Summer 2006

________________________________________________

Dana’s Engineering Strategy

ABAQUS/CAE Enhances Productivity and Visualization

PSA Peugeot Explores DesignsUsing ABAQUS for CATIA V5

AUC 2007 Call for Papers

VVooll.. IIXX September/October 2006

Dana’s Engineering Strategy

PSA Peugeot Citroën ExploresDesigns Using ABAQUS for CATIA V5

AUC 2007 Call for Papers

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:35 AM Page 20

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IInn tthhiiss iissssuuee::1 ABAQUS Training Schedule and Web Seminars

2 Letter from CTO: A Passion for Solving Real Problems

3-4 ABAQUS “In the News”

5-6 Product Updates

7-9 Dana’s Engineering Strategy

10 PolyOil Designs Lightweight,Durable Offshore Oil Equipment

11-13 PSA Peugeot Citroën Explores Designs Using ABAQUS for CATIA V5

14 Ghent University Simulates Realistic Balloon Stent Deployment

15 University Program News

16 ABAQUS Alliance Partners News

17-18 ABAQUS Users' Conference Updates

ABAQUS INSIGHTS is published by

Rising Sun Mills166 Valley Street, Providence, RI 02909-2499Tel. +1 401 276-4400 Fax. +1 401 276-4408

info@abaqus.com

WWW.ABAQUS.COM

Editor:Tim Webb

Contributors:Karen CurtisJan DemoneKaren Donovan, The Parker GroupBruce EngelmannAsif KhanMarc SchrankSubham Sett

Production Manager:Laura Wistow

Copyright 2006 ABAQUS, Inc. All rights reserved.The following are trademarks or registered trademarks of ABAQUS, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of

Dassault Systèmes: ABAQUS, ABAQUS/Standard, ABAQUS/Explicit, ABAQUS/CAE, ABAQUS for CATIA V5, and the ABAQUS logo. The 3DS logo and SIMULIA are trademarks or registered trademarks of Dassault Systèmes.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

ABAQUS Training Schedule

ABAQUS offers a variety of training seminars to help customers use our products successfully. These seminars range from introductory to advanced analysis, covering specific topics and applications. To view the worldwide course schedule and to register for a course, visitwww.abaqus.com/support/sup_training_sched.html.

ABAQUS Web Seminars

Live Web Seminars*:

September 19, 21 Accelerate Medical Device Development

October 9, 12 Improve Simulation Accuracy with Adaptive Remeshing in ABAQUS

November 28, 30 Avionics Simulation with ABAQUS*Dates subject to change.

Replays of Past Web Seminars:

ABAQUS Version 6.6 Update Web Seminar - Part 1 and 2

ABAQUS for CATIA V5 Version 2.3 Update

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Register for these and other free web seminars at www.abaqus.com/webinars.

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These are exciting times at ABAQUS. Our enduring commitment to produce the highest quality finiteelement-based software tools, backed by the best support and services, continues to help our customerssucceed. Our passion for technology and innovation keeps us at the forefront of software development.And advancements made in FEA software technology and computer hardware are now leading us into an era of realistic simulation, where all significant aspects of a physical system are modeled from firstprinciples. A primary benefit of realistic simulation is that engineers can get insight into product performance that would otherwise be impossible because of the increased fidelity and predictive nature of the calculation.

What are the important factors in making realistic simulation a reality? I would nominate three: a multidisciplinary approach to advanced physics modeling, a strategy for exploiting improvements in high-performance computing, and a passion for advancing technology that makes a positive impact on society.

In the early days of FEA software, ABAQUS made its mark with highly accurate physics modeling.Nonlinear material response, such as plasticity and creep, and industry-leading contact formulations constitute the heart of our software. As ABAQUS has grown, we’ve expanded our focus on highly accurate physics modeling to include more and more physicalphenomena, an essential ingredient for realistic simulation. A few of our recent and ongoing technology initiatives are co-simulationfunctionality for fluid-structure interaction, material damage and failure modeling, articulated system response through connector elements, and adaptive remeshing for nonlinear accuracy control. Most of this advanced capability is enabled via the sophisticated yet easy-to-use interactive modeling environment of ABAQUS/CAE, which provides the most comprehensive coverage of advancedABAQUS functionality available on the market (see page 6).

ABAQUS is also taking advantage of high-performance computing. Improvements in software and hardware performance over the past 30 years have enabled larger and larger models to run to completion. Digital models now include tremendous detail,which enables analysis at the system or product level and drastically reduces the number of engineering assumptions. Our customers sometimes create model sizes that outstrip even today’s vast hardware capabilities, so it is imperative that we continue to deliver innovative solutions for performance. In recent years we have greatly improved the ability of both ABAQUS/Explicit andABAQUS/Standard to scale to large numbers of processors through parallel execution. With ABAQUS/Standard Version 6.6 we released a DMP sparse solver for the first time, and initial reports of DMP performance are very good. You can expect even better scalability and reduced memory usage in upcoming releases.

Other highlights include leveraging multicore chip technology, high-performance network interconnects for clusters, software architecture and database improvements, and better I/O performance. We will continue to focus on delivering realistic simulationenabled by advanced FEA technology in which high-performance computing for large models is a critical component.

As far as passion, ABAQUS has plenty. It sparks new discoveries and reveals elegant solutions. ABAQUS developers excel at creating software that allows our customers to evolve their methods and improve the accuracy and usefulness of their simulations. Our customers are equally passionate. From your requests for enhancements, it is obvious that you love to push the envelope and drive the evolution of our software tools. We are fortunate that you are also very willing to share your experience and knowledge, not only at our international users’ conference and regional users’ meetings, but at many important industrial conferences and forumsaround the world (see page 18).

As I write today, our development team is hard at work on many new projects, such as finalizing the new ABAQUS Version 6.6Extended Functionality release (see page 5), building the next full release of ABAQUS Version 6.7, and planning for ABAQUS Version 6.8 and beyond. As we work to meet your requirements, the specifics of our development investments may vary but we remain committed to the advancement of finite element technology and processes with the overall goal of delivering realistic simulation.

Lastly, I want to know this: Are you taking advantage of the many feature enhancements and performance improvements in ABAQUS Version 6.6? We know it can be hard for users to keep up to date on all of the changes and new features, so I encourage you to attend your Regional Users’ Meetings to learn more about the newest product release and our ongoing plans. I hope you are as enthusiastic as I am about our recent technology innovations. I can assure you that bigger and better things are yet to come!

Very truly yours,

Bruce EngelmannCTO

A Passion for Solving Real Problems Drives Our FEA Strategy

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063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:32 AM Page 2

ABAQUS “In the News”

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Share Your Stories If you would like to have your case study published in the press, send an

e-mail with a brief description of your application to info@abaqus.com.

See more stories at www.abaqus.com/news.

Desktop EngineeringFebruary 2006, pages 34-37FEA Moves into Uncharted WatersKen Short, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing forABAQUS, Inc., talks about unified FEA in this overview article on advanced simulation by contributing editor Louise Elliott. “Theidea is to break away from individual silos of products, tools, anduser skills,” he notes. “The automotive world wants to get as closeas possible to using a single model for all simulation.”

