FEA s/w or FEA forums
 

Hi,

I have been a successful CFD user for last 3-4 years, but now need to venture into FEA analysis. These are actually simple problems. Does anyone recommend any particular s/w? I'm exploring Ansys's designspace, Algor and Cosmos. Which is easiest to use? does anyone have an experience of hypermesh?

Well, may be if you a FEA forum that's as good as this one, please let me know.

Thanks & Regards, Prashant

Re: FEA s/w or FEA forums
 

our company uses Cosmos, to some success. It is a simple windows 'style' programme to use. I have little experience of FEA and I used the application on a couple of time without much problems. However I hae heard that Ansys is very comprehensive and extreemly powerful.

Re: FEA s/w or FEA forums
 

Check out http://www.engr.usask.ca/~macphed/fi...resources.html

Re: FEA s/w or FEA forums
 

ANSYS is an extremely powerful tool. Previously the differences between ANSYS and Design Space were pretty substantial. Now they are being incorporated into the same interface. This interface is known as the Workbench Environment. So now DS is simply a licensing option (linear static structual and thermal & modal). If you have an ANSYS license, you can now do some more advanced analyses, such as nonlinear geometry, nonlinear materials and frictional contact).

cheers,

derrek

Re: FEA s/w or FEA forums
 

EMRC has an excellent line of processors, and their support is next to none. See www.emrc.com. As a previous user of Algor, I found their lack of valid technical support the major reason to switch packages. In the nearly 10 years of using EMRC, there has always been someone to discuss why a particular problem will not run. They have excellent processors and compare pricewise with the major programs.

Re: FEA s/w or FEA forums
 

Hi 'Prashant',

I have had good technical experiences with using Algor, in the past... A little over-hyped, but reasonable to use for FEA...

A lot also had to do with the Sales rep who handled my account... Unfortunately, when she passed on tragically, the service dropped off dramatically - to 'hard sell'...

Regards,

Des Aubery... (adTherm Technology - www.adtherm.com - info@adtherm.com )

Re: FEA s/w or FEA forums
 

This is a wonderful forum that I read all the time.

http://www.dermotmonaghan.com/forums/

Paul

Re: FEA s/w or FEA forums
 

There are two good forums for Cosmos.

CosmosFEA@topica.com for users of Cosmos/M and DesignStar(advanced)

Cosmos-FEA@topica.com for users of CosmosWorks and CosmosMotion as well as FloWorks.

To subscribe add -subscribe after the username in the email address or visit the website for topica.

Cosmos/M is best described as a poor man's Ansys. It is quite capable and has a command line interface. It has a broad element library and can be made to model many tasks in statics, non-linear materials and geometry, dynamics and thermal.

DesignStar has some of Cosmos/M non-linear capability and an easier user interface.

CosmosWorks is integrated into SolidWorks and is good for simple problems in design.

Another package of interest might be NENastran which uses the FEMAP interface. Similar capabilities to Cosmos/M.

VisualNastran competes with CosmosWorks.

On the high end Abaqus, MSCNastran, Ansys are your choices.