Altair ESAComp

What is Altair ESAComp?

Altair ESAComp is a software for composite analysis and design. Its scope ranges from conceptual and preliminary design of layered composite structures to advanced analytics applicable to the final verification of a project.

ESAComp has a wide range of analysis capabilities for solid laminates / sandwich and for micromechanical analysis. It also includes analysis tools for structural elements: flat and curved panels, reinforced panels, beams and columns, cylinders, glued and mechanical joints. ESAComp is a standalone software tool, but thanks to its ability to interact with widely used finite element software packages, ESAComp fits seamlessly into design processes.

Benefits

Explore Possibilities

The combinations of composite material systems and structural concepts are limitless. The ESAComp materials database provides a good basis for testing possible materials for a design. ESAComp's analysis capabilities enable quick and easy exchange studies, such as between solid, sandwich, or reinforced projects.

Be efficient

Using the right tool at different stages of a project ensures efficiency. The FEA environment is not ideal for laminate level studies or lay-up design. In the early stages of a project, ESAComp structural elements provide quick analysis without a complete geometric model.

Avoid traps

Designing with composites is a challenge. Without careful evaluation of the structure, a potential failure mode can be easily lost. ESAComp complements the capabilities of FE tools by doing so. Advanced ESAComp features, such as probabilistic analysis, become very useful when verifying actual project performance.

Optimize your design

In addition to the user environment that enables practical project optimization, ESAComp integrates as part of more complex optimization systems.

Resources

Multilevel database and database

ESAComp Data Bank includes data for a wide selection of composite materials and material systems. Libraries of user-specific and company-specific materials can be stored in the database, as well as data related to design studies. In addition to materials, the ESAComp database includes ESAComp objects: fibers/matrix materials, bends, laminates, beams, panels, cylinders, glued and mechanical joints, loads and contour conditions.

Design Environment

ESAComp forms an efficient platform for conducting design studies of composite structures. The display of graphical results helps in conducting trade-off studies between materials and structural alternatives. Users have almost unlimited options for selecting and combining the resulting data and displaying them as numeric tables, layers, bars, polar lines and charts, carpet charts, fault envelopes, and 3D contour charts.

Comprehensive documentation

ESAComp documentation not only helps structural engineers become familiar with compound engineering, but also provides extensive theoretical reference documents needed by compound specialists.

Analysis features

See the detailed list below.

SI and British Units / USA

Units and output formats can be changed at any time during the session.

Script Python

Activating the extension of analysis features with user scripts, execution of batch executions, and integration into user design workflows.

HyperWorks Integration

Pre

Materials and layouts can be transferred to HyperMesh by leveraging ESAComp's features, such as various resistance sets, environmentally dependent material data (e.g., temperature or humidity), the practical interface for defining layouts, and their laminated design features.

Material and laminate data can be exported in the following solver formats: OptiStruct, Nastran, Abaqus, ANSYS and LS-DYNA.

Postprocessing

Fe results, material, and lay-up data from related elements can be transferred to ESAComp for additional failure analysis. Fault analysis includes applying advanced fault criteria, such as Puck or LaRC03, that are generally not available in solvers. The reserve factors are calculated for all layers, as well as at the laminate level, covering, for example, wrinkle failures and interlaminar shear. This information can be passed to HyperMesh Desktop for viewing, along with information about failure modes and critical layers.

In addition, ESAComp offers full-thickness plots that illustrate stresses, deformations or reserve factors (safety margins and reverse reserve factors, respectively). Loads and laminates can be derived from the imported cargo case to benefit from the entire set of tools for design improvement.

The currently supported solver profiles are OptiStruct and Nastran.

System requirements:

CPU: 1.8 GHz dual core processor

RAM: 2 GB

HDD / SSD: 50 GB of free space on the main drive

Operating system: Microsoft Windows 8 32-bit, Microsoft Windows 7 32-bit and Microsoft Windows Vista 32-bit

Resolution: 1024×768