FEMFAT Archives - Computer Aided Technology

How CATI’s Sim Team Is Expanding Customer Capabilities

Zack Yates — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 21:25:21 +0000

Support from an experienced sim team increases the capacity of expert engineers at the customer.

“There’s a reason why there’s an eraser on a pencil.” That’s how Dan Saperstein, CATI’s senior vice president of business systems, describes the creative, iterative process of developing a product for the real world using simulation. In the early design stages, simulation allows companies greater leeway to experiment and innovate—to design with a pencil, rather than a pen.

“Companies traditionally brought products to market through physical testing,” says Dan. “They would physically design it, build it, break it, and redesign it until it was no longer broken.” It’s a process that is both time consuming and expensive, and is also limiting in the type of tests that can be performed and the data it is possible to collect from them. With simulation, the story is different. “We’re able to bring our customer’s process to market a lot faster, allowing for better quality and better innovation. Simulation is no longer a nicety in the marketplace—it’s a necessity.”

Joe Formicola, CATI’s vice president of CAE simulation solutions, concurs. “I see simulation becoming even more of an important tool for product development. It’s becoming increasingly available because of its ease of use on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform and the connectedness to CAD, but also because of the computational capabilities that the cloud has allowed us to have.”

If the advantages that simulation brings to an engineering firm are hard to overstate, so too are the benefits that come from working with an experienced sim team.

This was the logic CATI followed in late 2020, when they acquired Caelynx, an Ann Arbor-based team of simulation consultants specializing in the Dassault Systèmes product line of simulation software, which also includes SOLIDWORKS. By bringing on a simulation team with decades of expertise in diverse fields, CATI could better support their own customer base of SOLIDWORKS users by helping them integrate their CAD workflows to a wider range of advanced simulation tools.

However, as Joe is quick to point out, an expert simulation team is an enhancement to a company’s internal team, not a replacement. “We want our customer’s expert engineers to have expert tools. But to create these types of easy-to-use workflows that connect to CAD and are very advanced, you need people with experience who have in-depth understanding of the physics solvers, of the CAD tools, and who are used to working with customers and helping them implement these tools.”

For as impressive as all that sounds, the depth and breadth of CATI’s new simulation team can best be demonstrated by introducing the individual members. If your company needs simulation support, these are the people ready to assist you.

Meet the CATI Sim Team Leaders.

JOHN HUHN

Consulting Services Engineering Manager || BS Mechanical Engineering, Western Michigan University

John has over 22 years of experience in the FEA consulting industry which he has spent building and solving models, generating results that correlate to physical testing, and helping customers find an engineering solution to their problem using simulation tools.

When he’s not working on simulations, he loves working out and being active outdoors. In fact, he has a titanium rod inside his tibia due to a snowboarding accident, but never fear—he’s fully recovered and still snowboards.

CARL OSTERWISCH

Technical Manager || BS Mechanical Engineering, University of Arizona

Carl works as a technical manager in the advanced simulation group headquartered in Ann Arbor, where he is responsible for support and training of our software customers using FEMFAT and the SIMULIA portfolio tools: Abaqus, Isight, fe-safe, and Tosca. He also provides support and mentorship for our consulting projects.

Carl has been using CAE to help solve engineering problems since 1994, during which time his experience has primarily been in automotive engineering, especially engine components. His experience developing engines includes solar-powered Stirling electric generators, 3.4 meter bore compressors, and two-cycle weed whips.

Carl loves a challenge, which makes him an excellent fit for CATI, where he finds a never-ending stream of interesting engineering and software problems every day. A favorite part of his job is when he is able to improve a design which must meet challenging constraints. He also likes helping software customers use the tools more efficiently.

Outside of work, Carl spends his time traveling with his wife, Jen. They enjoy visiting their son in Grand Rapids and driving cross-country to visit their daughter in Tucson, Arizona. They like to explore historic cities along the way and to backpack in public lands.

JIM REED

Manager of Electromagnetics || BS Physics, Texas State University & BS Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

Jim is responsible for electromagnetic business development, including managing EM engineers, and is also the technical lead for high-frequency applications.

