Ansys Material Designer

Numerical simulation of composite structures or lattice infill structures, like those used in Additive Manufacturing, is challenging due to the differences in involved length scales. While the finite element method could be used to simulate the structural mechanics of this system (resolving all length scales), it is not practical.

The standard approach to eliminate this problem of scale in finite element analysis for composite materials is homogenization. With homogenized material data, structures only need to be simulated at the macroscopic scale, making composite simulation significantly less computationally expensive.

An accurate approach is finite element analysis of the microscale structure of the material, which is the approach implemented in Material Designer. In Material Designer, the homogenization process starts with modeling the RVE. This requires the creation of a simplified geometry, as well as the definition of material properties of the constituent materials. Subsequently, the geometry is meshed for finite element analysis. The RVE is then exposed to several macroscopic load cases, and its response is computed. The homogenized material data is computed from the results of these responses.

Learning Outcomes:

Following completion of this workshop, you will be able to:

• • Understand of the applications of Materials Designer.
  • Understand where Material Designer fits into the simulation workflow.
  • Create a Representative Volume (User Defined shape of Predefined shape).
  • Familiarize with the workflow within Material Designer.
  • Review the results and know how to use the results.

Prerequisites:

• • Familiarity with setting up workflows into Ansys Workbench™ simulation integration platform and the Ansys SpaceClaim® 3D computer-aided design (CAD) modeling software interface is an advantage.