Software

 

SDB Engineering uses ANSYS and Creo Simulate (formerly Pro/MECHANICA) as FEA software.

Creo Simulate
This software is integrated within the 3D CAD software Creo Parametric (formerly Pro/ENGINEER). Therefore it is very well suited to quickly analyze geometry variants as well as detailed final calculations.

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Creo Simulate uses a different underlying technology than other commonly used software such as ANSYS. The finite elements in Creo Simulate are called “geometric polynomial elements”, P-elements (where other software such as ANSYS uses so called h-elements).
The term “geometric” means that the element contour perfectly follows the geometry curvature. It is not needed to have multiple elements to follow the geometry as would be needed in other software that uses h-elements.
The term “polynomial” refers to the fact that the displacement field along the edge of the P-elements is described by a polynomial function with highest degree of 9. The h-elements in other software is limited to 2nd degree (quadratic elements). This means that one element is able to capture a strongly varying stress level (for instance a stress concentration in a radius) where otherwise multiple elements would be needed.
The polynomial degree needed to have an optimal accuracy is determined by the software during the solution step, resulting in higher polynomial degrees only where needed in the model. For the user this means that the accuracy is far less depending on the mesh size than in other software, and that large models can be analyzed while keeping small important details included.

ANSYS
ANSYS is one of the most well known FEA software suites available. SDB Engineering has extensive experience using it, both using the Workbench environment as well as using the classic environment, including modelling using the APDL language.

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The combination of Creo Simulate and ANSYS makes it possible for SDB Engineering to choose the best solution for your question, allowing for cost-efficient, fast and accurate analyses.

Using either ANSYS or Creo Simulate we can make the following analysis types:

  • Structural static analyses:
    • Lineair elastic;
    • Large deformations;
    • Contact including friction;
    • Non-linear elastic/plastic material;
    • Hyperelastic material;
  • Structural dynamic analyses:
    • Modal analyses, eigenfrequencies;
    • Transient analysis, stresses and deformations as a function of time;
    • Random dynamic analyse;
  • Thermal analyses:
    • Steady state analysis, final temperature distribution;
    • Transient analysis, temperature as a function of time;
  • Buckling, stability of a structure.

In-house developed software
In order to solve some problems, it is convenient to have custom made software. We can use custom software to for instance do special post-processing on FEA results, and make these post-processing results visible in the FEA sofwtare.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us in case you need more information or if you are interested in the services of SDB Engineering.