His experience includes handling application and technical sales for Ansys HFSS and CST Microwave Studio. He was also previously an aerospace engineer for passive microwave components including antennas, filters, and connectors.

Jim has used CST Studio Suite since version 1.0 in 1999 and has taken multiple CST accreditation courses. He enjoys connecting real-world experiments to the simulation domain for greater insight into the design space.

Jim spends his free time hiking in west Texas and sailing on Lake Travis.

DRAGAN MARIC

Lead Engineer || BSE & MSE Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan

Dragan is the sim team’s lead engineer, responsible for managing and leading projects. Although he has 18 years of FEA experience, his main focus is on product development.

A product developer and innovator both in his free time and at work, Dragan’s favorite part of his job involves running trade-off studies and acquiring engineering insights.

ROBERT WARREN

Application Engineer Manager || BS Mechanical Engineering, University of Akron

Robert manages the Software Presales Simulation Application Engineer team, which focuses on meeting and exceeding customer expectations in all things Simulation Software. He has 15 years of experience in the VAR channel, ten of which are specifically focused on simulation, along with eight years of industry experience as an analyst, design engineer, and R&D engineer spanning multiple industries including heavy machinery, power generation, and transportation.

During his time at Akron, Robert completed electives focusing on FEA and CFD, and is also a SOLIDWORKS Simulation Elite AE, which is the highest certification for application engineers specializing in Dassault Systèmes software.

According to Rob’s wife, his interests and hobbies are many and varied, yet whether it’s baking cookies or searching for ways to make Power Wheels more powerful, they always come back to simulation. Robert is also a big Jeep person and insists on waving at everyone he sees on the road.

MARCEL INGELS

Lead Engineer || BS & MS Biomedical Engineering, University of Toledo

With eight years of experience in the sim space, Marcel’s primary role lies in leading simulation projects in the medical device, aerospace, automotive, and defense industries, and in providing technical support and training on the Abaqus and 3DEXPERIENCE portfolio. His previous experience includes conducting analysis for a spinal implant start-up company and as a research assistant at an orthopedic research institute, where he focused on CAE analysis of impact biomechanics and orthopedic devices.

His chief interests include nonlinear material mechanics, cloud computing, and crash analysis, and he especially enjoys watching analysis results correlate with physical tests. Marcel is also a triplet and an avid paddleboarder.

JEAN-MARC GERY

Senior Engineer for Electromagnetic Applications

Jean-Marc is the senior electromagnetic engineer for the low-frequency applications (CST and Opera). He has been in the EM software industry since 1989 and has been supporting Opera since 1996. Over the years he has analyzed and designed a wide variety of applications, including but not limited to motors, actuators, magnet arrays, scientific magnets, MRI, superconducting magnets, and EM brakes.

Jean-Marc has degrees in physics and microelectronics with an emphasis on electrical machine design, including motors, solenoids, actuators, and other high-field magnetic devices such as magnetrons, MRI devices, and X-ray tubes. His research and engineering contributions include 11 patents in motor design.

The physics of magnetism have been an area of interest for him since he studied them in college. He is particularly interested in the diversity of magnetics applications, especially superconducting magnets, as they require nested analyses (magnetics, thermal, and structural).

Jean-Marc is a marathon runner in his free time, with his best run clocking in at 2:58.

KUNAL KHOT

Senior CAE Engineer || BS Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering Pune & Automotive Engineering postgraduate degree, University of Brighton

Kunal has been an automotive CAE engineer for roughly 15 years, with work experience across three continents. Kunal’s expertise lies in performing durability, NVH, and crash simulations for different automotive domains including driveline, axle, closures, transmission, seats, body structure, chassis, and suspensions.

For Kunal, the best part of his job comes when he is able to look at a part that is failing the test criteria for a customer, and not only offer a solution that allows that part to pass their criteria, but which is also manufacturable, cost effective, and efficient.

During his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, playing soccer or cricket, and mountain biking.

