesetools include the ABAQUS Scripting Interface and, new withVersion 6.4, the ABAQUS GUI Toolkit. From macros, to replayfiles with rudimentary input, through to complete verticalapplications, ABAQUS/CAE provides a rich toolset to automateboth basic and advanced tasks and processes.Python (www.python.org), a powerful object-oriented scriptinglanguage, is embedded in ABAQUS and has been extended toinclude a rich set of commands. Using the ABAQUS ScriptingInterface, scripts can be written to create new functions toperform geometry modeling or meshing, submit analysis jobs,or automate common postprocessing tasks.ABAQUS Version 6.4 now offers a GUI Toolkit, which is apowerful ally to the Scripting Interface. The GUI Toolkitprovides programming routines that allow customization of theABAQUS/CAE graphical user interface. The GUI Toolkitenables users to add and remove functionality to the userinterface; for example, to create vertical applications. The Process Automation Portal

To foster and advance the use of the scripting interface and GUIToolkit, ABAQUS has created a Process Automation Portal website, which provides a mechanism for the ABAQUS communityto collaborate on process automation through discussion forumsfor GUI customization and kernel scripting. Users canparticipate in or initiate discussions and share ideas, links, andscripts. The portal includes the following sections:

ForumsThe discussion forums can be used to seek advice, find out ifothers have done what you are setting out to do, or offer usefulhints/scripts to others. Users can submit questions about creatingnew custom applications. Forums are meant to provide amechanism for collaboration and exchange of ideas but are notintended for technical support.DownloadsThe portal provides a number ofexample scripts and customapplications for download.Users can also upload scriptsand applications they may havedeveloped and want to share.Web LinksUseful links to web sites relatedto the development of customapplications are provided. Userscan also submit links.NewsImportant updates and new information are displayed on themain page (after logging in) as news items. Users can alsosubmit news items related to process automation.Portal Access / User AccountsTo access the portal, you will first need to login to theABAQUS Online Support System (AOSS). If you are not yetregistered there, you can create a user account by visitinghttp://abaqus.custhelp.com. After you login to AOSS, you willfind a link to the portal. When you register at the portal, youmay specify a username and password that are different fromyour AOSS account. Portal accounts are cookie based, so youwill not need to re-login every time to use the portal.

ABAQUS in the News

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AVL and ABAQUS Sign Strategic AgreementOn October, 14, 2003, ABAQUS announced its strategic agreement with AVL, the world�s largest privately owned and independent companyfor the development of powertrain systems with internal combustion engines, instrumentation and test systems, as well as mathematicalsimulation software. The agreement will accelerate and deepen the integration between the companies� software products. The first release ofthis solution platform is expected in the first half of 2004. Further, the solution platform will be flexibly packaged so that AVL and ABAQUS

customers can fully leverage existing investments in both companies� software products.Dr. Uwe Lehmann, Senior Manager, Design and Analysis Bearings, at Federal Mogul (FM)commented, �FM uses AVL solutions and ABAQUS as strategic tools in our product developmentprocess. We are encouraged by the new agreement between the companies and look forward tothe improved integration and solutions that are planned.�The partnership represents a best-in-class approach, combining industry-specific solutions fromAVL with a general-purpose FEA technology solution from ABAQUS. For the full press release, please visit our web site at www.abaqus.com/news and click on�Press Releases.�

Tire Assessment Using Finite Element Analysis

In the 2003 annual review issue of Tire Technology International, ABAQUS was highlighted in an article written by Harish Surendranath,ABAQUS, Inc., and Martin Kuessner, ABAQUS Deutschland, which discusses how ABAQUS provides many of the important tire analysesneeded to support the tire development process. Increasing use of parallelized solvers iscutting the turnaround time required for analysis, while close integration between explicitand implicit frameworks in ABAQUS facilitates a full sequence of analyses from theaxisymmetric inflation of the tire via the full three-dimensional footprint simulation to asteady-state rolling analysis followed by an explicit dynamic transient rolling simulation.Some of the other topics covered include structural-acoustic modeling, multi-bodydynamic analysis, and the use of submodeling and design sensitivity analysis to furtherspeed and enhance the process. To download the full article, please visit our web site at www.abaqus.com/news and clickon �In The News.�

