From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from ABAQUS)
Jump to: navigation, search
Abaqus icon.png
Abaqus CAE 6.9.3.png
Original author(s) Dassault Systemes
Developer(s) ABAQUS Inc.,[1]
Stable release 6.14
Development status Actively developed
Operating system Microsoft Windows
Platform Windows/x86-32
Linux x86-64[2][3]
Type Computer-aided engineering, Finite Element Analysis
License Proprietary commercial software
Website www.simulia.com

Abaqus FEA[4][5] (formerly ABAQUS) is a software suite for finite element analysis and computer-aided engineering, originally released in 1978. The name and logo of this software are based on the abacus calculation tool.[6] The Abaqus product suite consists of five core software products:[5]

  1. Abaqus/CAE, or "Complete Abaqus Environment" (a recursive acronym and backronym with an obvious root in Computer-Aided Engineering[7]). It is a software application used for both the modeling and analysis of mechanical components and assemblies (pre-processing) and visualizing the finite element analysis result. A subset of Abaqus/CAE including only the post-processing module can be launched independently in the Abaqus/Viewer product.
  2. Abaqus/Standard, a general-purpose Finite-Element analyzer that employs implicit integration scheme (traditional).
  3. Abaqus/Explicit, a special-purpose Finite-Element analyzer that employs explicit integration scheme to solve highly nonlinear systems with many complex contacts under transient loads.
  4. Abaqus/CFD, a Computational Fluid Dynamics software application which provides advanced computational fluid dynamics capabilities with extensive support for preprocessing and postprocessing provided in Abaqus/CAE.[8]
  5. Abaqus/Electromagnetic, a Computational electromagnetics software application which solves advanced computational electromagnetic problems.

The Abaqus products use the open-source scripting language Python for scripting and customization. Abaqus/CAE uses the fox-toolkit for GUI development.


Abaqus is used in the automotive, aerospace, and industrial products industries. The product is popular with academic and research institutions due to the wide material modeling capability, and the program's ability to be customized. Abaqus also provides a good collection of multiphysics capabilities, such as coupled acoustic-structural, piezoelectric, and structural-pore capabilities, making it attractive for production-level simulations where multiple fields need to be coupled.

Abaqus was initially designed to address non-linear physical behavior; as a result, the package has an extensive range of material models such as elastomeric (rubberlike) material capabilities.

Here are some animated examples

Solution Sequence[edit]

Abaqus FEA software products used in Finite Element Analysis and their order of use.

Every complete finite-element analysis consists of 3 separate stages:

  • Pre-processing or modeling: This stage involves creating an input file which contains an engineer's design for a finite-element analyzer (also called "solver").
  • Processing or finite element analysis: This stage produces an output visual file.
  • Post-processing or generating report, image, animation, etc. from the output file: This stage is a visual rendering stage.

Abaqus/CAE is capable of pre-processing, post-processing, and monitoring the processing stage of the solver; however, the first stage can also be done by other compatible CAD software, or even a text editor. Abaqus/Standard, Abaqus/Explicit or Abaqus/CFD are capable of accomplishing the processing stage. Dassault Systemes also produces Abaqus for CATIA for adding advanced processing and post processing stages to a pre-processor like CATIA.

Solvers Comparison[edit]

The following is a comparison between the solver capabilities of Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit.[9]

Feature Common ABAQUS/Standard only ABAQUS/Explicit only
Element library Comprehensive no limits only elements appropriate for explicit solutions
Material models Comprehensive only yield models yield and fracture models
Solution methods Implicit Integration
needs solve multiple coupled equation
Using the K Matrix (F=Ku)
explicit integration
step by step
using small time steps
sometimes not stable
Required Disk Space repetitive calculations likely
takes a lot of space
no repetitive calculation
Types of Problems Linear:
usual systems**
Can solve
Can solve
Can solve if simple
Optimal under steady*** loads
Can solve
Optimal. even if highly non-linear
Optimal. even for complex and varying conditions
Optimal under transient*** loads like Impact, Pulse and Explosion

^* The more complex the contacts become, the more repetitive calculations ABAQUS/Standard has to solve, and the more time and disk space needed; ABAQUS Explicit is the optimal choice in this case

^** Like static elements (see the picture,) dynamic elements, thermal elements and electrical elements

^ ^*** Steady, Static and Constant loads are the same. Transient loads include: quasi-static loads (slowly varying loads in which the effect of inertial is small enough to neglect) and dynamic loads (faster varying loads).

See also[edit]


  1. ^ "Dassault Systemes to acquire Abaqus Inc for 413 mln usd cash". Forbes.com (Forbes). 17 May 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2010. 
  2. ^ a b http://www.3ds.com/support/certified-hardware/simulia-system-information/abaqus-612/system-requirements-for-abaqus-612-products
  3. ^ a b http://www.3ds.com/support/certified-hardware/unix-certified-hardware/
  4. ^ "Product Index". SIMULIA web site. Dassault Systèmes. Archived from the original on 29 May 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010. 
  5. ^ a b "Abaqus FEA". SIMULIA web site. Dassault Systèmes. Retrieved 7 July 2010. 
  6. ^ "ABAQUS CEO Interview". Retrieved 4 December 2012. 
  7. ^ "ABAQUS 6.9 User Documentation". Internet Manual. Simulia. Retrieved 10 September 2011. 
  8. ^ http://www.3ds.com/products/simulia/portfolio/abaqus/abaqus-portfolio/abaquscfd/
  9. ^ ABAQUS/CAE manual

External links[edit]