CORY OSTROW

Senior Design Engineer

Cory’s primary focus is as a sim consultant on advanced projects, with a current focus on full-scale crash simulations for a leading global medical device manufacturer. His experience includes 20 years of working directly with simulation on design for manufacturing in the automotive tier 1 stamping and casting space. While Cory loves to mesh, translating results into design improvements is what he does best.

About 20 years ago, Cory designed and modeled a simulation for a 50-foot-tall backyard roller coaster, then built it from raw materials with a small crew. According to him, it is still running today and hasn’t resulted in any major injuries or arrests.

KURT KURTIN

Senior Product Manager/Pre and Post Sales, CAE Consulting || BS Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, MS Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University

Kurt has been using SOLIDWORKS simulation tools since 2000, and has been providing simulation support as an applications engineer since 2005. His simulation experience lies in structural, thermal, fluid, seismic, and kinematic rigidbody dynamics, and has training and certification in all SOLIDWORKS Simulation products (Sim, Flow, Motion, and Plastics).

Kurt especially enjoys thermal simulations in support of design efforts related to the fast-growing field of electric vehicle design. In his spare time he is an avid cyclist, both on the road and in the mountains.

BILL REUSS

Senior Application Engineer Specialist, Simulation || BS Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering

Bill handles pre- and post-sales for SOLIDWORKS’s analysis suite of products. Previously, he spent seven years working on the design and analysis of medical and surgical devices, followed by another seven years working on the design and analysis of beverage equipment. Since 2010 he has been working with the CATI team on CAD/CAE sales and support.

Bill enjoys working with a variety of customers, learning about their design and analysis challenges, and helping them solve problems that make their products better.

To say that Bill loves to play golf is an understatement. He currently organizes and runs a golf league that is now in its 24th year of play. Over the course of 5,000+ rounds of play, he is the only person to hit a hole in one.

MATT SHERAK

Senior Simulation Product Specialist || BS Mechanical Engineering Technology, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Matt works as an elite application engineer, finding simulation solutions that match customer needs, and assisting them via training, mentoring and support. His favorite part of the job is meeting customers from all different industries and backgrounds and sharing his knowledge of simulation with them.

Although Matt started at CATI as a 3D-printer tech and quickly made his way up the ranks to the simulation team, he still maintains an enthusiasm and love for additive manufacturing.

Contact CATI to bring your simulation capabilities to the next level.

With the acquisition of Caelynx, CATI is able to offer something few competitors can match. Joe Formicola, the former CEO of Caelynx, has already seen the value a dedicated sim team can provide customers, and is eager to bring these services to CATI’s customer base. “We can take SOLIDWORKS CAD and 3D simulation and marry the two on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, and then bring services to the community that are better than anything else.”

In many ways, simulation as a service is following in the footsteps of SaaS models, which allow businesses to better manage their expenditures. Few companies have the resources to support a large simulation team with a skill set as diverse as CATI’s. But with the CATI sim team to back them up, they can be assured of expert consultation in even the most niche fields, whenever they need it.

“In our industry, having seventeen consultants with years of experience specific to different physics-based simulation technology to help our customers is very unique,” says Dan Saperstein. “It’s a tremendous amount of experience, and we’re really excited to be able to offer that to our customer base. Having the skill set of Caelynx and being able to offer that up to our customers is a tremendous value for them and our organization.

“The power of the software and the capabilities of the people using the software are becoming more and more a critical component of the product development cycle.”

Whether you’re interested in working with simulation for the first time or eager to help your engineers achieve their best, the team at CATI is ready to work with you. Contact our service representatives to learn more.

FEMFAT 5.4 has been released!

Zack Yates — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 19:42:00 +0000

There’s a new version of FEMFAT out, FEMFAT 5.4, and registered users can now download it here!

Some new features of FEMFAT 5.4 in brief:

SPECTRAL: stress rearrangement influence (PLAST)
SPECTRAL: assessment of spot welds and rivets (SPOT)
VISUALIZER: improvements for weld definition
ABAQUS: support of v2017, v2018 & v2019
ANSYS: interface for compressed rst files
License queuing for HAL servers
Improvements for FEMFAT parallel
New HARMONIC version

Please refer to the release notes for a complete list and description of new features and bug fixes.

