Composites analysis

What is Composites analysis?

Analysis software, composite engineering

Composites analysis  contains a comprehensive range of unparalleled engineering analysis facilities to suit all types of composite projects. From simple failure prediction using various failure criteria, including Tsai-Hill, Hoffman, and Tsai-Wu, to advanced delamination fault modeling, Composites analysis will help decrease design and verification time while always providing reliable results.

The intuitive Windows user interface gives you easy access to the full range of powerful modeling and result processing features, along with online help.

Considered a leader in engineering analysis, Composites analysis  is rich in advanced and advanced features to meet your analysis needs and extend your design capabilities.

Why use Composites analysis?

• Composites analysis  provides low-cost structural modeling and analysis of all types of composite components in a single software package.
• Modeling is feature-based and allows you to mix element types in the same model.
• Advanced nonlinear geometry, modeling of materials and contacts.
• The software can be customized using the LUSAS Programmable Interface.

Ideal for all types of composite analysis

Using Composites analysis's unparalleled element libraries and state-of-the-art material models, several compound engineering problems can be solved.

• Built-in associativity ensures that if the model geometry changes, all assigned loads, supports, and other attributes are automatically moved to suit.
• The GUI's extensive result processing facilities allow for extensive outlines, graphing, and plotting of specific composite results.
• By using the advanced features of the scripting language, user-defined menus and forms can be added, allowing specific repetitive analysis tasks to be performed with minimal user involvement.
• Complete analyses from modeling to processing results can be automated – and all customized to the way you work.

Advanced analysis and design

Advances in composite technology require advanced software solutions. Composites analysis offers these solutions now to give you an edge over your competitors. Composites analysis offers:

• An advanced set of elements.
• Use of all LUSAS material models.
• Fast iterative resolution technology.
• Access to advanced analysis options.

Easy lay-up definition

Composites analysis provides a faster and simpler way than ever to define composite layouts regardless of the component to be analyzed. The properties of each laminate are defined in a table and each layer is given a unique name for use in processing results - extremely useful where layer dropping occurs. A layout icon provides a useful visual check before the layout is automatically assigned to the underlying geometry. These unique configuration procedures dramatically reduce the chance of errors.

Advanced analytics technology

Because composite components have different failure characteristics than non-composite components and are often a complex combination of materials, they present unique analysis problems. The use of traditional modeling techniques for composites can be prohibitively expensive due to the large number of elements required. While some analysis systems allow laminate properties to be integrated to form a homogeneous material matrix, these systems can only predict failures with a linear analysis. To model the failure correctly and evaluate the residual strength, a nonlinear analysis with Composites analysis is required, in which the individual behavior of the laminate is modeled.

Advanced compound elements

In addition to the shell elements, the LUSAS 3D solid composite element reduces the size of the model, allowing multiple laminates to be modeled by a single element. Where complex 3D components are built from multiple composite blocks, Composites analysis can be used to automatically generate constraint equations to join different meshes. This powerful installation can also be used to provide a quick classification of elements in high-voltage areas, providing faster solution times. In addition, it is possible to model linearly and non-linearly adjacent laminates, allowing you to analyze mixed material layouts.

Composite failure criteria

Composite failure criteria provide a means of predicting composite failure from the linear stress distribution. In LUSAS, the commonly used Tsai-Hill, Hoffman, Tsai-Wu (with Cowin extension) and Hashin (fiber and matrix) composite failure criteria are available.

Composite Array Failure Modeling

Hashin's composite damage model was implemented to model matrix/fiber failure in composite materials. The model can be used with the solid composite elements LUSAS. A set of failure criteria was used to represent fiber and array failure. These failure criteria result in a degradation of the Young's modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson ratio where the damage occurred. Unlike composite failure criteria, matrix failure modeling can model progressive failures using a nonlinear analysis.

Composite delamination

The elements of the 2D and 3D composite delamination interface are used in LUSAS Composite. These elements allow you to model composite delaminations using an incremental nonlinear analysis. Interface elements are incorporated into the finite element model and are assigned delamination properties using a nonlinear material model. If the resistance exceeds the force limit value in the opening or tearing directions, the material properties of the interface element are reduced linearly as defined by the material parameters and it is assumed that a complete failure has occurred when the fracture energy is exceeded. No initial cracks are inserted so that interface elements can be placed in the model at possible delamination locations, where they will remain inactive until a failure occurs.

Comprehensive nonlinear analysis

Composites analysis has superior nonlinear problem-solving capabilities.

• Powerful installations for geometric, material and boundary nonlinearity are available for problems involving large deformations, plasticity and collapse.
• Fully automatic load increments, automatic convergence failure recovery, and restart capabilities are designed to allow novices in nonlinear analysis to quickly become proficient in solving a wide variety of nonlinear problems.
• The result processing facilities provide automatic load displacement charts and visualization of the material produced.

Impact analysis and contact

For low or high speed impact and contact problems, contact elements are automatically detected and specially developed 'slide surfaces' and 'slide surfaces' deal with the interaction that occurs in the contact regions, greatly simplifying your 2D or 3D analyses.

Dynamic analysis

Forced response, vibration problems and transient dynamics can be solved faster with Composites analysis and, if desired, by calculating the response for selected load boxes using the Interactive Modal Dynamics (IMD) result processing facilities. This provides shorter analysis times and reduced disk usage compared to a full transient dynamic assessment.

Working with CAD Data

Model information can be exchanged with a wide variety of CAD systems using industry-standard exchange formats such as IGES and DXF, as well as directly with specific CAD systems using proprietary data exchange formats.

System Requirements

Core i5 (or similar) processor with at least 8 GB of RAM and at least 80 GB of free disk space.

Windows XP, Vista, 7, 10