Femap Overview
Femap is an advanced engineering simulation software program that creates finite element analysis models of complex engineering products and systems, and displays solution results. Femap can virtually model components, assemblies or systems and determine the behavioral response for a given operating environment.
Using Femap’s digital simulation capabilities you can:
- Predict and improve product performance and reliability
- Reduce time-consuming and costly physical prototyping and testing
- Evaluate different designs and materials
- Optimize your designs and reduce material usage
CAD-Independent
Femap is CAD-independent and can access geometry data from all major CAD systems including CATIA, Pro/Engineer, NX, Solid Edge, SolidWorks and AutoCAD. Once imported you can prepare the model for analysis using the geometry locator to identify and display potentially troublesome entities, such as slivers, and either remove them completely with the geometry cleanup tools or suppress them. Femap also offers a wealth of geometry creation and modification functions so you can make necessary model changes in preparation for finite element model creation.
Finite Element Modeling
The full finite element model with underlying data is fully exposed by Femap, allowing you to view, create or modify entities directly. Femap’s grouping, layering and visualization tools help you to manage model display while creating and setting up the finite element model.
Femap includes specialized capabilities to help with modeling tasks including:
- Mid-plane extraction of thin-walled structures to aid creation of more efficient and accurate shell models
- Weldment modeling that connects discrete solid welded parts together into a contiguous model
- Data surfaces that allow you to create complex loading conditions based on prior analysis output for multi-physics applications
Finite Element Meshing
Femap’s 3D solid and surface meshers are tuned to generate high-quality meshes, providing well-shaped elements to ensure accurate results. Femap gives you full control over all mesh generation parameters including mesh sizing, meshing of small features, growth factors, short edge suppression, etc. With complex geometry, modification of the mesh is often required in areas where greater accuracy is desired. For this situation Femap’s Meshing Toolbox allows you to interactively modify mesh sizing parameters on the underlying geometry, and see the mesh update automatically. You can also view element quality feedback live while modifying the mesh, to ensure that a high-quality finite element model is created.
Finite Element Modeling
The full finite element model with underlying data is fully exposed by Femap, allowing you to view, create or modify entities directly. Femap’s grouping, layering and visualization tools help you to manage model display while creating and setting up the finite element model.
Femap includes specialized capabilities to help with modeling tasks including:
- Mid-plane extraction of thin-walled structures to aid creation of more efficient and accurate shell models
- Weldment modeling that connects discrete solid welded parts together into a contiguous model
- Data surfaces that allow you to create complex loading conditions based on prior analysis output for multi-physics applications
Assembly Modeling
Femap with NX Nastran supports assembly modeling, including automatic contact detection that determines the components initially in contact. The contact regions can be set to be simply in contact (with or without friction) or glued together. The contact calculations performed by NX Nastran are iterative and update during the solution, to take into account deformation changes representing the true contact condition in the final results.
Other types of component assembly modeling techniques also supported include spot-weld, fastener elements, and bolted joints with optional pre-loading
Beam Modeling
Besides solid and shell element models Femap also supports beam modeling and meshing. This technique allows models comprising long, slender components (for which a solid meshing approach would create a large, unwieldy model) to be represented by one-dimensional elements with associated properties.
Model visualization is key to beam modeling, and with Femap you can view these elements as solid components and include offsets. Femap features a section property editor which includes a library of standard cross-section shapes. You can also define your own sections, and the built-in section property calculator automatically determines the required properties.
Also available are full beam visualization and results display options including shear and bending moment diagrams.
Composite Modeling
The use of composite materials in designs has increased significantly in recent years, and Femap can help you model and postprocess results on composite structures. With Femap’s a laminate editor and viewer, you can update the laminate properties interactively as you create and modify plies in the laminate.
You can also postprocess composite laminate results using Femap’s global composite ply feature, which allows you to view results on continuous plies through the structural model.
Solver Neutral
Femap is solver-neutral and provides in-depth pre- and postprocessing support for all of the main commercial solvers on the market, including NX Nastran, Ansys, LS-DYNA, Abaqus and TMG. You can take full advantage of the advanced analysis capabilities of these solvers using Femap’s comprehensive modeling and analysis support, particularly for dynamic, geometric and material nonlinear, heat transfer and fluid flow analyses
Postprocessing
A wealth of visualization capabilities help you view and interpret the results to quickly understand the model behavior. You’ll find everything you need to view and interpret the output data, including:
- Contour and criteria plots
- Deformed shape animations
- Dynamic cutting plane and iso-surfaces
- Full output selection
- XY plots
- Free body diagrams and grid point force balance output
- Time and frequency domain animations
Complete access to results data is provided through the Data Table pane, which you can use to gather, sort and control the amount and type of data that is visible, to compile an analysis report.
Scalable Simulation Solutions
The Velocity Series CAE products offer scalable solutions for design engineers in the form of the CAD-embedded Solid Edge Simulation program, and Femap with NX Nastran for CAE analysts.
The Femap with NX Nastran product line itself offers solution scalability, from the more general simulation capabilities available in the base module to more advanced applications including dynamics, optimization, advanced nonlinear, rotor dynamics, heat transfer and fluid flow in add-on modules.
Customization
Femap’s open customization capability allows complete access to all Femap functions through an OLE/COM object-oriented Application Programming Interface (API), which employs standard, non-proprietary programming languages. Access to the API is through a development environment within the user interface where you can create custom programs that automate workflows and processes, and which can interact and exchange data with third-party programs such as Microsoft® Word and Excel.
Usability
Femap is an intuitive Windows®-native application. Femap’s support of multiple graphics windows and specialized panes, such as the Model Info Tree and Data Table, allow complete access to the finite element model and results data and help promote efficient work flows. You can modify the appearance of the interface to suit your requirements, including repositioning panes, modifying the level of functionality exposed, and complete toolbar and icon customization