Not familiar with FEMFAT? Learn more about this powerful, easy-to-use durability analysis software on our FEMFAT page!

Join Caelynx at the 2018 North American FEMFAT User Meeting!

Zack Yates — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 22:51:00 +0000

Eager to learn the latest advancements and applications of FEMFAT? Looking for an opportunity to network with fellow users in the industry? Come to the automotive capital of the world and join Caelynx and FEMFAT for the 2018 North American FEMFAT User Meeting in Troy, Michigan on October 16, 2018!

FEMFAT will be highlighting the new SPOT database, WELD assessment capabilities for SPECTRAL, new material data for structural bonds assessment, improved WELD definition in VISUALIZER, SPOT assessment using NASTRAN super elements, improved mean stress influence in SPECTRAL, and much more.

We will also hear presentations from users applying the latest capabilities and FEMFAT techniques, ensuring increased reliability and robustness of their products. We hope to see you there!

Participation is free, registration required. More information and registration is available on the FEMFAT Website.

Caelynx offers software training for FEMFAT and CAE support! Visit our training page to learn more.

SIMULIA R2019x: What’s New and How to Download

Zack Yates — Thu, 20 Dec 2018 03:29:00 +0000

The simulation portfolio of 3DEXPERIENCE R2019x (including Abaqus 2019 download, fe-safe, Tosca, Xflow, CST, and Isight) is out and available to you right now! It’s packed with new features and enhancements that will expand your analytical possibilities and make your life as an analyst easier! My personal favorites include improved solve times in Abaqus/Explicit, hyperfoam materials in Abaqus/Standard, and new constraint options in Tosca Structure. Exciting!

How to Download

Head over to software.3ds.com to get your download now! This update is freely available to current licensees. For more detailed instructions on downloading and installing DS software, check out our blog post.

If you’d like to learn more about SIMULIA, visit our SIMULIA page. If you’d like to speak to us about getting started with SIMULIA, contact us here.

What’s New

Abaqus

The Abaqus Unified FEA product suite offers powerful and complete solutions for both routine and sophisticated engineering problems covering a vast spectrum of industrial applications.

What’s New

Material and element enhancements

A new 2nd order tet element C3D10 in Abaqus/Explicit provides larger stable time increment and is more computationally efficient than the existing C3D10M element
A new shear panel element SHEAR4 in Abaqus/Standard provides efficient modeling of reinforced thin-wall structures such as can be found in airplane fuselages
The hyperfoam material that was previously available in Abaqus/Explicit is now also available in Abaqus/Standard. Results transfer between Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit is fully supported which enables workflows involving static preload followed by dynamic impact.
The concrete damaged plasticity model in Explicit has been enhanced to include damage initiation and failure.

Contact enhancements

General contact in Abaqus/Standard now supports thermal and thermal-electrical procedures.
Initial contact stresses in Abaqus/Standard can be computed based on user-specified stress in elements underlying the contact surface.
New contact output variables including scalar integration of contact pressure over the surface.
The bolt contact capability in Abaqus/Standard has been enhanced to more accurately represent threads without actually meshing the thread.

Linear Dynamics enhancements

SMP parallel processing is now supported for results recovery in mode-based procedures.
The missing mass method is now available for use within the response spectrum procedure. A common application is earthquake engineering.
Structural energy flow, power flow and acoustic radiated energy and power can now be computed for coupled structural-acoustic steady state dynamics.

Modeling and visualization enhancements

Model instances can now be used with flattened input files.
Asymmetric axisymmetric elements CAXA/SAXA are now supported within Abaqus/CAE.
Geometry assemblies within Abaqus/CAE can be exported into the ASAT format which simplifies interoperability with 3DEXPERIENCE applications.
Visualization of nodal tensor fields is now supported.