Automotive Engineering InternationalMarch 2006, pages 81-83Advancing Crashworthiness SimulationThis article by Marc Schrank, Directorof Product Management for ABAQUS,describes a longstanding collaborationbetween ABAQUS and BMW in developing software for simulating automotive crashworthiness. He notes that a physical crash test can be carriedout only once, but simulation allows engineers to perform thousands of virtualcrash tests to better understand vehicleand occupant behavior. The project started in 1999 with the development of acrushable foam material model. In 2005,BMW chose ABAQUS for all futurecrashworthiness simulation.

NASA Tech BriefsMarch 2006, pages 55-56Buckling and Fracture Analysis of Composite Skin-Stringer Panel Using VCCT and FEA Software“One of the main failure modes for the skin of an aircraft isbuckling,” writes Kyle Indermuehle, Manager of ABAQUSAerospace Industry Solutions. This technical essay on simulating composite structures describes experimental testing that an Australian research lab performed on an aircraft skin-stringer panel. Analysts then used ABAQUS to model the panel and stringer and to predict the structure’s behavior under load with good correlation to real-world results.

European Automotive DesignMarch 2006, pages 34-38Sounding OffIn this comprehensive article, reporter Jeff Daniels surveys the current challenges that automakers face in eliminating noise, vibration, and harshness from the driving experience. “The days are gone,” he says, “when noise engineers, armed with a stethoscope, used to travel in the boots of new models.” The first page of the article features a vibration mode image from ABAQUS of a 9 kHz squeal on a Delphi front disc brake.

Mechanical EngineeringMay 2006, page 22Plastics Push OffshoreThis case study about UK-based PolyOil Ltd. describes the use ofABAQUS software to simulate the behavior of downhole equipmentfor offshore oil drilling. PolyOil’s cast polymer umbilical clamp has a lower coefficient of friction and weighs half as much as a metalclamp. Analysis of the clamp, performed by the British firm

AMEC-NNC, helped PolyOilverify that its product wouldprove durable in one of thetoughest industrial environmentson earth (page 10).

Desktop EngineeringMarch 2006, pages 16-19Analyzing Analysis, Part 2Contributing editor Pamela Waterman takes

on a host of topics in thisbroad overview on the relationship between CADand FEA. She quotes Dale Berry, Director ofIndustry Solutions atABAQUS, on the topic of application-specificGUIs devised by analystsfor use during productdesign. “I think thisapproach will continue to be the bridge betweenadvanced FEA workflowsand the needs of the typicaldesigner,” he says.

AdhäsionMarch 2006, pages 14-18 (German language)Adhesives are becoming ever more popular in automotive design.This increase in use requires the evaluation of adhesive behaviorunder crash-type loading. Good correlation between experiment and simulation can be reached only if damage and failure of theadhesive is taken into account. In this article DOW Automotivesdescribes the successful calibration of the physical behavior of theiradhesive BETAMATE using the porous metal plasticity model inABAQUS/Explicit, which is based on Gurson’s theory.

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:32 AM Page 3

New VP of WorldwideOperations

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Richard Boger of the ABAQUS Central office inWest Lafayette, Indiana, has been recognized by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) asone of the United States’ brightest young engineers;

and he will participate in the NAE’s 12th annual Frontiers of Engineeringsymposium in Dearborn, Michigan. During the nomination process,Richard submitted details on a multidisciplinary project that involvedcollaboration between industry and academia to determine howmicroscopic details of material structure can have practical implicationsto metal forming processes.

“The engineering profession has an obligation to use our intelligenceand creativity to solve the world’s real problems,” said Richard, seniorengineer for ABAQUS. “This is what makes working for ABAQUS soexciting. Through our daily activities, we are truly equipping the world’sengineers with the tools and methods they need to improve society.”

Richard is part of an exceptional group of engineers from organizations such as 3M, Alcoa, Boeing, Intel, Los Alamos National Laboratory,Microsoft, Motorola, and Sandia National Labs. They will gather to discuss how multiple fields can collaborate to solve complex problems.They will also examine issues surrounding nanotechnology-biologyinterfaces, intelligent software systems and machines, supply chainmanagement, and personal mobility.

“Multi-Scale Simulation” is capable of not only simulating the stand-alone tire but also includes the effect from passenger, vehicle, road condition, tire structure, and compounds and polymers to predict the behavior of the overall tiresystem. This technology will enable Yokohama to predict the true tireperformance under the real conditions and to significantly improve thedesign accuracy and flexibility of the tire to create a quieter ride.

Acoustic resonance of thetire cavity is a significant contributor to vehicleinterior noise. This effect is more pronounced when passing over certain road features such as the seam line of the road. As the tireinteracts with the road surface, the vibration causes a resonance of the airinside the tire cavity. This vibration is transferred through thevehicle supension to the body and to various parts of the vehicle. The acoustic resonance of a tire is strongly influencedby the vehicle speed and the deformation of the tire structure.

Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. has announced that, together withABAQUS, it has jointly developed new simulation technologyfor predicting the acoustic resonance within a tire under real driving conditions. Up until now, coupled structural-acousticanalysis was only capable of simulating the tire under stationaryconditions. It is believed that this is the first time the technologyhas been capable of predicting the acoustic cavity resonance of the tire against its driving speed under realistic driving conditions. This technology adds new capability to “Multi-ScaleSimulation,” a part of Yokohama’s “Third-Generation DesignInfrastructure Technology,” which was announced in May, 2005.

Yokohama Co-Develops New Technology to Quiet Tire Noise

Scott Berkey has joined ABAQUS as VicePresident, Worldwide Operations. He willprovide strategic and operational directionfor global sales, services, and field technical

support functions. “Scott has an impressive business backgroundin engineering technology and enterprise collaboration,” said MarkGoldstein, CEO of SIMULIA. “His leadership and knowledge willassist ABAQUS and the SIMULIA brand in achieving our growthobjectives.”

“ABAQUS has an excellent reputation for technology, quality, andcustomer support,” said Berkey. “I look forward to providing theright solutions to our customers that will enable them to extendthe benefits of simulation across their organizations.”

Berkey comes to ABAQUS after serving as CEO of Axentis, Inc.,a developer of enterprise management software. Prior to this, hewas president and CEO at Proficiency Ltd, a provider of productdata integration and engineering collaboration software. Berkeyhas also held executive-level positions at SDRC, includingresponsibilities for the Asia/Pacific region, Metaphase operations,and North American sales. Berkey earned a B.S. degree inApplied Science at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and anM.B.A. degree at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Flowchart of Multi-Scale Simulation using the new technology

Bio-InformationMeasurement

Attached to the Vehicle

Macro-Scale

Micro-Scale

Meso-Scale

Nano-Scale

“Realize the Tire Acoustic Resonance Prediction during the driving condition”

Richard Boger Selected asInventive Young Engineer

For more information, visit www.abaqus.com/tire.

To learn more about Yokohama Rubber Company, visit www.yrc.co.jp.

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:32 AM Page 4

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New ABAQUS Extended Functionality Release Makes New Features Available More Quickly

The ABAQUS Extended Functionality release will be shipped tocustomers as requested on a customer-by-customer basis. Please contact your local ABAQUS office or representative if you believethat the ABAQUS Version 6.6 Extended Functionality release willimprove your application of ABAQUS products, and arrangementswill be made to ship the release to you.

This year we are introducing a new type of ABAQUS releasethat is intended to get new and improved features into yourhands for production usage more quickly. We are calling thisthe ABAQUS “Extended Functionality” release. The first suchrelease is referred to as ABAQUS Version 6.6-EF1.