First Metal-Matrix Landing Gear Component Flown on Dutch F16In the September issue of High Performance Composites, ABAQUS is mentioned for playing a part in the design of the titanium metal matrixcomposite (MMC) lower drag brace for the landing gear on a Royal Netherlands Air Force F16 by SP Aerospace. It is the first applicationof an MMC landing gear part. The MMC replacement brace weighs 40% less than the original, which is fabricated with high-strength

steel. Additionally, the MMC material has better corrosion and fatigue resistance than either steelor aluminum, say SP.To link to the full article, please visit our web site at www.abaqus.com/news and click on�In The News.�

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ABAQUS for CATIA V5

BackgroundABAQUS has worked closely with Dassault Systèmes and several major joint customers to deliver much-requested advanced finiteelement analysis (FEA) functionality to engineers from within CATIA V5. In January 2004 the first release of ABAQUS for CATIA V5will ship to customers. ABAQUS for CATIA V5 is the first-ever product lifecycle management (PLM)-integrated implementation ofABAQUS that provides end-to-end solutions for real-world analysis workflows. Companies that use CATIA V5 will want to take a lookat ABAQUS for CATIA V5 in 2004 to see how it might benefit their design and analysis processes.Complete CATIA V5 IntegrationABAQUS for CATIA V5 is a modeling and user-interfaceextension to CATIA V5 in which the user can create, submit forsolution, and postprocess ABAQUS-based simulations, withoutever leaving the CATIA V5 environment. The user workscompletely within CATIA V5 and enjoys the benefits of havingexpanded analysis functionality fully integrated into their familiarPLM environment. ABAQUS for CATIA V5 maintains and reusesthe CATIA V5 concepts of parts, virtual parts, and assemblies andmakes full use of geometric associativity. Familiar modelingconstructs, such as points, surfaces, and bodies, are the basis foranalysis constructs, such as boundary conditions, loads, andcontact associations. Modifications to the model geometry areinstantly reflected in the analysis model, typically requiring only aremeshing operation before submitting the job.Workflow EnabledABAQUS has been delighted to have the following major CATIAand ABAQUS customers help us define functionality content for thisfirst release of ABAQUS for CATIA V5: BMW, Boeing, Honda,PSA Peugeot Citroën, and SNECMA. During the developmentprocess, these organizations helped us identify and focus on real-world application workflows of greatest interest and value to thetheir end users. These and many other engineering organizationshave developed proven workflows using ABAQUS to solve some oftheir most critical simulation and design problems. Robust methodshave been developed by their own ABAQUS experts and have beenimproved and enhanced over the years as more experience and newfunctionality have become available. These methods have becomeextremely reliable and may be suitable for deployment outside theABAQUS expert community to engineers operating earlier in thedesign process. By moving powerful, realistic simulations earlier inthe product lifecycle, engineers can make more intelligent designdecisions, improving the effectiveness of the overall design process.

Features and HighlightsWorkbenchesABAQUS for CATIA V5 functionality is grouped into twoCATIA V5 workbenches for convenience: the Thermal Analysisworkbench and the Structural Analysis workbench. Within theThermal Analysis workbench users can define thermal attributes,such as temperature-dependent film coefficients and gap heatconductance, as well as heat transfer simulation steps. Within theStructural Analysis workbench users can define mechanicalattributes, such as bolt tightening connections and pressure loads,as well as structural simulation steps. In a single analysis you caninclude both types of simulation steps to perform a sequentiallycoupled thermal-structural simulation.

NonlinearityClearly, one of the fundamental requirements CATIA V5 customershave requested is access to the powerful nonlinear mechanicscapabilities in ABAQUS. ABAQUS for CATIA V5 enablesadvanced simulations that can include nonlinear geometric effects,such as arbitrarily large rotations and stress stiffening. ABAQUSfor CATIA V5 also enables such fundamentally nonlinear effectsas intermittent contact, plasticity, and temperature-dependentthermal film conditions. ContactABAQUS for CATIA V5 can model complex inter-part interactionsin model assemblies using proven ABAQUS contact capabilities.Simulations can have hard or softened contact with arbitrarily largerelative sliding, including friction. For thermal simulations gapthermal conductance properties can be assigned to contact surfaces.

Your ABAQUS for CATIA V5analyses are fully integrated in theuser interface of CATIA V5, withmodel definition, analysis settings,and results all accessible through thefamiliar CATIA V5 specification tree.

ABAQUS for CATIA V5 appears within the CATIA V5 user interface as twoadditional workbenches under Analysis & Simulation.

