Femap 11
What’s New
© Siemens AG 2013. All rights reserved.
Siemens PLM Software
Femap Release Schedule
 For several years, Femap has been on an approximately yearly release
schedule
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


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v11: January 2013
v10.3.1: January 2012
v10.3: October 2011
v10.2: October 2010
v10.1.1: January 2010
v10.1: August 2009
V10: December 2008
Courtesy of
Predictive
Engineering
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Launch Plan
Femap version 11
Announcement: 9th January 2013
 Available online on GTAC site
 Release to manufacturing:
early January 2013
 Shipping to customers:
late January 2013
NX Nastran
 NX Nastran 8.5 is included in
Femap with NX Nastran bundle
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap Direction
Femap continues to provide:
 A modeling environment that’s dedicated to FEA
 The in-depth, detailed functionality required to accurately model realworld parts and assemblies
 Customer driven features and functionality
Courtesy of GleisFrei
Courtesy of Femtec
Courtesy of IHC Handling Systems
Courtesy of Duraldur
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Primary Focus and Messages
Improved productivity through process improvement
 Improved results data processing
 Streamlined XY plotting capability
Increased simulation scope through discipline extensions
 External superelement support
 NX Nastran integration enhancements
Faster preprocessing through performance improvements
 Improved graphics architecture
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Key Development Items
External results files
Graphics performance improvements
Create geometry from mesh
External superelement support
Streamlined XY plotting
NX Nastran integration
Customer driven enhancements
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Results Data Considerations
Quantity of results data generated continues to increase
 Model sizes continue to increase
 Advanced analyses with incremental solutions can create huge
amounts of data
 Dynamic response time or frequency steps
 Nonlinear load or time steps
 Time to access data increases
 Database sizes can become very large and unwieldy to manage
The solution:
 Option for external results files that can attach to the Femap modfem
database file
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap v10.3 and Prior Versions
External Results Files
Imported results data (10.3 and prior versions)
.modfem
Model
Information,
Nodes, Elements,
Materials,
Properties,
Loads, etc.
.op2
NX Nastran
Results File
File / Import / Analysis Results…
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
External Results Files
Attached results data
.modfem
Model
Information,
Nodes, Elements,
Materials,
Properties,
Loads, etc.
File / Attach to Results…
.op2
NX Nastran
Results File
(.op2)
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
External Results Files
Attach multiple databases
.op2
.modfem
File / Attach to Results…
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
External Results Files
Attach to external results files
 Femap modfem database size minimized
 Results data import no longer required
 Postprocessing functionality does not change
 External and internal results can coexist
 Solver support rollout plan:
 Nastran .op2 and FNO
addressed initially
 ABAQUS .odb, Nastran .xdb,
ANSYS .rst to follow
 Significantly increased efficiency
for accessing transient results
with attached results files vs.
modfem imported results
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
External Results Files
International Space Station
Laboratory Module
188,935 Nodes
184,592 Elements
Output File: NX Nastran op2
26 Static Results Sets: 2.9GB
Results
Mode
No results
Internal
Attached
Model
Size
Memory
Import/Attach
Time
Envelope Time
68.8 MB
303 MB
-
-
3.3 GB
3.64 GB
103 s
200 s
70.7 MB
632 MB
17 s
164 s
>6x faster
>20% faster
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
External Results Files
Benefits
 Greater efficiency with faster data access
 Attach time >6x faster than import time
 Greater efficiency with reduced memory usage
 Smaller Femap modfem database size
 More manageable data handling and storage
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
NST External Results Example
Railway vehicle extrusion panel
 Advanced Nonlinear (SOL 601)
 13,822 nodes
 13,951 elements
 Model size without output: 6.968 MB
 NX Nastran op2 file: 5.85GB
 2,556 nonlinear static results steps
Results Mode
Model Size
PC Memory*
Import/Attach Time
Reopen Time
Internal
12.05 GB
7.75 GB
25min
220 s
Attach
8.692 MB
1.7GB
1min
1s
0.486 **
0.219
25x faster
220x faster
Attach / Internal
* Include other windows applications,
** Including op2 file
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
NST External Results Example
“I was very impressed with the performance of the external results
capability in Femap v11. Using this new feature, we were able to
significantly reduce processing time while keeping the computer
resource usage low. Reopening a large analysis result file was over 200
times faster. This is great news for CAE users who are concerned about
the trend of increasing analysis model sizes.”
