What is The Abaqus Software?

Abaqus is a powerful Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software with a comprehensive set of features for creating complex simulations. The Abaqus software has a wide range of applications in many industries due to its varied set of capabilities.

What is The Abaqus Software – An In-Depth View

What is the Abaqus software? – Abaqus is a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software with a wide range of features, making it highly versatile. Its primary purpose is to facilitate the creation of complex simulations to determine how certain structures, materials, and products will respond to various environmental factors.

Abaqus is renowned for its modularity and how flexible it is, offering a huge library of element types and material models. The software is also scalable and capable of running large simulation models efficiently, making it suitable for both small and large-scale projects.

The software is used in a wide variety of industries due to its extensive capabilities and customization.

Key Features of The Abaqus Software

Here’s a comprehensive view of the key features of the Abaqus simulation software.

Extensive Library

The Abaqus library includes a vast array of element types and material models, enabling engineers to accurately simulate the behaviors and interactions of a wide variety of material and element combinations.

The element types in Abaqus include:

Linear and quadratic solid elements
Structural elements (shell elements, beam elements, truss elements, membrane elements)
Elements for coupled simulations (thermal/structural elements, thermal/structural/electrical elements, piezoelectric elements, etc)
Special elements for modeling (gaskets, spot welds, etc)

The library of Abaqus is so extensive that it can model nearly any geometry.

The material models in Abaqus include:

Linear elasticity and viscoelasticity
Nonlinear viscoelasticity
Isotropic and kinematic plasticity
Damage and fracture mechanics
Multiscale and Mean-Field Homogenization

Scalability

The Abaqus software is designed to efficiently utilize the power of High-Performance Computing (HPC), enabling users to run large-scale simulations without significant limitations. Abaqus allows users to complete large, complex jobs within tight schedules, meeting project deadlines and maintaining productivity.

TotalCAE make turnkey HPC clusters optimized for Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit, see https://www.totalcae.com/abaqus/ for more information on our turnkey TotalCAE Infinite HPC cluster appliance for Abaqus.

Ease of Use

Abaqus has been designed to be easy to learn, ensuring that users quickly acquire the necessary skills to use it properly. To make it even more accessible for beginners, the software has a modular structure, along with simple, consistent, and intuitive problem definition rules.

Nonlinear Simulation

The software is renowned globally for its effectiveness in simulating scenarios dominated by nonlinearity.

This includes the complex behavior of lightweight structures that may buckle or collapse under certain conditions. Another example would be the simulation of materials like rubbers and plastics as these materials are too soft and unfeasible to simulate based on linearized deformation.

Modules

The Abaqus simulation software is modular. This means that users can choose specific functionalities according to their needs. Here’s a quick overview of the different available modules.

Abaqus/Standard

Abaqus/Standard is a finite-element solver designed for the simulation of true static and structural dynamic events. It handles applications like thermal stress analysis, sealing evaluations, and fracture mechanics studies.

Users can extend its capabilities with custom subroutines for material models, elements, and more. Additionally, Abaqus/Standard integrates seamlessly with Abaqus/Explicit, enabling combined simulations.

The Dassault Systèmes website offers a wealth of educational resources to help new users getting started with this tool.

Abaqus/Explicit

Abaqus/Explicit is a specialized explicit-dynamic finite-element solver. It excels in simulating dynamic events like phone drops, automotive crashes, and ballistic impacts. This module is well-known for its robust capabilities for simulating nonlinear behaviors.

Abaqus Multiphysics

The Abaqus multiphysics module helps engineers analyze interactions between different physical phenomena like thermal, mechanical, electrical, and fluid dynamics in a unified framework.

This module offers capabilities such as sequential results mapping, fully-coupled simulations, and co-simulation, providing a powerful solution for realistic simulations.

Abaqus/CAE

Abaqus/CAE supports interactive CAE concepts such as feature-based, parametric modeling, and more. This module has an open customization toolset for automating processes. It also includes robust visualization capabilities, making it easier to communicate simulation results.

Abaqus CAD Associative Interface

The Abaqus CAD Associative Interface facilitates seamless geometry transfer from CAD systems to Abaqus/CAE.

Composites Modeler for Abaqus/CAE

The primary purpose of the Composites Modeler for Abaqus/CAE is to enhance the existing ply modeling capabilities in Abaqus/CAE.

Abaqus Knee Simulator

The Abaqus Knee Simulator is a computational modeling tool designed for analyzing and simulating knee implants.

Medical device companies take advantage of its robust simulation capabilities to create innovative, safe, and effective knee implant designs.