If you have used ABAQUS products for a number of years, youare probably familiar with our annual release cycle-approximatelyonce a year a general ABAQUS release is distributed (for example, ABAQUS Version 6.6-1), with subsequent maintenancereleases (such as ABAQUS Version 6.6-2, etc.) made available in the months before the next general release. Each generalrelease includes new and improved features and performancegains, while maintenance release content is strictly limited to addressing bugs that have been identified, along with incorporating additional supported compute platforms.

During any release cycle, development for the “next” generalrelease is well underway even before the “current” general releaseis made available. For example, while ABAQUS Version 6.6-1started shipping in April 2006, the ABAQUS Version 6.7 development cycle had already begun in October 2005. There are dozens of development projects that are carried out over thecourse of each development cycle, some that span the entirecycle, and others that are much shorter in duration and completed several months ahead of the general release.

The ABAQUS Extended Functionality release is designed to take advantage of these already completed features and to makethem available to you in a fully tested and fully supported release,prior to the next general release. Thus, ABAQUS Version 6.6-EF1will be released in Q4 2006, with enhancements provided for boththe analysis products (ABAQUS/Standard and ABAQUS/Explicit)as well as ABAQUS/CAE.

A sampling of enhancements includes:

• Fully integrated shell and solid elements in ABAQUS/Explicit • Improvements to the DMP sparse solver in ABAQUS/Standard • Improved support of functional distributions for loads and

boundary conditions in ABAQUS/CAE

We plan to present these enhancements, as well as to address questions that we anticipate will arise, in a lecture at the RegionalUsers’ Meetings being held throughout the world over the next fewmonths. We encourage you to contact your local ABAQUS officeor representative and to register for the user meeting in your region(see the schedule on page 18).

If you do not see an immediate need for the new and improved features in the ABAQUS Extended Functionality release, you cancontinue to work productively within ABAQUS Version 6.6releases (the Version 6.6-1 general release and its subsequent maintenance releases). All enhancements available in Version 6.6-EF1, along with many others, will be available inABAQUS Version 6.7-1, which is planned for release in Q2 2007.

ABAQUS for CATIA V5 Version 2.3Now Available

The latest release of ABAQUS for CATIA V5 extends its ability to deployadvanced ABAQUS methods as proven workflows across the enterprise.The newest release leverages the latest technology in ABAQUS Version 6.6and CATIA V5 R16 to deepen its analysis capabilities, with particular emphasis on new enhancements in contact modeling, connections, and usability.

ABAQUS for CATIA V5 Version 2.3:

• Provides access to complete functionality of ABAQUS Version 6.6 performance improvements.

• Takes advantage of ABAQUS Version 6.6 contact capabilities, including the ability to model applications involving large sliding between parts, using the surface-to-surface formulation. Usability enhancements include the ability to view some or all of the parts in a complex contact analysis, which can assist in confirming the selection of contact surfaces.

• Leverages the weld modeling functionality of CATIA V5 to enable rapid definition of a large number of rigid or flexible connections, such as spot, seam, and surface welds.

• Enables the modeling of shell structures with continuum shell elements, which permits the use of the actual CAD geometry of the structure rather than an approximate midplane and offsets of adjoining components.

Using the extended functional distributions capabilities in ABAQUS/CAE Version 6.6-EF1, a wide range of spatially varying attributes including surface heatflux can be defined on parts such as this exhaust manifold.

For more information, visit www.abaqus.com/AFC_V5.

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:32 AM Page 5

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New Features in ABAQUS/CAE Increase Productivity and Enhance Results Visualization

Displaying Background Images and Movies

Displaying your simulation results in the context of the real worldimproves your ability to clearly demonstrate how your simulationresults relate to real product performance. The new visualization features in ABAQUS/CAE can help you compare analysis results to physical test results, visualize how a component interacts within a complete system, and improve the ease with which you build yoursimulation model.

The new features enable you to display an image or a movie in thebackground of a viewport (i.e., the window in which ABAQUS displays your model). This gives you the ability to display the resultsof your analysis in context with experimental results, which can helpyou and your team better understand the phenomena being modeled.Displaying a video clip of the modeled event overlaid with an animation of the analysis results can make for dramatic animations.Such a comparison can enhance the results credibility or help identifyareas in the simulation that need accuracy improvement.

You can customize the display of imported images and movies byrepositioning the image or movie, stretching or compressing it ineither direction, or adjusting its translucency. The options in the movie editor allow you to adjust the timing and duration of the movie so that it can be synchronized with the result animations.

Background images not only allow you to show your results in context, but they also can help with modeling tasks. You can creategeometry based on an image of a physical component. If you are creating a complex assembly of multiple parts, a background imagemay help you position the part instances more effectively.

Be sure to take advantage of the new image and movie display capabilities the next time you need to make a persuasive presentationto your colleagues, your management, or your customer.

If you are not currently using ABAQUS/CAE, now is the time to evaluate the new features available in ABAQUS Version 6.6.Every license of ABAQUS provides access to ABAQUS/CAE,which provides the most comprehensive interface for ABAQUSanalysis capabilities on the market. It integrates modeling, analysis, job management, and results visualization in a consistent, easy-to-use environment. With the exciting new features and tools in ABAQUS Version 6.6, you are likely to find that you will be able to replace existing third-party tools and to improve your overall analysis productivity.

While there are dozens of new capabilities in ABAQUS/CAEVersion 6.6, this article focuses on adaptive remeshing and displaying background images and movies.

Adaptive Remeshing

The next time you find yourself asking questions such as Howgood is my mesh?, Where should I refine my mesh to improveaccuracy?, or How much mesh refinement should I add?, you can get the answers by using the new adaptive remeshing capability in ABAQUS Version 6.6.

The goal of the new adaptive remeshing capability is to obtain a solution that satisfies discretization error targets while minimizingthe number of elements and, hence, the computational expense.This new feature allows ABAQUS/CAE and ABAQUS/Standardto work together to determine an optimal mesh. The adaptedmesh will be customized automatically for your specific modeland its accompanying load history.

If you choose to allow ABAQUS/CAE to remesh your modeliteratively, the adaptivity process controls the adaptive remeshingfor you. You need only define the remeshing rule and apply therule to the regions in your model that you want to be remeshed.You can use the default remeshing rule to improve your meshwith little intervention. Alternatively, you can modify theremeshing rule (for example, by changing the error indicatortargets) to meet your needs for a particular analysis.

Adaptive remeshing improves the quality of stress results with targetedmesh refinement.

Be sure to attend the upcoming Regional Users’ Meetings and webseminars to learn more about ABAQUS/CAE.

For more information, visit www.abaqus.com/products/cae.

Simulation results can be superimposed over a photograph or video.

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:32 AM Page 6

What is the most significant challenge you face in your engineering and product development process?

Popielas: The push to have development completed quickly is tremendous. In the past we might have had two years to develop a product. Now we talk in terms of months, a year atmost. To go through a development project from start to finishwithin this kind of timeframe, you need to have the propertools and a system in place for using them. You have to incorporate different simulation techniques and connect theminto one approach covering design, manufacturing, and cost.

Correlation and validation of the simulation results play amajor role in this. When you are in the engineering business,everything that you manufacture or even propose as a product,you have to validate. If you can’t validate product performancein a short amount of time, then you are not in business.

How important is simulation as a driver for innovation inyour process?