Cong Yuan, Engineering Department, NST
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Graphics Performance Considerations
Quantity of model data displayed continues to increase
 Model size trend still increasing
 Graphics performance improvement is a continuous process in Femap
 Previous transition from Windows GDI to OpenGL
 Femap’s use of OpenGL continues to expand
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Graphics Performance Improvements
Vertex Buffer Object (VBO)
 An OpenGL feature that allows data to be uploaded to the graphics
card
 Offer substantial performance gains
 Vertex data resides in graphics card memory rather than system
memory
 Vertex data can be rendered directly by graphics card
Vertex Buffer Objects (VBOs) are Buffer Objects that are used for vertex data.
Since the storage for buffer objects is allocated by OpenGL, vertex buffer objects
are a mechanism for storing vertex data in "fast" memory (i.e. video RAM or AGP
RAM, and in the case of PCI Express, video RAM or RAM), thereby allowing for
significant increases in vertex throughput between the application and the GPU.
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Graphics Performance Improvements
Femap 11 includes support for VBOs
 Up to an order of magnitude
performance improvement in the
dynamic rotation of large models
 Depends on graphics card, graphics
memory, and the model – can use
large amounts of graphics memory
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Graphics Performance Improvements
Model Description
Performance Improvement
Model 1 in 10.3.1/64 with no vertex arrays
1600 solids – each solid is a 100x1x1 brick
440ms, in dev 64 release 50ms (8.8 times
with the four long edges filleted to .1 radius
faster)
1600 solids – each solid is a sphere of
radius 1
Model 2 in 10.3.1/64 with no vertex arrays
1213ms, in dev 64 release 270ms (4.5 times
faster)
640,000 quad4 elements
Model 3 in 10.3.1/64 with no vertex arrays
427ms, in dev 64 release 408ms but with VBO
on, 64ms (6.3 times faster) and uses about
151MB of graphics memory
1,919,488 tetra10s – 16 solids of
100x100x1 block – each block has
119,968 elements
Model 4 in 10.3.1/64 with no vertex arrays
746ms, in dev 64 release 750ms but with VBO
on, 130ms (5.7 times faster) and uses about
252MB of graphics memory
*AMD v3900 card
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Graphics Performance Improvements
Limits of Performance on Dell
Precision Mobile Workstation
 I7-2860QM – 2.5 GHz
 16 GB RAM
 nVidia M2000 – 2GB RAM
Graphics
Multiple Copies of the Boeing ISS
Laboratory Module
4.5M Nodes and Elements
Dynamic rotation performance
using VBOs: ~8x faster, V10.3 to
v11
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Graphics Performance Improvements
Benefits
 Increased productivity with faster graphics performance
 Dynamic rotation of large models >5x faster using VBOs
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Working with Legacy FE Models
It is sometimes necessary to work with legacy FE models for which there
is no underlying geometry available, only the FE mesh
 Performing model updates to such models or simply changing the
mesh density is difficult and time consuming
 Error prone: danger of not adhering to the original geometry topology
The solution:
 Femap’s create geometry from mesh capability
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Create Geometry from Mesh
Create surface geometry from existing shell meshes when there is no
underlying geometry available
 Easily make model changes to existing meshes
 Easily remesh existing FE models
 Model topology maintained
 Automatic mesh / geometry associativity
Mesh
New Geometry
New Mesh
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Create Geometry from Mesh
Workflow:
Import FEA input file…
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Create Geometry from Mesh
Workflow:
Create surfaces from patches of elements using Femap’s selection
methods…
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Create Geometry from Mesh
Workflow:
Stitch the surfaces together…
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Create Geometry from Mesh
Workflow:
Add cutouts, stiffener locations, whatever modifications are required…
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Create Geometry from Mesh
Workflow:
Re-mesh the geometry to create a new FE model
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Create Geometry from Mesh
Benefits
 Increased productivity
 Easier to remesh or make model
changes to legacy FE models for
which there is no underlying
geometry available
 Less error prone
 When making model changes or
remeshing original model
topology is maintained
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
External Superelements
What is a superelement?
