Reduce CAE Model Preparation Time Through Highly Integrated Design & CAE Modeling Technology

Within the simulation lifecycle, CAE modeling is often cited as the single largest time bottleneck, consuming valuable time which could be better spent evaluating design results and proposing design changes.

NX significantly reduces the amount of time engineers spend on CAE model preparation. NX integrates powerful and intuitive geometry editing and idealization technology with comprehensive finite element modeling and results visualization capabilities that are designed to meet the needs of experienced analysts. As a result of this integration, engineers can quickly create, simulate, validate and iterate on more designs faster than ever before.

Highlights of NX for integrated CAE modeling include:

• Superior geometry editing and idealization capabilities supporting data from multiple commercial CAD systems
• CAD to CAE model associativity allows automatic update of the CAE model as the design and CAD data changes
• Expert analyst level meshing and boundary condition capabilities, including “best-in-class” tet-meshing
• Multiple solver-specific environments which adapt the NX interface based on the solver the engineer chooses
• Comprehensive post-processing, plotting, and reporting capabilities
• Available laminate composites modeling capabilities for advanced structures

CAE Geometry Idealization

NX integrates industry leading geometry editing capabilities, including NX Synchronous Technology, into an intuitive pre-processing environment for CAE analysts. Engineers can easily modify geometry features without the need to understand the design history of the part. In addition, a key concept of this integration is that CAE engineer driven geometry modifications do not change the original design geometry and are instead completely associated to the original design data. As the original design changes, the CAE geometry idealization updates without the need for the CAE engineer to manually re-edit the CAE geometry.

Further, Synchronous Technology capabilities support geometry data imported from a broad set of commercial CAD systems and geometry formats, and not just NX CAD data.

Meshing & Boundary Conditions

Powerful shell, 1D, and solid meshing technology, including “best-in-class” tet-meshing, allows engineers to free mesh any solid or sheet body, curves, and edges. Elements created by geometry-based methods are associated to the geometry and are automatically updated when their parent geometry changes.

Solver Environments

The CAE user environment adapts to the industry-leading structural solvers, including ABAQUS, ANSYS, MSC.NASTRAN, NX Nastran, and LS-Dyna. Examples of solver-specific data include loads, constraints, simulation objects, solution options, solution parameters. For each solution, the selected solver determines which options are displayed, as well as the terminology used on the dialogs. The end benefit to the engineer is a familiar interface which allows for quick and accurate model set up.

Post-processing & Reporting

For analysis to impact design decisions, results must be presented in an understandable form. NX includes extensive graphics and manipulation capabilities that focus on critical data and present it for review and action. A comprehensive and flexible set of tools allows engineers to visualize, animate, annotate, plot, report and export to a wide variety of formats.

Composites Modeling

Evaluate structures made with laminate composite materials. With easy-to-use ply and laminate definition capabilities, validate composite designs using Nastran, ANSYS or ABAQUS as the solver. Integrated advanced post-processing tools for composites allow engineers to efficiently identify and improve problem areas in a product design.