Nash: Simulation is really our time machine. It’s all about how we get from an idea to a proven concept faster. It is anintegral part of how we develop new products and improveexisting products. It allows us to try out more ideas and to optimize them more quickly. At Dana, product development is a collaboration between the engineers and the analysts, often including materials people and R&D people, who are all feeding ideas. The better job we can do of collecting allthese ideas, funneling them into a system and filtering out thebest ones, the better shot we have at delivering a productimprovement or new innovation to the market.

What types of projects in your company currently leveragesimulation?

Nash: Within the Sealing Products Group, we use simulation technology in the development of almost all our products-cylinder head cover modules, thermal-acoustic protective shields,cylinder-head gaskets, molded gaskets, and air inductioncomponents. We utilize FEA and CFD technology. Speed tomarket and product differentiation are huge challenges, andsimulation is integral, almost a starting and ending point of thewhole process. Probably the cylinder-head gaskets are the bestexample of where we’ve been able to truly automate the process.They used to take weeks to develop, and now they take hours,maybe days at most.

Popielas: We have pushed simulation technology farthest in leading Dana product groups such as Torque and Traction,Sealing Products, and Thermal Product Solutions. Our CAEcouncil is developing standards so we can better support each other and help other groups reach the same level of CAE capabilities. The idea is to have a system where we do the first optimization as early as possible in the development

Based in Toledo, Ohio, Dana Corporation is a global supplier of axle, driveshaft, engine, frame, chassis, and transmission technologies to the automotive, commercial vehicle, and off-highway industries.Their products are integrated into more than 60 million vehicles annually. The company is currently in the processof implementing a vertical integrated engineering approach in whichCAE plays a strategic role. Dana is standardizing CAE workflowsacross their global engineering operations in an effort to supportinnovation, shorten the development cycle, and reduce costs.ABAQUS software is at the center of Dana’s engineering initiative.

Recently, INSIGHTS had the privilege of interviewing two of the project architects, Frank Popielas and David Nash. Popielas is the Manager of Advanced Engineering for the Sealing ProductsGroup and has been with Dana since 1994. He is responsible forthe group’s global CAE activities, lab activities, and development of newly advanced materials and products. Popielas also leads the Dana CAE council. Nash has worked for Dana for 19 years andis currently Director of Research and Development for SealingProducts. He is responsible for new product development, materialdevelopment and testing, product testing, computer simulations,and warranty analysis for molded products.

Dana’s Engineering Strategy:"Simulation Is Process and Product Development"

Frank Popielas (top), Manager of Advanced Engineering for the SealingProducts Group, and David Nash, Director of Research and Developmentfor Sealing Products, for Dana Corporation.

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process. As soon as we put a CAD model on the screen, we want tohave the capability to optimize the design from different perspectives.It might be geometry, it might be function, it might be cost.

So using simulation early in the design process is important.

Popielas: Exactly. Because this is where you save most of the time. You have highly qualified analysts develop those optimizationcapabilities, then you train your product and design engineers how touse the system. They make choices, such as the material used for the product, the type of fastener, the thickness of the material, and maybesome product-specific boundary conditions. It’s very straightforwardbecause the engineers don’t have to have a detailed understanding ofthe CAE software.

The idea is to have web-based interfaces in place so they can submit a simulation just like they would have submitted a simulation request. It gets submitted automatically, the simulation happens in the background, and they get a report back automatically. Some of thesetools are already implemented.

What are the steps to take in automating a simulation process?

Popielas: First you need to make decisions on your requirements andobjectives. What product features are you interested in? What featureshave the most impact on product performance? Once you decide this,you can look into what kind of software to use and develop proper preprocessing techniques. Internally developed scripts help us to support these efforts. We use Python as a “glue” code. The model, or the input file, is defined by the Python script and is automaticallysubmitted to the compute system using queuing. Once the solution iscompleted, it goes to a postprocessing computer, which plots picturesfrom different views and at different scales.

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ABAQUS enables Dana to analyze sealing pressure of the gasket elements, the sealinggap movement caused by the alternating combustion pressure, and the warping andthe distortion of the cylinder head and block.

Dana designs and manufactures a broad range of products that are integrated intomore than 60 million vehicles annually.

Such an approach isn’t for new product development. It’s for well-defined products that we have in production and that need simulation support on a regular basis. Updates and development of new standards, simulation techniques, processes, designs, and products are the analyst’s responsibility.

What trends do you see happening in your business that will driveyour simulation processes in the future?

Nash: As far as under-the-hood automotive, the trends are smallerdesign envelopes, demands for increased efficiency and increasedpower out of smaller packages, reduced emissions, and cost reduction. Advanced analysis tools will help us develop productsusing nontraditional materials in applications where the technology did not previously allow it. Integration of components is also key, so we will determine how to combine functions to reducecomponents, weight, fasteners, and package space.

What is your current practice, or future vision, for leveraging simulation collaboratively across multiple disciplines?

Nash: We need to be stronger in process simulation. Historically, we have focused on the analysis of the product function and the interaction with its environment and mating components. This hasgrown into optimization methods to get to the best design faster, in

(continued)

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:33 AM Page 8

place of traditional iterative methods. But for us, process analysis has been sequential. We need to pull this forward and tie it into thedesign optimization process more formally. Maybe, for example,there’s some small aspect of a design that's not wrong, but if we do it a different way, we could reduce the cycle time five seconds without affecting function. This is done today, but it’s often donesequentially, rather than upfront and collaboratively.

How is simulation being used to collaborate with your customersand suppliers?

Nash: I’ve got a project that I’m working on right now with one of our suppliers. We’re both using ABAQUS as our simulation tool, and we’re using each other’s resources and expertise in the development of a brand new product line. It’s something that is notout on the market anywhere today. We think we’re going to be ableto deliver a substantially new product at a good value, something that will give our customers an improvement in their cost positionand represent a whole new product line for Dana.

We extended our collaboration beyond the R&D people and included design people, engineers, and materials experts within the Dana organization. I brought in our supplier to be part of that.They are doing some of the analysis, and we are doing some of the analysis; but the ideas are coming from everywhere.

Why did you choose to implement ABAQUS as an integral part ofyour engineering strategy?

Popielas: It goes back a few years. We benchmarked the availablesoftware packages on the market across two of our product groups, sowe could compare results. And both groups concluded that ABAQUSis the package of choice. A couple of things came into play. The codeis the best in the market for simulation, especially from a nonlinearperspective, but we wanted more than just excellent software. We alsowanted a partner we could work with to develop new simulationfeatures. ABAQUS clearly was the one here. We are able to have veryopen and close communication about what we would like to have innew releases to benefit us. It’s really joint R&D. The other veryinteresting thing is, ABAQUS is not just taking care of its ownproduct. It’s also looking at how to interact with other CAE packagesthat are important to us.

How do you measure the value or return on investment of your simulation strategy?

Popielas: It’s actually very straightforward. We have a number. Forexample, we have a certain gasket to make, and in the past we mighthave gone through five or more iterations to make it right, to make it function. Now our goal is “first time right.” In order to achieve that,we use simulation techniques. We don’t need as many prototypes anymore, and we don’t have to do as much dyno-testing. It’s not somuch saved cost as avoided cost. I’m talking about millions here. Thisis what the company saves every year, due to CAE.

How do you expect the role of simulation within your company tochange in the future compared to the past 10 years?

Nash: More analysis, more tightly integrated into the design process and development process. Also key will be more-efficient analysisthrough scripting and automation. Simulation will focus more on up-front development in areas such as materials and functionality. We see CAE being right in the center of future product development,covering manufacturability, functionality, cost estimation, and so forth.It will drive PLM systems.