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Bolted ConnectionsMany mechanical models use bolted connections among parts in anassembly, and ABAQUS is particularly well-suited to modelingthese types of connections. ABAQUS for CATIA V5 leverages

ABAQUS technology in this area, with arobust and easy-to-use bolt modelingcapability based on native CATIA V5 tools.You can further simplify bolted models byusing virtual bolts, which model the effects ofbolt tightening without requiring modeling ofthe physical bolt geometry.

Learn MoreABAQUS for CATIA V5 is an exciting new member of theABAQUS product suite. This first release offers an exceptionalsolution to a number of important analyses; and we expect that theproduct will be expanding rapidly based on our additional customerfeedback. We invite anyone interested in learning more aboutABAQUS for CATIA V5 to join our upcoming web seminar thatwill further introduce you to the benefits and functionality thisproduct offers users of ABAQUS and CATIA V5 technology. Tolearn more, stay tuned to www.abaqus.com for the latestinformation or contact your local ABAQUS office.

ABAQUS for CATIA V5 (continued)

ABAQUS is well known for its accurate and robust procedures for the treatmentof bolted assemblies. ABAQUS for CATIA V5 offers several powerful and easyto use approaches for modeling bolts.

ABAQUS would like to keep all of our customers up to date onour latest enhancements and make sure our software is being usedto its fullest capabilities. For these reasons, we have implementeda series of web seminars. These seminars are created to beconvenient for our customers�you can watch from your owndesktop! We will try to target different niches to hopefully touchon topics of interests for everyone. We currently are runningapproximately one web seminar per month and typically offer atleast two broadcasts to accommodate different time zones. Staytuned to www.abaqus.com/events for future postings.2003 Web Seminar RecapBetween June and December we delivered four web seminars,reaching over 500 people. Below is a brief description of eachevent. We hope to expand upon this list in 2004. An event replayis available for each of these events except the UNDEX event. Ifyou�d like to view a replay of any of these events, send an emailto webinars@abaqus.com. If you would like to hear more onUNDEX, please contact your local ABAQUS office.UNDEXABAQUS capabilities for UNDEX (underwater explosion analysis) areintegrated within the coupled fluid-solid interaction capability, which isalso used for structural acoustics. Transient explosion simulations aregenerally handled in ABAQUS/Explicit, using specialized infiniteboundary conditions and incident wave loading options.Process AutomationMany users are unaware that workflows canbe customized and captured withinspecialized Process Automation tool setscreated using the familiar ABAQUS/CAEinterface. These Process Automation toolsallow users to modify and extend thebuilt-in capabilities of ABAQUS/CAEto enable much more efficient ABAQUSsolutions to be generated.

Routine AnalysisDid you know that ABAQUS has significant, competitive, andcost-effective capabilities in the realm of routine linear analysis?Features like inertia relief, multiple load case analysis, RBE-styleelements, accurate shells for linear analysis, Nastran bulk-data fileimport, and OP2 file export are standard.Brake SquealWith ABAQUS Version 6.4, no longer does the brake engineer have todeal with approximating nonlinear effects, DMAP, or alternate solutionsequences�ABAQUS does it all as a standard procedure easilyaccessed and used by any ABAQUS user.2004 Web SeminarsPlans for 2004 have begun. To start, we have two web seminarsscheduled. The dates are currently being finalized and will beposted to our events page shortly.

January 2004�An Overview of ABAQUS Version 6.4February 2004�ABAQUS for Catia V5

Feedback and Ideas...We�d like to hear from you! Please give us suggestions on futureweb seminar topics that you�d like to learn more about. Help uswith feedback on the events you have attended; let us know

what can be improved and what youthink worked well that shouldn�t bechanged. Email webinars@abaqus.comwith your thoughts.

ABAQUS Web SeminarsABAQUS Technical Specialists Appearing on your PC

ABAQUS, Inc.1080 Main StreetPawtucket, RI 02860-4847 USA+1 401 727 4200e-mail info@abaqus.comEurope+31 43 356 6906e-mail info.europe@abaqus.comJapan+81 3 5474 5817e-mail info.japan@abaqus.comWWW.ABAQUS.COM

ABAQUS, ABAQUS/Standard, ABAQUS/Explicit, ABAQUS/CAE,ABAQUS/Viewer, ABAQUS/Aqua, ABAQUS/Design,ABAQUS/Foundation, and the ABAQUS logo are trademarks orregistered trademarks of ABAQUS, Inc. or its subsidiaries in theUnited States and/or other countries. Other company, product, and service names may be trademarksor service marks of others.Copyright © 2004 ABAQUS, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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