Czone for Abaqus

CZone for Abaqus enhances the “crush simulation” capabilities of the Abaqus software. It is particularly useful for designing composite components and assemblies in the automotive and aerospace industries.

Solution Sequence

Whether you use Abaqus or any other FEA software, any analysis performed must go through three stages.

Pre-processing or modeling. Engineers create an input file containing the design for a finite-element analyzer or solver. This stage can be done using Abaqus/CAE.
Processing or finite element analysis. The input file is processed by Abaqus/Standard, Abaqus/Explicit, or Abaqus/CFD to generate an output visual file.
Post-processing. Engineers generate reports, images, animations, and other visual renderings from the output file. Abaqus/CAE facilitates this stage.

Can Abaqus Run “In the Cloud”?

Abaqus can indeed run “in the cloud,” allowing users to harness the power of high-performance computing (HPC) clusters for large, complex simulations.

Running Abaqus in the cloud involves accessing a cloud service provider that offers HPC resources, or using Dassault’s service

The scalability of cloud resources means that users can adjust the computational power based on the requirements of each project, optimizing both performance and cost.

At TotalCAE, we specialize in providing managed HPC solutions both on-prem and in a Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) environment for Abaqus. Our solutions are fully customized to the engineering needs of your business.

How to Buy The Abaqus Simulation Software?

To purchase the Abaqus simulation software, engineers and businesses need to obtain a quote from Dassault or their reseller. TotalCAE does not sell licenses but can manage and access your license servers from both our clusters and BYOC cloud. Including managed DSLS.

Uses of The Abaqus Software

Here are some examples of the uses of the Abaqus software in different industries.

Automotive – One of the most critical applications of Abaqus in this sector is in crash simulations. These simulations are essential for assessing vehicle safety, understanding crashworthiness, and enhancing the overall design of automotive structures.

Aerospace – Abaqus is utilized in the aerospace industry to simulate and predict the behavior of aerospace components under structural and thermal loads.

Civil Engineering – Abaqus is employed in civil engineering to analyze and predict structural behavior under various loads, such as gravity, wind, and natural disasters, ensuring the safety and integrity of buildings for occupants.

These are just a few of the innumerable applications of this powerful piece of software.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation vs Abaqus

SOLIDWORKS is a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) platform offering easy-to-use structural analysis tools to predict the physical behavior of a product by virtually testing CAD models. It supports linear, non-linear static, and dynamic analysis.

One of the main differences between these tools is that Abaqus offers higher fidelity and accuracy in simulations due to its advanced mesh controls and to its diverse selection of element formulations and complex material models.

SOLIDWORKS is typically used in the early stages of the design process, while Abaqus is employed for more mature and complex designs.

A Brief History of Abaqus

Abaqus, first introduced as ABAQUS, was created in 1978 by Dr. Bengt Karlsson, Dr. David Hibbitt, and Dr. Paul Sorensen, who established the company Hibbitt, Karlsson & Sorensen, Inc.

Version 1 of the software was specifically developed for Westinghouse Hanford Company. The software evolved rapidly, with version 3 made available in 1979 and version 5.4, the first parallel version, in 1995.

The software was initially focused on nonlinear analysis of structures and heat transfer problems. The base or “core” product named ABAQUS/Standard was expanded to include ABAQUS/Explicit and several years later, ABAQUS/CAE. This was done to increase the capabilities of the software.

The name of the company was replaced with ABAQUS, Inc. in 2002 to emphasize its flagship product. Later on, Dassault Systèmes acquired ABAQUS, Inc. in 2005 for $413 million. The headquarters, originally in Providence, Rhode Island, moved to Johnston, Rhode Island in 2014.

Harness the Power of HPC & Abaqus With TotalCAE

At TotalCAE, we understand the growing demand for High-Performance Computing (HPC) to maximize the potential of the Abaqus simulation software for complex engineering simulations.

As a leading provider of managed HPC solutions, our goal is to empower engineers to leverage the full capabilities of Abaqus without the burden of managing their own HPC infrastructure.

Our expertise lies in providing both on-premises HPC solutions and cloud HPC solutions. Whatever your specific needs are, TotalCAE has the expertise and resources to ensure your Abaqus simulations run smoothly and efficiently.

Ready to unlock the full potential of Abaqus with HPC? Contact TotalCAE today to discuss your HPC needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about Abaqus.

How Does Abaqus Integrate With CAD Tools?

Abaqus seamlessly integrates with popular CAD tools through a powerful module called the “Abaqus CAD Associative Interface.”. This module allows engineers to transfer certain components (or an entire assembly) directly from their CAD system into Abaqus/CAE with a single click.