Popielas: Simulation will become much more open and interoperable.We see that’s where ABAQUS is headed. If you want to implementsomething new, you have to be open. For us, simulation will be a platform that integrates special technologies and exchanges data amongdifferent software packages without losing information. We have onething in mind: simulation is process and product development.

Dana’s Engineering Strategy continued

9

David Nash (top), discusses innovative design improvements in a plastic cylinderhead cover module. Frank Popielas outlines Dana’s engineering strategy at the 2006ABAQUS Users’ Conference.

For More Information:Download Dana’s 2006 ABAQUS Users’ Conference paper at

www.abaqus.com/solutions/sol_automotive.html.

To learn more about Dana Corporation, visit www.dana.com.

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:33 AM Page 9

The goal of the analysis was to understand how the customizedPoly-Tector would behave under real-life loading conditions.AMEC-NNC analysts imported the digital geometry for the Poly-Tector directly into ABAQUS. They created the finiteelement mesh, added surrounding surfaces for the pipe and the riser casing, and simulated multiple nonlinear contact conditions. The analysts focused on four load cases. First, they studied thestresses generated by tightening the bolts. Next, they simulatedsideways impact on the hinge side and on the clamp side. Finally,they simulated a bending force. ABAQUS enabled the analysts toquickly examine three different load magnitudes for each case.

Analysis Guides Design Improvements

The ABAQUS simulation predicted that a load of 4.75te to theclamp side would cause excessive deformation to the umbilicalaperture. AMEC-NNC recommended adding thickness to a rib,which enabled PolyOil to make a straightforward design changebefore committing to the cost of producing the mold tool.Simulation also saved the company time and cost in full-scalephysical testing. An additional benefit is that the simulation model is readily reusable for design analysis of the Poly-Tectorwith different constraints and boundary conditions. Based on the results of this program, PolyOil believes that advanced FEA will play an increasingly important role in the development of innovative cast polymer products for the oil drilling industry.

PolyOil Designs Lightweight, Durable Offshore Oil Equipment

An umbilical protector from PolyOil is installed on a section of steel pipe tosecure the umbilical lines as the assembly is lowered into the riser. Image courtesy of PolyOil Ltd.

In the challenging environment of offshore oil exploration, castpolymers, which have high molecular weight and viscosity, offersome noticeable advantages. The casting process involves a chemical reaction inside the mold that produces a material that is strong, durable, and corrosion resistant. Polymer is lighter thansteel, making devices safer for an operator to lift and maneuver. The material also has a low friction coefficient (0.032 compared to 0.092 for steel), which reduces the potential for hang-up whilerunning thousands of feet of cable and pipe through steel casings. Oil rigs cost in the neighborhood of $250,000 a day to lease, notcounting labor, so avoiding unnecessary downtime is a huge benefit.

Umbilical Protector Ensures Reliable Drilling

One cast polymer product from PolyOil that has gained significantmarket acceptance is an umbilical protector called the Poly-Tector.Umbilicals are long cables that contain electronic, hydraulic, andfiber optic wires used to control subsea well operations. In normaluse, umbilical cables can undergo tension loads of up to 1000 kg.The umbilical protector is used to prevent damage to the cables from contact with adjacent equipment that is constantly moving with ocean currents and waves. It also supports the weight of themassive length of cable hanging from the rig.

During deployment, the Poly-Tector clamps the umbilical cable tothe outside of steel pipes every 30 to 40 feet. The pipes are threadedtogether and lowered inside a large-diameter steel casing, called ariser, to the wellbore on the seabed. The Poly-Tector is hinged onone side so it opens like a clamshell and then closes and boltssecurely around the steel pipe. A separate smaller aperture in theclamp holds the umbilical cables securely in place.

Using Analysis to Customize the Poly-Tector

PolyOil recently designed a custom version of the Poly-Tector for alarge oil company. To evaluate the performance of the customizedclamp design, PolyOil enlisted analysts from AMEC-NNC, based in Cheshire, UK. AMEC-NNC is a major engineering consultancyfor the nuclear power industry and offers specialized services in structural integrity, failure investigation, and risk assessment. To simulate the custom umbilical protector, AMEC-NNC usedABAQUS because it has a material model that is well suited to analyzing cast polymer and because it provides excellent contact and nonlinear analysis capabilities.

10

The von Mises stress plot in the male portion of the Poly-Tector reveals that thecentral stiffening rib should be widened to support the operational loads.Image created by AMEC-NNC, courtesy of PolyOil Ltd.

For More Information:

PolyOil Ltd, located in Westhill, Scotland, designs and developsdownhole equipment for the offshore oil drilling industry. Theirgoal is to improve the reliability, durability, and friction resistanceof downhole equipment by replacing traditional steel products with products made from modern materials, such as cast polymers.For more information, please visit www.polyoil.com.

To learn more about AMEC-NNC, go to www.amecnnc.com or contact Nawal Prinja at nawal.prinja@amecnnc.com.

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:33 AM Page 10

Background

In the automotive industry, engineers need to explore a wide range of design solutions that involve many different parametersand constraints. At PSA Peugeot Citroën, we have developed animplementation of ABAQUS for CATIA V5 (AFC) that helps usperform nonlinear analysis efficiently on assemblies that undergo a large number of design iterations. Our implementation providesengineers with simulation results very early in the pre-designphase and again later during final design.

Analyses in the Pre-Design Phase

Our goal in using FEA in the pre-design phase is to define a product model that meets several stress, strain, displacement, and fatigue requirements in predetermined critical regions. At this early stage in the product lifecycle, the CAD model geometryis parameterized so it can be modified easily to accommodatemodel changes from a number of sources. The initial design necessarily uses a simplified geometry, because the values of many parameters are not yet known.

During this phase, we perform several analyses of different candidate CAD solutions. The results from a pre-design analysisenables design engineers to propose necessary modifications to the geometry atthe time when changes are least expensiveand most effective. Previous studies havecompared the analysis inaccuracies betweensimplified models and the correspondingcomplete models, and the inaccuracies have been determined to be acceptable.

The basis for the pre-design analysis is a parameterized CAD model created inCATIA V5. The model presented in this case study is a knuckle assembly (Figure 1),which is part of the automotive chassis. To perform the analyses, we developed aworkbench in CATIA V5 from which wecan access the parameterized CAD model.

At any time, we can choose to switch from one design architecture to another. For example, we can switch from a knuckle assembly with a clamp piece to a knuckle assemblywithout a clamp piece (Figure 2).

The mechanical analysis is initializedusing ABAQUS for CATIA V5. We simulate the performance of the knuckle under bolt preloading and service loading conditions todetermine the values and locations of the maximum stresses and strains.Once we have obtained these resultsfor a given pre-design model, we canquickly implement possible designimprovements.

Knuckle AssemblyWorkbench

The specific CATIA V5 workbenchfor the knuckle assembly makesextensive use of CATIAKnowledgeware, which captures

essential engineering practices and know-how and makes use of Visual Basic (VB) scripting. All of the graphical userinterfaces (GUIs) are specified by PSA Peugeot Citroën (Figure 3). Thanks to this approach, the workbench is usableby any design engineer. From within the knuckle assemblyworkbench, the design engineer is able to define CAD architecture and geometric parameters, material properties,mesh sizes, boundary conditions, and load cases (e.g., staticanalysis, modal analysis). Once the engineer defines the FEA model, the input files are generated automatically andsubmitted from the knuckle assembly workbench to ABAQUSrunning on remote servers.