Other key enhancements

Parallel scalability of Abaqus/Explicit has been significantly improved. Performance improvements approaching 50% have been observed.
Performance of contour integral evaluation has significantly increased for large models.
Performance of linear static load cases has been significantly improved.

Tosca

The Tosca optimization suite provides fast and powerful structural and flow optimization solutions based on FEA and CFD simulations. Tosca optimization suite consists of two products: Tosca Structure is for optimized structural designs, and Tosca Fluid provides optimized fluid flow design concepts.

What’s New

Tosca Structure

Tosca Structure.topology
- Faster execution using shared memory parallelization (SMP) for topology optimization using shared memory parallelization.
- Enhanced topology optimization sensitivity filtering
  - Sensitivity filters has been enhanced and especially in combination with stress constraints or symmetry constraints are results much improved
- Enhanced optimizer for sensitivity based optimizations
  - New implementation of the internal optimizer, Convex Separable Approximation (CSA). The optimizer is now default
- Improved controls for overhang constraints for additive manufacturing
Tosca Structure.shape
- Enabling sensitivity based shape optimization with Abaqus non-linear analysis
  - Non-linear static analysis (NLGEOM=YES, *PLASTIC, *CONTACT …)
  - Including all modeling nonlinearities as large deformations, contact and non-linear materials.
  - Stress constraints
  - Reaction force constraints, even on *COUPLING elements
  - 2D and 3D elements
  - Abaqus execution in MPI-mode
  - Better performance, especially for stress constraints
- Enhanced manufacturing constraints for sensitivity based shape optimization supporting the following manufacturing constraints
  - Plane symmetry
  - Cyclic rotational symmetry
  - Cyclic plane symmetry
  - Stamping
  - Demold control
- For easy restrictions of plane surfaces adjacent to the design area with RESTRICT_ON_SURFACE
- Definition of a smooth transition zone into the design area with CHECK_TYPE = TRANSITION
- Enhanced element correction for C3D10 elements
Tosca Structure.bead
- Enabling sensitivity based bead optimization with Abaqus nonlinear analysis which replaces the “linearized” workflows
- The Sensitivity based bead optimization now supports
  - Non-linear static analysis (NLGEOM=YES, *PLASTIC, *CONTACT …)
  - Stress constraints
  - Reaction force constraints, even on *COUPLING elements
  - Abaqus execution in MPI mode
  - Better performance
Tosca support in ABAQUS/CAE 2019
- Support Abaqus sensitivities for all Tosca workflows
- Sizing
- Shape
- Bead * (planned for FD release)
- Overhang constraint topology optimization
Supported solver interfaces
- Abaqus 2019
- ANSYS® v19.0
- MSC Nastran® 2017
- Supported life solver interfaces
  - fe-safe 2019
  - Femfat ® 5.3

Tosca Fluid

Tosca Fluid improved interfaces for
- STAR-CCM+® versions: 9.02 – 13.02
- Ansys Fluent® versions 15.0.0 – 19.0.0

fe-safe

fe-safe is a powerful, comprehensive and easy-to-use suite of software for fatigue analysis from finite element models.

What’s New

Improved robustness of weld line definitions for solid elements
Enhanced nodal force method for Verity weld fatigue relaxes some of the meshing requirements
Results summary available by group, not just model as a whole
Groups/sets created by fe-safe are written to ODB Prismatic Hull infinite life method
Simpler plugin loading
Ability to use more than one plugin in the same project/job
Improved plugin identification/versioning
Installer unified with Abaqus

Isight

Isight provides simulation process automation and design optimization solutions that enable users to reduce analysis time and costs while improving product performance, quality and reliability.

