MSC.FEA Product Details

Product Description

Engineers can quickly create parts with two and three-dimensional wireframe, surface, and solid geometry. Additionally, geometry can be imported from CAD systems via one of MSC.FEA's CAD access options. This includes IGES for general CAD data or, for specific CAD systems, direct access to Catia, Euclid, Pro/ENGINEER, CADDS 5, and Unigraphics geometry.

Once the geometry has been imported or created, the engineer can create the analysis model by using a powerful suite of meshing tools. Meshing tools include the industry leading automeshers for curves, surfaces, and solids as well as mapped meshing and paved surface meshing. Additionally, the analysis model can be graphically edited by the engineer, a key requirement for creating an accurate model.

MSC.FEA allows engineers to enter properties for their most commonly used materials into a simple scrollable form or to access these properties from an on-line materials databank. MSC.FEA provides access to the wealth of materials data available via MSC.Mvision. Additional material databanks can be purchased as optional add-ons. The properties can then be assigned to any part by material name.

In addition, MSC.FEA features state-of-the-art solution algorithms and procedures including the industry leading sparse matrix solver for fast, accurate solutions. This speed means that more design alternatives can be explored in any given period of time.

Finally, to provide maximum flexibility, MSC.FEA provides for simultaneous modeling and analysis. So, while the solver is calculating the next iteration in a design study, the engineer can review the results from a previous study or model another project.

Key Features

Modeling and Results Display

• Standard CAD integration capabilities:
  • ACIS Access - allows import of solid models created in any CAD system based on the ACIS geometry engine
  • IGES Access - allows import of models created in any CAD system with IGES export capability
  • Parasolid Access - allows import of solid models created in any Parasolid-based CAD system
  • Pro/ENGINEER Access* - import of Pro/ENGINEER solid models
  • Unigraphics Access - import of UG solid models
  • Unigraphics Feature Access - direct access to UG models including feature and parameter information allowing the user to make small changes to the model while remaining within MSC.FEA
• Optional CAD integration capabilities:
  • CADDS 5 Access* - allows import of CADDS 5 solid models
  • CATIA Access (for existing CATXPRESS users) - reads the EXPRESS format file created by the CATIA module CATXPRESS and directly loads the CATIA model into MSC/PATRAN
  • CATIA Direct Access* - permits access to the CATIA model directly from MSC.FEA
  • Euclid3 Access* - allows import of Euclid3 solid models

• Geometry creation and editing tools
• Automatic surface meshing
• Automatic solid meshing
• Mapped 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D mesh generation
• Mesh sweeping
• Mesh editing
• Loads, boundary conditions, material and element properties that can be applied directly to geometry
• Graphical creation and display of time-dependent loads and temperature dependent material properties
• Comprehensive results postprocessing capabilities including fringe, contour, isosurface, streamline, animation, vector, and XY-plotting
• Motif-compliant, mouse-driven graphical user interface
• Interactive, context sensitive on-line help system

Analysis

• Linear Statics
• Normal Modes
• Buckling
• Linear and nonlinear steady state heat transfer
• Linear and nonlinear transient heat transfer
• Adaptive p-element analysis for:
  • Linear statics and normal modes
  • Solid, shell, and beam elements
  • Isotropic, orthotropic, and anisotropic materials
• Dynamic Response
  • Modal and direct frequency response
  • Modal and direct transient response
  • Acoustic analysis
  • Complex eigenanalysis
  • Random response analysis
  • Response spectrum analysis
• Nonlinear static and transient analysis
• Design optimization and sensitivity analysis

Material Models

• Isotropic
• Orthotropic
• Anisotropic
• Temperature Dependent
• Nonlinear material models
  • Plasticity
  • Hyperelasticity
  • Nonlinear elastic
  • Thermo-elasticity
  • Viscoelasticity (creep)
  • Viscoelasticity combined with plasticity

Element Library

• 0-D and 1-D elements:
  • Spring and mass
  • Simple and complex beams (with variable cross section)
  • Curved beam, pipe or elbow
  • Tension-compression element
  • Tension-compression-torsion element
• 2-D elements
  • 3 and 4 node plane strain and membrane-bending elements
  • 3, 4, 6, and 8 node membrane elements
  • 3 and 4 node axisymmetric elements
  • 3, 4, 6, and 8 node general shell elements
  • shear panels
• 3-D elements
  • 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, and 20 node 3-D elements
• p-Elements
  • 2 node beams
  • 3, 4, 6, and 8 node general shell elements
  • 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, and 20 node 3-D elements

System Requirements

• Windows NT 4.0
  • Service Pack 3
  • Hummingbird Exceed and Exceed 3D emulation products from Hummingbird Communications Ltd. These products are included with the shipment of MSC.FEA media. Limit 1 per customer.
• UNIX
  • Compaq - Digital UNIX 4.0B
  • HP 9000/700 - HPUX 10.2
  • IBM RS6000 - AIX 4.1.4, 4.1.5
  • SGI R4K/5K/8K/10K - IRIX 5.3, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4
  • Sun - Solaris 2.5.1
• All Systems
  • MSC.FEA Version 8.5 - For reference, the most current version of MSC.FEA corresponds to the current version of MSC.Patran available for distribution.
  • Interlock Constraint - Analyses performed by the MSC.NASTRAN solver in a license of MSC.FEA must be pre-processed and generated by the MSC.Patran that is present in the same license. This generated input deck can not be externally modified.