PSA Peugeot Citroën Explores Designs Using ABAQUS for CATIA V5Fabien Debarle and Mathieu Durix, PSA Peugeot Citroën

Figure 1. The knuckle assembly (at right) is part of an automotive chassis.

Figure 2. Two versions of the knuckle assembly pre-design model: with aclamp (left) and without a clamp (right).

Figure 3. Design engineers define analysis attributes by meansof a graphical user interface specified by PSA Peugeot Citroën.

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clamppiece

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:33 AM Page 11

Geometric Parameters and Material Properties

In the pre-design phase, the parameterized CAD model is simplified geometrically but is still physically representative of the actual knuckle assembly. The model is defined in CATIA V5using the Part Design, Assembly Design, and Knowledgewareworkbenches. The knuckle with a clamp piece (Figure 4) is anassembly of seven parts: the knuckle, the shock damper, the clamppiece, two nuts, and two bolts. The most influential parametershave been identified previously through numerical simulations. The pre-design CAD model is built so that these parameters can be modified easily. The material properties can be specified in the GUI or imported from a file written in an ABAQUS format. Elastic and plastic properties are supported.

Meshing

Using the GUI, the design engineer provides information on thedesired mesh size, and then the mesh is generated automatically inthe CATIA V5 Advanced Meshing Tools workbench (FMS/FMD)in two steps. First, the software creates a surface mesh using a localmapped mesh and local element size at the surface, using the FMSmodule. Next, tetrahedron filler meshing is performed using theFMD module to generate the actual parabolic tetrahedral elements(C3D10M) needed for the structural analysis.

We use a surface mesh and a tetrahedron filler to control the surfacemesh quality and to limit the total number of elements in the model.Since the mesh specifications are associated with geometric entitiesof the CAD model, the mesh specifications persist and the meshrebuilds automatically after any modifications.

Preprocessing

ABAQUS for CATIA V5 is used to generate the mechanical analysisproperties and simulation history of the knuckle, including the following:

• Nonlinear materials• Bolt tightening connections between the knuckle and the

clamp piece• Contact between the knuckle, the clamp piece, the bolts, and

the shock damper

• Boundary conditions, such as clamps (Figure 5)• Load cases imported from an existing file that comes from a

separate program (sample loads are left and right turns, braking, and sidewalk shock)

The order of steps for the mechanical simulation history is as follows:

Step 1: Contact initialization and bolt tightening betweenthe knuckle and the clamp piece

Step 2: Bolt tightening fixed Step 3: Service loadingStep 4: Service loadingStep 5: Service loading

The steps continue until all loading analyses are complete. We areable to generate the input files with much of the necessary analysisdata. However, because some additional features are necessary to completely define the analysis model, we have extended theABAQUS input file using VB scripting. For example, because weneed to perform several separate analyses, we split the input filegenerated by AFC into several input files and add the *RESTART,READ command (Figure 6). Using this approach, we do not needto perform the initialization steps for each service loading analysis.

Figure 4. Simplified CAD model for the knuckle assembly.

Figure 5. Boundary conditions for the knuckle assembly defined inABAQUS for CATIA V5.

Figure 6. Visual Basic scripting streamlines the input file so analysis ismore efficient.

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shock damper body

clamp piece

knuckle

forces

Kinematic and Distributing Couplings

forces

clamp

(continued)

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:34 AM Page 12

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Running the Analysis and Postprocessing

We run ABAQUS/Standard on remote servers, so the job submission is done automatically via LSF software that we interfaced with AFC. Each load case represents one job, which is run independently on one or two processors. Depending on the queue at the servers and the mesh sizes, results are usuallycomplete in a couple of hours.

As noted earlier, the goal of pre-design analysis is to determinewhether different iterations of the simplified knuckle assemblymodel have areas of excessive stress and plastic strain.Postprocessing is performed in ABAQUS for CATIA V5.Once an analysis is complete, the results file is automaticallyreturned to a specific directory and the engineer loads the fileinto AFC to postprocess and view the results. The results show the minimum and maximum principal stresses, von Misesstresses, PEEQ, and so on (Figure 7).

The maximum stresses often occur on the surfaces. ABAQUS calculates the stress and strain results at the integration points of solid elements. These integration points are only a small distance from the surface. However, in areas of high stress gradients, extrapolating the integration point results to the surface nodes indicates results that are inaccurate. One of themost effective ways of determining the surface results is to usesurface skinning, a thin layer of membrane elements positionedat the surface of a solid body. The strains in this membrane correspond to the strains experienced at the surface in the solidmodel. While ABAQUS for CATIA V5 enables surface skinningwith shell elements, surface skinning is not yet available withM3D6 membrane elements, so we perform this postprocessingtechnique using an in-house program.

Rapid Design Iterations

Once we have the simulation results from each pre-design analysis, we classify the tested parameter sets as either acceptable or unacceptable. This procedure allows us to determine very early in the product lifecycle which knuckleassembly design responds to all of the modeling constraints.When analysis results show excessive strains in a critical area,

we can modify geometric parameters in the CATIA V5 modelin an effort to improve the design. The associativity between theCAD model and the analysis model enables modeling and analysisiterations to be performed with minimal effort.

Analyzing the Final Design

In the design phase we perform the same analyses that we did in thepre-design phase but on a final design. Switching from a simplifiedpre-design model to a more complicated final design is made possible through a specific GUI in the knuckle assembly workbenchthat takes advantage of the CATIA publications feature. This feature allows users to replace an attribute of a model with anotherwithout breaking any links. Mesh specifications have to be made.Then all of the ABAQUS input files can be generated automaticallyand submitted to the remote servers. The input steps are the same asthose shown in Figure 6.

Conclusions

ABAQUS for CATIA V5 is very useful for performing advancednonlinear analyses based on a parameterized CATIA V5 CADmodel or on a final design (coming from CATIA V4 or V5). Using a combination of CATIA Knowledgeware, AFC with Visual Basic scripting, and in-house programs, we have definedcomplete simulation workflows suitable for design engineers within the CATIA V5 environment.

The value in this approach is that all loads, constraints, and boundary conditions defined within AFC maintain associativity with the CATIA model and are updated automatically after anydesign modifications. Consequently, we are able to evaluate earlyversions of the knuckle assembly design based on predeterminedcritical parameters and to easily modify the geometry until we determine an acceptable design. We can also analyze the final knuckle assembly design easily and quickly. This is veryexpedient when more than 30 different analyses may be necessaryfor complete evaluation. Our innovative implementation ofABAQUS for CATIA V5 will enable engineers at PSA PeugeotCitroën to verify design performance and durability more efficiently and effectively.

Figure 7. Sample analysis results for an early version of the knuckleassembly. If predicted performance is unacceptable, it is easy to modifythe geometry and submit another analysis.

Fabien Debarle graduated in 1999 from the French Institute for AdvancedMechanics (IFMA). In 2000 he integrated the Methods and ToolsDevelopment Department at PSA Peugeot Citroën. He is now numericalmodeling specialist engineer for chassis parts and powertrain componentsand is responsible for all ABAQUS solutions at PSA Peugeot Citroën.Contact Fabien at fabien.debarle@mpsa.com.

Mathieu Durix graduated in 2003 from the Mechanical and AeronauticalNational School (ENSMA). He first worked for PSA Peugeot Citroën as a consultant, creating pre-design and design model workbenches. In 2006 he joined the Methods and Tools Development Department as a crashworthiness numerical modeling engineer.