 Represents a portion of a FE model
 SE defined by nodes (interior points)
 Connects and reduces to boundary points
 Exact static reduction
 Additional dofs added for dynamic reduction
 Analysis is performed on residual structure
Superelement
(SEID=70)
Residual Structure
(SEID=0)
Reduce upstream SEs
to residual structure
Perform analysis on
residual structure
Data recovery of
upstream SEs
K, M
B, P
70
0
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
External Superelements
How are superelements used?
 Break a large model into
substructures and analyze it piece by
piece
 Reduce model size for advanced
analyses like nonlinear and dynamics
(analysis only performed on residual)
 Conveniently split a model up for
organizational reasons
 Share model information while
maintaining confidentiality – external
superelements
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
External Superelements
What is an external superelement?
 Matrix representation of a component
or substructure: [K], [M], [B], {P}
 Transfer model representation without
compromising confidentiality – no
geometry or FE model data included
Winglet Model
Common node
attachment points
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
External Superelements
Winglet: create external
superelement
Transfer SE data to wing OEM
Wing: attach the external SE in
the assembly run
Winglet External Superelement
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
External Superelements
Set up the creation of external superelements
 Creates the EXTSEOUT and ASSIGN statements
 Creates SPOINT/QSET entries on the fly for modal analysis (CMS)
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
External Superelements
Set up for the inclusion of external superelements in subsequent
assembly runs (Superelement license required)
 Automatically creates the ASSIGN statement
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
NX Nastran 8.5: External Superelements
External superelement loads
 Static loads are now stored with external superelements
 Load matrix {Pa} written out in the user-specified format
 Column sorted to match load IDs
 Results data can be recovered in the system run with SELOAD bulk
data entry
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
External Superelements
Benefits
 Increased productivity
 Easier to create and assemble external superelements
 Easier management of NX Nastran input reference entries
 Less prone to error
 All NX Nastran file management and external superelement entries
are created automatically
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
XY Plotting Considerations
Increasing model size and corresponding quantity of results data lead to
increasing difficulty in timely results comprehension and understanding
of model behavior
 XY plotting is a crucial component in results processing
The solution
 Streamlining and extension of Femap’s XY plotting capability
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Streamlined XY Plotting
New XY Plotting Interface
 Enhanced graphics
 Unlimited number of curves can be displayed at the same time
 Any number of charts can be saved to the database
Future development
 Extension to a full charting capability
 Additional chart types – spline, bar, pie
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Streamlined XY Plotting
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Femap 11
Streamlined XY Plotting
 XY plotting based on data series
 Different groups for different data series
 Different beginning and ending output
sets for transient data
 View Femap functions
 Modern charting interface in a fully
functional Femap pane
 Context sensitivity: right-click access to
features and controls
 Title: font, location etc.
 Axes: logarithmic, grid lines, tick marks,
hide
 Background, colors, style
 Markers: size, shape
 Labels: data values
 Tooltip querying
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Streamlined XY Plotting
Benefits
 Increased productivity
 Easier creation of XY plots
 Faster and easier comprehension of analysis results
 Easier report creation
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
NX Nastran Integration
Solid composite modeling
 PCOMPS physical property for
composites modeling with hexa and
penta solid elements
 MATFT definition for failure theory
material constants
Benefits of solid composites
 Offer a more geometrically precise
representation
 More accurate interlaminar shear
stresses than a 2D laminate
representation
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Femap 11
NX Nastran Integration: Solid Composites
Solid composite modeling (cont.)
