Thermo-mechanical coupled simulation

The integration of the LS-DYNA server into the Workbench environment is currently one of the central tasks of Ansys developers, who are being diligently supported by CADFEM. In the current version, for example, the necessary features have now been integrated which enable thermo-mechanical coupled simulations to be carried out. This can be used for a wide range of applications that are typical for explicit dynamics.

These include hot forming simulations or processes in which extreme heat is generated by friction. But it is also relevant for the production of safety glass, as heating and cooling generates compressive stress on the surface, which then protects it in the event of a subsequent impact.

Multi-system analysis with Dynain-Output-Controls has now become much more convenient in Workbench, for example, history variables and contact status information as well as boundary conditions can be exported from the material data.

Thermo-mechanical coupled simulation | © Ansys

Keyword manager for the full power of LS-DYNA

My favorite highlight, however, is the so-called Keyword Manager. This had already been available as a beta feature in the previous versions but has now been fully released. Since the Workbench does not support all the features that the LS-DYNA solver provides (unfortunately, this will remain the case for a while), they must be used via the Keyword Manager. The Keyword Manager is therefore a great tool for utilizing the full power of LS-DYNA within the Workbench interface.

This not only applies to LS-DYNA experts, who can easily insert commands that they have known for a long time, but also to beginners or occasional users who can benefit from the Keyword Manager because it not only provides the relevant commands, but also the corresponding help texts for the selected entries. The objects defined using the Keyword Manager have no parameterization limits, unlike the standard command input, which is limited to 8 parameters per analysis.

Keyword Manager for the full power of LS-DYNA | © Ansys

Using cross-references

Moreover, cross-references can be used, meaning you are able to select the bodies involved, access curves (based on their name) or pick directions from coordinate systems. In addition, you can immediately see if any input is missing because the corresponding field is highlighted in yellow.

Even for me, with over 30 years of LS-DYNA experience, this makes my daily work noticeably easier. I recommend taking a look at our CADFEM webinars on this topic.