PSA Peugeot Citroën is a member of the AFC Customer Review Team,which helps define requirements for ABAQUS for CATIA V5 software.Learn about PSA Peugeot Citroën at www.psa-peugeot-citroen.com.

Request PSA’s 2006 ABAQUS Users’ Conference paper atwww.abaqus.com/AFC_V5.

PSA Peugeot Citroën Explores Designs continued

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:34 AM Page 13

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One project that has been undertaken by the students was the study ofvibration modeling and suppression in tennis racquets. Students set upphysical tests and FEA models to explore how add-on vibrationaldampers affect the sweet spot of a tennis racquet.

The model was simplified for finite element analysis with the use ofbeam elements. String intersections were modeled with shared nodes.The handle was modeled using solid elements. A negative temperaturewas applied to the strings to simulate tension. The results for the racquetin this study show that commercial vibration dampers have a negativeimpact on handle transmissibility. The numerical model demonstratesthat mode shapes are unaffected by increased string tension though their frequencies are increased substantially.

Students at Los Alamos Dynamic Summer School Gain Experience inAdvanced FEA Methods

The Los Alamos Dynamic Summer School is a very selective 9-week summer school. Top upper-level, US-citizen, undergraduatestudents from universities around the nation are selected to attendlectures and to work in small teams with a Los Alamos NationalLaboratory (LANL) mentor on research projects related to structural health monitoring, damage prognosis and model validation, and uncertainty quantification. Their objective is to produce a conference publication summarizing their results bythe end of the summer.

Over the last seven years, 111 students from 34 academic institutions have participated in the summer school. This year 21students participated in the program. The program has developed a curriculum that involves all students performing an experimentalmodal analysis on a test structure and then subsequently usingABAQUS to perform a finite element modal analysis using a variety of different elements and/or mesh densities. The experimental and numerical data generated by the studentsthen form the basis for a series of lectures on model validation and uncertainty quantification.

ABAQUS Student Edition provides an ideal means for expanding your ABAQUS knowledge and developing simulation expertise to ace upcoming projects. This updated student edition is also anexcellent tool for industrial customers to continue to develop theirprofessional FEA skills outside of the workplace. For colleges anduniversities using the ABAQUS Research Edition or ABAQUSTeaching Edition, the Student Edition expands the student’s experience by providing them the opportunity to use the softwareoutside the lab and classroom.

ABAQUS Student Edition leverages the capabilities ofABAQUS/CAE, ABAQUS/Standard, and ABAQUS/Explicit tosolve FEA problems of limited size (1000 nodes) that do notrequire user subroutines. The software is available for both theWindows XP and Windows 2000 Platforms and includes completeonline documentation, making it a valuable off-site reference.

ABAQUS Version 6.6 Student Edition Now Available

ABAQUS Educational Products:

ABAQUS Student Edition• Affordable personal finite element analysis tool for solving limited

size problems• Ideal tool for students to become more proficient in applying

FEA methods

ABAQUS Teaching Edition• Complements the Research Edition in classroom settings• Allows simultaneous access by 20+ students• Cost effective tool for introducing students to the theories and methods

of advanced FEA

ABAQUS Research Edition• Provides the advanced functionality of the commercial version• Simulates behavior of advanced nonlinear materials, complex surface

contact, and problems requiring user-defined subroutines

Order your ABAQUS Student Edition online at www.abaqus.com/student.

Above, a comparison of Mode 2 is shown with and without a damper.

“Using ABAQUS for their projects has significantlyenhanced the students’ learning experience.”

For more information on Los Alamos Dynamic Summer School, visitwww.lanl.gov/projects/ei/DSS/index.shtml.

-Charles Ferrar, Director, Dynamics Summer School,Los Alamos National Laboratory

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:34 AM Page 15

Vernay Labs, Yellow Springs, Ohio develops a flow management device called VernaFlo® that is customizable for use in applications that require consistent, reliable fluidflow over a wide range of fluid pressures. These devices consist of elastomeric rubber components, housed in the flow path, that deform under the influence of the incomingflow. It is critical to understand the interaction between thefluid flow and the structural deformation since this affects the device shape and, hence, the subsequent flow behavior. A fully coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis was performed using the ABAQUS co-simulation interface to MpCCI to couple with FLUENT.

In the FSI analysis the ABAQUS structural sub-domainincludes the rubber component, which is defined to be in contact with a rigid housing. The effects of geometrical andmaterial nonlinearities are considered to account for fluidpressures as high as 150 psi. The CFD sub-domain modelsthe flow path around this rubber valve with upstream variations in pressure accounted for with a variable pressure-inlet condition. The fluid in use is water and is modeled as aturbulent, incompressible fluid. Local remeshing in the CFDmodel is used to account for the deformations associated withthe structural analysis.

The computational results were in good agreement with theexperimental data and showed how the rubber insert controlsthe effects of upstream inlet pressure on the bulk fluid flowrate. The results also indicated that at higher pressures therubber component deforms significantly and establishes fullcontact with the rigid housing and that cavitation effects on the CFD side cannot be neglected.

The simulation results are useful in guiding decisions on modifying the shape of the rubber component to meet performance requirements. Coupled fluid analysis with ABAQUS will helpVernay Labs eliminate what has been historically the “cut and try”approach to product development when fluid flow plays a significant role.

Improving the Design of Flow Management Devices

16

Vernay specializes in the innovative design and high-volume manufacture of precision elastomeric products. Vernay VernaFlo®

flow controls are custom-designed fluid flow management devices.

For More Information:Source: A Fluid-Structure Interaction Analysis of the VernaFlo® FlowControl Device, AUC 2006, Jim Bailey - Vernay Labs, Subham Sett -ABAQUS, Inc., Jeff Benko - Fluent Inc.

Request a copy of the complete AUC 2006 paper atwww.abaqus.com/fsi.

Benchmark Study for ABAQUSon Compute Clusters

With the release of Version 6.6-1, ABAQUS/Standard now provides enhanced support for execution on compute clusters through the Distributed Memory Parallel (DMP) execution support of the element operations and the direct linear equationsolver. While this allows many FEA models to take advantage ofcluster computing, some limitations exist.

Recently, ABAQUS and Linux Networx completed a benchmarkstudy entitled, Running ABAQUS/Standard Version 6.6 onCompute Clusters, which is available at the ABAQUS web site.This benchmark paper demonstrates potential performanceimprovements when running ABAQUS/Standard on computeclusters and discusses the role of system hardware, configuration,and analysis execution settings on performance, including:

• the role of the interconnect type,• the effect of I/O speed,• the effects of memory settings, and• performance differences between dual core and single

core processors.

Request the complete benchmark study athttp://www.abaqus.com/alliances/alliances_linux_networx.html.

Coupled structural fluid results indicate valve deformations with increasing fluid pressures.

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:34 AM Page 16

The 2006 ABAQUS Users’ Conference was an exhilarating convergence of ABAQUS users from around the world. With therelease of ABAQUS Version 6.6, attendees were among some of the first users to view the significant number of new features andenhancements now available.

We extend special thanks to our invited lecturers, Steve Engelstad of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company and Frank Popielas of Dana Corporation, for taking time to share their experiences andachievements using ABAQUS. We also thank all of our customerswho presented papers and our alliance partners who sponsored theevent. The conference would not have been a success without thecombined efforts of all participants.

