Dassault Systèmes SIMULIA

February 5, 2020 Blog, Simulia Like: 0

ByMarc Young, Founder and Owner, xLM Solutions

Here at xLM Solutions, we want our customers to have a variety of options for the best ways of using PLM and PDM products. In this three-part blog series, we’re reviewing the three main 3DEXPERIENCE products from Dassault Systèmes: CATIA, ENOVIA and SIMULIA. In this blog, we focus on SIMULIA simulation software for designers and engineers.

The Evolution of Simulation Software

Initially, simulation software was mostly used in the aircraft and automotive industries. Now, it is used in all areas of manufacturing and industries, from industrial equipment to consumer-packaged goods – it is useful for any enterprise wanting to design and test a physical product before bringing it to market.

Why Simulation Software?

The benefits of simulation software are extensive – it saves costs in the long-term because it reduces the number of:

prototypes
change orders
physical product tests

Using simulation software, designers and engineers can look for ways to minimize, for example, product weight, materials consumption, and stresses. Simulation allows users to optimize a product’s design, make products more durable, and test them when it’s not practical or cost-efficient to physically test a product in its real environment. It also identifies defects early in the design process.

SIMULIA Today

With Dassault Systèmes SIMULIA applications, users leverage multi-physics simulation and high-performance computing (HPC) to explore and optimize real-world behavior of their products and product environment. As an integral part of the Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE platform, SIMULIA applications accelerate and improve how manufacturers evaluate the performance, reliability, and safety of materials and products before committing to physical prototypes. Because it is built on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, SIMULIA optimizes collaboration among departments and individuals. Rather than working in a silo, designers and engineers can share their product simulations for greater efficiency. SIMULIA includes a scalable suite of unified analysis products that allow all users, regardless of their simulation expertise or domain focus, to collaborate and seamlessly share simulation designs. The Abaqus Unified Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Suite offers engineering solutions for a variety of industrial applications including:

Linear and nonlinear
Coupled physics: structural acoustics, thermal-electrical, and more
Electro-magnetics and smoothed particle hydrodynamics

Designers and engineers can simulate a variety of complex materials, such as rubber, thermo-plastics, powder metals, soil, composites, and human tissue. SIMULIA is useful in the design of complex assemblies with flexible multi-body dynamics, controls, and joint behavior. Users can identify defects, cracks, impacts, and crash events. With SIMULIA’s high performance computing, users can scale from 4 to 256 cores for rapid turnaround and large-scale analyses. The software offers model preparation and results interpretation including automation tools for customization of standard workflows. Users can work with geometry-based data and imported meshes without associated geometry because of the software’s hybrid modeling approach. It also delivers linear and nonlinear analysis options, robust multi-physics capabilities, high performance computing and best-in-class visualization capabilities.

Who is Using SIMULIA?

SIMULIA is used by designers and engineers who have a solid physics background. Users need to understand their product’s physical phenomena, properties, and behaviors, plus the forces affecting it, and the external environment in which the product will exist. Training courses are available to gain proficiency in the software to learn how it applies to the unique requirements of each manufacturer. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform offers two main roles for designer level analysis and advanced expert level analysis with SIMULIA:

Structural Designer Role (SRD) with simple linear Finite Element Analysis (FEA) capabilities is an intuitive design simulation solution delivering efficient product performance assessment under linear static conditions.
Structural Professional Engineer Role (DRD) is an intuitive design simulation solution for design engineers looking for efficient product performance assessment under linear and non-linear static and implicit dynamic conditions.

We Can Help with SIMULIA

xLM Solutions and our partner VIAS provide software solutions, training, and consulting for Dassault Systèmes products, including Finite Elements Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and electromagnetics consultancy services. Our team members have advanced engineering degrees coupled with extensive experience using multi-physics simulation software. Specifically, we arrange customized training for companies wanting to start using SIMULIA but lack the resources inhouse. We deliver company- and industry-specific case studies so engineers can experience simulation via use cases relevant to their day-to-day design activities. We aspire to be a one-stop shop for advanced simulation needs. Contact us if we can guide you on how to incorporate simulation in your design cycle.