In each finite element analysis, there are 3 steps to do:

1- Preprocessing Step: in this step, your geometry model, material, BC’s and applied loading’s and meshing are defined. The
export file will have a format like .inp .
2- Simulation: software start to solve the needed equation and simulate the process. The export file’s have a format like: .odb,
.dat, .fil and .res .
3- Postprocessing: we don’t what we can do in this step!

Always For start using the software, do these steps to change the folder which the pre, simu and post files are created in it:
Right click on the software icon and click on the properties. In the opended page, click on shortcut section.
Create a folder for your files. Copy the folder’s address and paste it on the in the field of Start in
Apply and run the software!
There are number of module’s. in each of them, we can define the pre,simu and post processes that we want.
For example, in the Step module, you define for the program which type of solver you want to use (static, dynamic etc.).
In addition to use the mentioned toolbox for changing between module’s, you can use the which is in the left side of
panel.

Part module:
By clicking on create a part, you can define a specific part and then draw it on the software.
In fig.1 you see what type’s of part you can choose. In this figure:
Name section: define the name of model
Modeling section: if you have 3D, 2D or Axisymmetric part, choose one of them.
Type section
Base section: shell (a surface with faces), wire (only the lines you created are include in your
part, for ex: if you have a truss model, you should choose this option) and point.
Approximate size: recommended 2 times of your problem dimention should be determined

It is recommended to save the cae model when you finish each module.
Property module:
Three steps for completing this module:
Create Material, Create Section and Assign Section
Create section: by choosing the category you need to determine the type of your
specified category. After completing this, there is another panel which you define
your material and some geometrical constants that is deleted in modeling. For ex. :
in category of beam and type of truss, we didn’t define the cross section of each
beam, so in the edit section panel, you need to define it.
Assign section: final part of defining of material. In this step, software will know
which geometrical model have which type of material.
• Before assigning the section, your geometrical model has a white colour. When
assigning is completed, model’s colour will change to green

Most of the FEM software’s doesn’t show

the dimention of quantities, so you need to
consider a consistent system for your
dimentions

Create section panel

Create material panel
Assembly module:
Step module:
Two main works we should do in this module:
1- type of solving and 2- type of solver for your problem
First work: Create step
Your defined step will insert after the initial step. We can’t delete the initial step.
For ex. In fig.1 and the selected step, type of solving is static one and the solver is general.
General means that if our problem have linear and non-linear solutions, it can solve both of
them. But if your solver is just linear, it can not find the appropriate non-linear solutions.
Interaction module:
Interaction between part’s are define in this module. If you have only one part, then there is no need to define any interaction

Load module:
Load’s and Boundary Condition’s are define in this module.
For creating load: we need to determine which step our load is applying and what is the category and type of it.
For creating B.C’s: the same as the last section. The only difference is that we can apply B.C’s in the Initial step.

It is recommended that if you have a

constraint boundary condition (for ex.
Zero displacement for a point), define this
B.C in the Initial step. When a B.C is
define in Initial step, it is activate in the
further step’s you define.
Mesh module:
You can define your element(‘s) for your geometrical model.
3 step’s should be done for meshing: 1- create seed on the part (determining the size of element’s); 2- assigning element type
(determining the element’s type) and 3- mesh part (creating mesh on the part)
For creating seed’s on part:
Just need to enter the size of your element. For specific condition’s that you have a truss for your geometrical model, each rod
must be an element. If you create two element’s in a rod, it means that you have two rod’s and your solution will be wrong; so in
this case we should enter a large size for seeding to enforce the software to doing so.
For assigning element type:
Attention to choose the right family for your problem and condition. When you choose your element type, software will show
the name of element in the left down of panel. For ex. In figure you can see the name T2D2; it means you have Truss element
which is 2 Dimensional and have 2 node’s.

After meshing the part(‘s), preprocessing

step will completed.
Job module:
Welcome to simulation step of FEM analysis!
First of all, you need to define a job. In fig.1, you can see create job panel. As it can be seen, a Full analysis is selected.
Next step is to submit your job in job manager section. If there is an error in your simulation, you can check it by clicking on
Monitor option. Fig.2 shown job manager panel.
Preprocessing step of FEM analysis is monitoring the result’s.

Fig.2

Fig.1
Visualization module:
Third Preprocessing step of FEM analysis is monitoring the result’s.
One of the things you can do in this module, is exporting a specified quantity. For doing so, click on Report tab and select the
Field output option. As it can be seen form fig.1, in the mentioned window, you can determine which parameter you want and
from Setup tab, write the exported file’s name.
How can know the number of nodes and element?? Click on Common option on the left ribbon of visualization module and from
label tab, choose the element’s and node’s number. term “Sharbat kari” was named by Dr.Biglari for this option!
Often, displacement results is shown bigger than real to feel better. If you want to see the real amount, from Common option
and basic tab, change the deformation scale factor to 1.
In this session we will simulate a square plate with a circular hole in the middle of it. Stress concentration and some mesh
strategy are some of issues we will learn.

Part module:
Because of symmetry of plate, we don’t need to model the whole plate, so we only model one quarter of plate.

Property module:
Create section step:
We have two option to choose: 1- Shell and 2- Solid. We use Shell section for application which have a few thickness; for ex. : In
pressure vessel tanks. We use Solid section for situation’s: 1- a 3D geometry model; 2- a 2D geometry model with plane stress
condition; 3- a 2D geometry model with plane strain condition and 4- an axisymmetric model.
After determining the category and type of section, we need to choose the material and enter the geometric constant for our
model. In this example, software need to know the thickness.
Load module:
The plate will under a distributed force. From creating load option and pressure type of mechanical category, we can apply the
force.
Boundary Condition’s:
This is why you love mechanic and proud to know fundamentally and not just like a technician. Do you ever think why we use
symmetry and model a quarter of geometry?? Probably say because of decreasing the time and cost of calculation. But the
primary reason is sth else. We are simulating a static problem whose plate should deform. An important issue to deform sth is to
constraint it. If you don’t, then the thing will start moving or rotating with the load and there would be a dynamic problem, not
static one. So by modeling a quarter of geometry, we will constrain it. To define symmetry condition there is a key point:
displacements toward perpendicular of symmetric axis are zero; for ex. To define the y axis as the symmetry axis, you should
know that displacement toward X axis are zero; then you should choose X symmetry option in the create B.C panel, fig.2 shown
this.

Fig.1
Fig.2
Mesh module:
To understand the importance of correct meshing, number of meshing strategy will consider.
1- By use an automatic seeding, elements created. Element’s type choose to be CPE4R. C means continuous, PE plane strain with
4 nodes and R means it is a reduced integration element. Results from the simulation shown that maximum stress in plane will
be 160kpa. Circular middle hole has a concentration factor of 3, which is times to 100kpa loading. So we expect a 300kpa
maximum stress which is shown that these result are not right.