Image and Animation Contest Winners

This year was the inauguration of the Annual Image and AnimationContest. The winners received a spaceball pointing device and a freeAdvanced Seminar at the ABAQUS Users’ Conference.

The Image Winner was Frank Smith of the BoeingCompany. His entry represents an early implementation of nonlinearinternal loads modeling. Currently this type of analysis is used for engineering investigations of fatigue cracking. The benefits of this type of analysis include cost savingsdue to early detection of potential design issues. Research also indicates a potential weight savings of 10% from using nonlinearinternal loads to size parts.

The Animation Winner was Jason Tak-Man Cheung of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His finite element model of the human ankle-foot system allows predictions of plantar pressuredistribution as well as the internal stress/strain of the bony and soft tissue structures. This provides a time and cost effective alternative tothe experimental approach to quantify the biomechanical effects ofdifferent pathological, surgical, and orthotic conditions during gait.

Conference Banquet and Cirque de Simulation

Better than ever, this year’s conference banquet and entertainmentoffered guests the opportunity to mingle and network while enjoyingbreathtaking views of Boston and stunning acrobatics by world-class performers. We look forward to Paris as our new venue forAUC 2007. Make plans now to participate.

Conference Presentations and Proceedings

Current ABAQUS customers can view the ABAQUS GeneralLecture presentations through our online support system underABAQUS Answer 3051 (login required).

You may now order copies online of the AUC 2006 ProceedingsBook and CD. The cost for these items, including shipping, areas follows:

Pricing2006 Proceedings Book and CD $2002006 Proceedings CD only $125

Customers Share Knowledge at the2006 ABAQUS Users' Conference

17

Boston, Massachusetts provided a great atmosphere for learning, networking,and entertainment.

Frank Smith’s image represents an implementation of nonlinear internal loads modeling.

Jason Tak-Man Cheung’s animation of the human ankle-foot system captured theattention of the ABAQUS Users’ Conference audience.

Order AUC Proceedings atwww.abaqus.com/products/auc_order.html.

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:35 AM Page 17

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2006 ABAQUS Regional Users' Meetings and Update Seminars

Learn about the new features in ABAQUS Version 6.6 and the upcoming release of ABAQUS Version 6.6 Extended Functionality at your Regional Users’ Meeting and Update Seminar. Contact your local ABAQUS office or visitwww.abaqus.com/news/regional_meetings.html for more information.

Aug. 30-31 Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sep. 15 Prague, Czech Republic

Sep. 18-19 Erfurt, Germany

Sep. 21-22 Oslo, Norway

Sep. 26-27 Lafayette, IN, USA

Sep. 28 Cleveland, OH, USA

Oct.4-6 Pisa, Italy

Oct. 10 Bangalore, India

Oct. 11-12 Toronto, Ontario, CA

Oct. 18 Houston, TX, USA

Oct. 23-25 San Francisco, CA, USA

Oct. 30 Taipei, Taiwan

Oct. 30-31 Tokyo, Japan

Nov. 1-2 Detroit, MI, USA

Nov. 7-8 Beijing, China

Nov. 9 Providence, RI, USA

Nov. 9-10 Istanbul, Turkey

Nov. 13 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Nov. 15 Bangkok, Thailand

Nov. 15-16 Manchester, U.K.

Nov. 16 Paris, France

Nov. 16-17 Leuven, Belgium

Nov. 17 Singapore

Nov. 20-21 Vienna, Austria

Nov 20-21 Madrid, Spain

Nov. 24 Poznan, Poland

May 22–24Paris, France

Call for PapersShare your ABAQUS success with fellow users! Present an accepted paper and receive $100 off your registration fee and $100 off an Advanced Seminar!

AUC2007

Deadlines:Abstract and Permission Form: December 1, 2006

Draft Manuscript: January 25, 2007

Final Manuscript: March 1, 2007

Visit: www.abaqus.com/AUC2007

A simple search for “ABAQUS” at engineering societies’ web sitesreveals hundreds of papers from customers who are presenting theirapplications at industry conferences around the world.

The 2006 SAE World Congress reveals 31 papers on the use ofABAQUS for a range of automotive applications including fatique,side impact, heat treatment, bolts, belts, spot welds, brakes, valvecovers, chassis, manifolds, connecting rods, cylinder heads, adhesivejoints, airbags, tires, and many more.

A search of the AIAA web site results in 200 matches dating from 1984-2006. Papers are available on topics such as;thermomechanical analysis, damage predictions for composite laminates, analysis of cylindrical shells, adhesively bonded joints,shape optimization, solar sails, shape memory alloys, telescope mirrors, bird strike impact, sandwich panels, flexible bodies,acoustics, landing gear systems, and frequency predictions for turbine engine blades.

The 2006 Electronic Components and Technology Conference featured 20 papers on the use of ABAQUS. EuroSimE 2006 andITHERM 2006 had a combined total of 10 papers featuringABAQUS. Electronics applications include solder-joint reliabilitydue to shock and vibration, microsystem packaging, drop testing,heat dissipation, and many others.

These presentations are proof that our customers are pushing the envelope of ABAQUS technology to develop reliable and innovative products. Thank you for sharing your applications ofABAQUS. Make plans now to present at AUC 2007.

ABAQUS Customers Present at Global Conferences

May 22–24Paris, France

Call for PapersShare your ABAQUS success with fellow users! Present an accepted paper and receive $100 off your registration fee and $100 off an Advanced Seminar!

AUC2007

Abstract and Permission Form: December 1, 2006

Draft Manuscript: January 25, 2007

Final Manuscript: March 1, 2007

Visit: www.abaqus.com/AUC2007

Deadlines:

063531 Magazine 9/27/06 8:35 AM Page 18

Copyright 2006 ABAQUS, Inc. All rights reserved. The following are trademarks or registered trademarks of ABAQUS, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes:ABAQUS, ABAQUS/Standard, ABAQUS/Explicit, ABAQUS/CAE, ABAQUS for CATIA V5, and the ABAQUS logo. The 3DS logo and SIMULIA are trademarks or registered trademarksof Dassault Systèmes. Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marksof their respective owners.

About ABAQUS, Inc.Founded in 1978, ABAQUS, Inc. is the world’s leading provider of advanced Finite Element Analysis software andservices that are used to solve real-world engineering problems. The ABAQUS software suite has an unsurpassedreputation for technology, quality, and reliability and provides a powerful and complete solution for both routine andsophisticated linear and nonlinear engineering problems. ABAQUS delivers a Unified FEA environment that is acompelling alternative to implementations involving multiple products and vendors. In October 2005 ABAQUSbecame a wholly owned subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes, the world leader in 3-D and Product LifecycleManagement (PLM) solutions. ABAQUS, Inc. is headquartered in Providence, RI, USA, with worldwide R&Dcenters, offices, and distributors for development, technical support, sales, and services.For more information, visit www.abaqus.com

About SIMULIAIn 2005, Dassault Systèmes acquired ABAQUS, Inc. and announced SIMULIA, the brand that encompasses allDS simulation solutions, including ABAQUS and CATIA analysis applications. SIMULIA provides a scalable portfolioof simulation solutions, as well as an open platform to support integration of multidisciplinary analysis with its industryleading partners. By building on established technology, respected quality, and superior customer service, SIMULIAmakes realistic simulation an integral business practice that enables engineers and scientists to improve productperformance, eliminate physical prototypes, and drive innovation.For more information, visit www.simulia.com

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