 Ply layup modeled with solid hexas and pentas (linear and parabolic)
 1 to n plies per element
 Ply thickness is relative
 Ply failure theories:
 Tsai-Wu, Hill, Maximum Stress, Hoffman, LaRC02
 Interlaminar failure theories:
 Shear and Normal
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
NX Nastran Integration: Bolt Preloads for Solids
Bolt preloads for solid elements
 Extension of beam element bolt
preload modeling capability
 Represent preloaded bolts with
solid hexa and penta elements
 Region definition with preload loading
Benefit
 More detailed stress recovery
in and around bolt locations
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
NX Nastran Integration: Nonstructural Mass
Nonstructural mass regions
 Mass definition independent of
structural model
 Define mass regions based on:
 Geometry (curves, surfaces)
 Elements (pbeam, pshell,
psolid)
 Apply mass per area or length; total mass on area or length
 Mass regions are controlled within subcase level
Benefits
 Easier control and distribution of nonstructural mass
 Can apply differing mass distributions in a single run
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
NX Nastran Integration: Variable Acceleration Load
ACCEL entity
 Static acceleration load definition
 Allows different acceleration loads
over different parts of the model
Benefits
 Easier to simulate combined rotational
and translational accelerations
 Example applications:
 Space systems
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Femap 11
NX Nastran Integration: MCID
MCID: specify shell element
material angle definition by
coordinate system ID
 Easy to specify material angle
across many elements regardless
of their orientation
 MCID x-axis is projected onto
elements
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
NX Nastran Integration: Linear Contact Buckling
Linear contact in buckling solutions
 Standard contact regions
 Set buckling solution in Analysis
Manager
 Postprocessing reveals
eigenvalue and eigenvector taking
contact regions into consideration
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Femap 11
NX Nastran Integration
Option to preserve INCLUDE statements
 Entities in the included data are not
added to the Femap database
 Interfaces preference
Support for PARAM,BAILOUT
 Prevents bailout of solution due to errors
for model checking
 Nastran bulk data option
Create ASSIGN statements in
Analysis Text dialog in Analysis
Manager
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Customer Driven Enhancements
Mesh edge split
 Easy mesh splitting
by selecting two nodes
on an element edge
 Split propagates
through the model
maintaining a
contiguous mesh
 Define limit split
regions to control
mesh splitting
 Splits hexa and
penta solids,
shells and beams
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Customer Driven Enhancements
Mesh splitting: shell and beam model
 Automatically splits any beams encountered
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Femap 11
Customer Driven Enhancements
Global plies
 Automatically create
global plies as you are
creating a layup
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Customer Driven Enhancements
New Add Connected Elements element selection
method in the Entity Selection dialog
 Selects picked elements and all the elements to
which they connect
Pick Elements
Add Connected Elements
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Femap 11
Customer Driven Enhancements
Model Info tree scrolling
 Easier navigation and scrolling through
long lists of entities like properties and
materials
 Set maximum number of entities to display
in File / Preferences
 Scroll using Previous / Next controls
 With pointer over visibility checkboxes:
 Scroll using mouse wheel
 Scroll using <CTRL> and <SHIFT>
shortcuts with mouse wheel
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Siemens PLM Software
Femap 11
Customer Driven Enhancements
Database cleanup during save added to release any unused space
 Automatically compresses database reducing database size by freeing
up previously used space e.g. after results output has been deleted
Copy / Move to Set command added for
loads and constraints
 Allows easier load and constraint definition
set up within set definitions
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Femap 11
Customer Driven Enhancements
Ability to show up to 2 additional output vectors
• Show results on line, shell, and solid elements at the same time
• Show results on different types of elements with same topology (i.e.,
beam, bar, and rod results) all in one plot.
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Femap 11
Customer Driven Enhancements
Redesigned Select Postprocessing Data dialog
 Filters added to aid output set and vector data selection
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Femap 11
Customer Driven Enhancements
Results enveloping
 Quick results envelope creation directly from the Model Info tree
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Q and A
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