What’s New

Isight Enhancements
- Support copy-paste of scripts in script editors
- New “Fetch & republish to local library” command in fipercmd
Component Enhancements
- Abaqus component upgrade
  - Support for Abaqus 6.14 – Abaqus 2019
- CATIA V5 component upgrade
  - Supports CATIA V5 R27, CATIA V5 R28, and CATIA V5 R29
- SolidWorks component upgrade
  - SolidWorks component is enhanced to support SolidWorks 2016 SP4 through 2019 releases
SIMULIA Execution Engine (SEE) Enhancements
- TomEE-Microsoft SQL Server based SEE
- Web Dashboard in TomEE-based-SEE
- HTTPS support for Webtop and Web Dashboard in TomEE-based-SEE

CST Studio Suite

CST STUDIO SUITE allows engineers to experiment with virtual prototypes even at the earliest stages of the design process, to compare the performance of different configurations, and to optimize their products as part of end-to-end industry processes that require EM simulation.

What’s New

General
- CST Specialist connects CST Studio Suite with 3DEXPERIENCE and leverages the best capabilities of each. (See CST Specialist PX2 role BFS for more info)
- Support for 3D CAD assembly design for CST Studio Suite assembly mode
- Basic visualization of the farfield in Simulation Review app. The farfield plot is the most important KPI for antenna design and placement
- Encryption of CST models for securely sharing data (IP protection), available for Transient Solver only
- New Schematic Editor with strongly improved performance and usability
- Improved Poser tool to posture human voxel models
- System Assembly Modelling (SAM) Array Task allows post-processing optimization in full array
- New Anchorpoint Sweep in SAM Assembly Viewer
High Frequency
- Support of new GPU devices: NVIDIA Tesla V100 and Quadro GV100
- Improved HPC Cluster check for MPI simulations o Distributed Computing – Merge time improved
- Lumped Elements Touchstone Circuits (T,F, TLM)
- Simultaneous Excitation (F,I) o Windscreen antenna simulations: Improved setup
- FD, TLM and Asymptotic Solver now included in Hybrid Solver (F, TLM, A)
Low Frequency Simulation
- 3D rotational motion (LT)
- Support of periodic subvolumes in 3D (LT + Mstatic)
- SAM Machine Task with several improvements
Charged Particles
- New E-Static PIC Solver (for slow movements, e.g. plasma)
- Optically induced emission model (photoemission)
- Combined E-field plots with particles
Cable Simulation
- Simplified definition of cable bundles in 3D
- Easy definition of junctions between cable terminals
- Stranded wires in TLM Solver (bi-directional coupling with cables thicker than a mesh cell)
- Improved accuracy of lossy metals, used in cable cross section
- Parameter sweep for random bundling
- Running cable simulations on Linux OS (batch mode only)
Circuit Simulation
- New Schematic Editor with improved performance and usability
- Excitation settings now available in ask Parameter list
- New IBIS AMI Task
Filter Designer
- FD2D: improved accuracy of fast distributed models
- FD3D: VNA based filter tuning (coupling matrix extraction from real-time measured S-parameters)
- FD3D – New topologies for dual- and multi-mode filters
Interference Task
- Interactive violation matrix, directly opening EMI margin plot
- Radio library available for download from support page
EDA Import and PCB Simulation
- IR and PI Result Field now use normal layout window with all selection capabilities
- 2DTL and SI coupling limits can be determined from threshold voltage
- IR Drop with detailed power loss and sign off reporting
- Boardcheck: Electrical data for rules is calculated from PCB data, Hierarchical violation view
Chip Interface
- Cadence Virtuoso plug-in
- Import from interconnect technology files (*.ict, *.itf)
- Button for easy 3D-model generation

XFlow

XFlow offers particle-based Lattice-Boltzmann technology for high fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) applications as a part of SIMULIA’s Fluids Simulation portfolio.

What’s New

Apply Volume Heat Source boundary condition and Conjugate Heat Transfer (CHT) boundary condition on the same solid
Enhanced XFlow-Abaqus two-way cosimulation capability
New XFlow-Abaqus one-way cosimulation capability for small fluid-induced structural deformations
Improved Arbitrary Reference Frame for simulations with enforced moving bodies
Power’By enhancements enabling the possibility to upload to numerical results of XFlow and the simulation model to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform
Enhanced Isosurface visualization for simulations with multi resolution lattice domain
Improved animations generator with new parameters to better control the output animation file