Ansys Mechanical
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Software

Advanced nonlinear stress simulations and comprehensive linear dynamics

Ansys Mechanical is our dynamic, integrated platform that uses finite element analysis (FEA) for structural analysis. Mechanical is a dynamic environment that has a complete range of analysis tools from preparing geometry for analysis to connecting additional physics for even greater fidelity. The intuitive and customizable user interface enables engineers of all levels to get answers fast and with confidence. Ansys Workbench enables robust connection to commercial CAD tools, providing click button design point updates. Seamlessly integrated multiphysics capabilities are available with our fluids and electrical solvers.

Linear dynamics
Mechanical covers all your needs for dynamic analysis, including — for linear dynamics — modal, harmonic, spectrum response and random vibration with pre-stress, along with advanced solver options for rapid solutions. Acoustics simulations can be carried out to understand the vibroacoustic behavior of systems, with or without structural pre-loading. Including pre-loading adds more fidelity and means that self-weighted, bolted assemblies — or even squealing brakes — can be simulated.

Nonlinearities
Moving beyond linear, elastic materials, you can simulate the behavior of materials as they undergo plastic or even hyperelastic deformation (materials like rubber and neoprene). Nonlinear simulation also takes into account contact and large deflection of parts moving around relative to each other, either with or without friction.

Contact capabilities
Mechanical includes a comprehensive range of contact capabilities that enable you to account for the interactions of multiple parts. It can simulate everything from a bonded contact that treats joints between parts as if they are glued or welded together, to contact interfaces that allow parts to move apart and together with or without frictional effects. Being able to simulate contact correctly means that you can simulate the change in load paths when parts deform and confidently predict how assemblies will behave in the real world.

Thermal analysis
Simulating heat conduction, convection and radiation across assemblies enables you to predict the temperature of components, which can then be used to examine induced stresses and deformations. With Mechanical, you can read in power losses or calculated temperatures from other analysis systems or files, which means that CFD or electromagnetic simulations can be a starting point for thermal analysis. It is also possible to account for fluid flow through pipes and heat generated from friction between parts. All these capabilities give you more accurate simulations and better results.

Fatigue analysis
Being able to understand the immediate stresses and deformations a part undergoes is critical to structural analysis. Any part undergoing repeated loading may accumulate damage that will eventually result in part failure even though the loading is not close to the material’s strength limits. Fatigue analysis lets you visualize damage during cyclic loading and can help to predict when and where failure may occur and increase product durability.

Materials
A whole range of material models covering everything from hyperelastics, shape-memory alloys, soils, concrete, plastic and metallic structures can be accurately modeled in Mechanical; you can even add user-defined material models if needed.

With the addition of GRANTA Materials Data for Simulation, you can access and use valuable materials data from Ansys Granta within your existing Ansys tools. This database provides instant, clickable access to the materials property data you need, eliminating data search time and input errors.

Material Designer can easily create representative volume elements (RVE’s) based around lattice, fiber, weave or user-created geometries to facilitate multiscale modeling of complex material structures.

Additional value
Mechanical has tools such as Ansys ACT to customize your workflow, add functionality and accelerate your simulation process, and Ansys DesignXplorer with built-in optimization technology to get to the best answer in the fastest time ever. The addition of Ansys SpaceClaim means that preparing geometry (mid-surfacing, beam extraction and simplification) for analysis, building prototype models or manipulating geometry during design changes is intuitive and rapid.