MSC.

visualNastran enterprise

Virtual Manufacturing
The Next Revolution
in Global Manufacturing.
"Industries throughout the world rely on MSC.Software as
the leading source for critical design software and services
in demanding environments."

Frank Perna Jr.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MSC.Software
 Table of Contents

What is Virtual Manufacturing? 1

At the Core is Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis 2

The Return on Investment 3

Case Studies:
Virtual manufacturing significantly reduces fuel costs for Boeing 5

Virtual manufacturing optimizes roll forming process 7

Deep drawing simulation reveals manufacturing defect 8

Rubber boot redesign lessens repair costs 9

Side impact analysis of a car door reduces injuries 10

Connecting rod forging process developed virtually 11

Virtual prototyping improves buckle performance 12

Improved stent design saves lives 13

Why Virtual Manufacturing Now? 14

The Key is Domain Decomposition 15

The Advanced Technology of MSC.Software 16

 What is Vir tual Manufacturing?
Virtual Manufacturing
Manufacturing is a dynamic, exciting, and critical
industry. A rapidly shrinking world is changing at
an increasingly frantic rate. Manufacturing
systems and processes are being combined with
simulation technology, computer hardware, and
operating systems to reduce costs and increase
company profitability.
Return on Investment calculations have shown
that small savings in material usage deliver
enormous returns in a manufacturing environment.
For example, an automotive customer found that
each ounce of material saved in a forged car
engine component saved many hundreds of
thousands of dollars of material costs each year.
He calculated the impact on customer satisfaction,
from the extra power available to the engine, to
the reduced running costs of the final vehicle.
These calculations are simple thanks to the large
manufacturing runs.

A Virtual Lab for Product Creation

Virtual manufacturing uses a computer to simulate

a product's performance and the processes
involved in its fabrication. Virtual manufacturing
utilizes nonlinear finite element analysis
technologies to provide detailed information
about a product, which is then used for optimization
of factors such as manufacturability, final shape,
residual stress, and life-cycle estimations.

Perhaps one of the most interesting and important At the core of virtual manufacturing lies nonlinear
of these recent developments is called "Virtual FEA technology. This technology has enabled
Manufacturing." Often termed "The Next companies to simulate fabrication and testing in
Revolution in Global Manufacturing," virtual a more realistic manner than ever before.
manufacturing involves the simulation of a product
and the processes involved in its fabrication.
Simulation technology enables companies to
optimize key factors directly affecting the profitability
of their manufactured products. These include
manufacturability, final shape, residual stress
levels, and product durability. They directly affect
profitability by reducing the cost of production,
material usage, and warranty liabilities.

In addition, virtual manufacturing also reduces

the cost of tooling, eliminates the need for multiple
physical prototypes, and reduces material waste.
This allows everyone to "get it right the first
time." It provides manufacturers with the confidence
of knowing that they can deliver quality products
to market on time and within budget. Small
improvements in manufacturing have dramatic
and profound effects in terms of cost and quality.

1
 At the Cor e is Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis
FEA Analysis Nonlinear FEA Analysis

Finite Element Analysis is a very powerful
engineering design tool that enables engineers
and designers to simulate structural behavior,
make design changes, and see the effects of
these changes.
The finite element method works by breaking
the geometry of a real object down into a large
number (1000's or 100,000's) of elements (e.g.
cubes). These elements form the mesh and the
connecting points are the nodes. The behavior of
each little element, which is regular in shape, is
readily predicted by set mathematical equations.
The summation of the individual element
behavior produces the expected behavior of
the actual object.
The mesh contains the material and structural
properties that define how the part reacts to
certain load conditions. In essence, FEA is a
numerical method used to solve a variety of
engineering problems that involve stress analysis,
heat transfer, electromagnetism, and fluid flow.
FEA is in effect a computer simulation of the
whole process in which a physical prototype is
built and tested, and then rebuilt and retested
until an acceptable design is created.
Nonlinear FEA uses an incremental solution
procedure to step through the analysis. In contrast
to linear FEA, where a solution is achieved in
one step, nonlinear FEA may require hundreds,
even thousands of steps. There are three major
types of nonlinearites:
· Material - plasticity, creep, viscoelasticity
· Geometric - large deformations, large
strains, snap-through buckling
· Boundary - contact, friction, gaps,
follower force
A nonlinear analysis can include any combination
of these. In the case studies to follow, you will
encounter examples including all of these
solution types.
FEA Applications
In theory, there are no limits to the types of
applications that FEA can be used for. FEA
was born and nurtured in the automotive and
aerospace industries but has since spread to
encompass all other sectors of industry, from
medical instruments and car design to plastic
mouldings and watch springs. If it can be designed,
it can be modeled using FEA technology.

Clearly, testing physical prototypes can be

costly and time consuming when compared
with running a computer simulation.
However, FEA is not meant to replace
prototype testing, merely to
complement it. Testing is a means
of validating the computer model.
In certain cases it is impossible to
accurately model a complex real
life situation. Thankfully, with the
constant improvements in today's
finite element software, such situations
are becoming more and more infrequent.

2
In this section, we present some of the costs
and benefits to consider when incorporating
virtual manufacturing into your product
lifecycle management.
Return
MSC.Software customers around the world
have seen their profits rise and costs decrease
dramatically in just months. Our technology has
helped increase efficiency from small projects to
large and complex manufacturing processes.
Fewer prototypes
The more trials you can simulate in a virtual
environment, the less physical prototypes you
need to perfect your design. This means you
spend more time up front in engineering and
design, and less resources running physical
trials. Virtual prototyping is cheaper than building
physical models and optimizing your design by
trial-and-error. It is not a complete replacement
for physical testing, but it can minimize the effort
and enable the resulting physical tests to be
more successful.
Less material waste
If you build fewer physical models, you waste
less material in the form of prototypes as well as
the tooling used to create them.
you "get it right the first time."
Improved quality
We have repeatedly seen our customers
improve their part quality by utilizing virtual
manufacturing techniques. There are numerous
examples throughout this paper, and almost all
of them result in a part with quality produced at
lower cost than previously attained through
traditional prototyping techniques.
Reduced time to market
Time to market is becoming increasingly critical
in an age where information can be transmitted
and shared readily. Although virtual manufacturing
may translate into spending more resources in
the design and engineering phases, the resulting
product will need much less rework downstream.
This saves enormously in unforeseen redesign
and reengineering efforts.
Lower overall manufacturing cost
The bottom line is that our customers have had
success incorporating virtual manufacturing
techniques into their processes, and none have
gone back to the traditional product design
cycle. We are confident that you will also share
in this success.

Reduced cost of tooling

Again, it follows that if you build fewer prototypes,

then you develop fewer tools, which are typically
very expensive. Furthermore, by modeling the
tools, you can reduce the tool wear, thus
increasing tool life.

Confidence in manufacturing process

Even if the tools are properly designed, the control

of the tools may affect the quality of the part
produced. Virtual manufacturing allows you
to simulate the part, the tools, and their control.
This simulation can let you optimize your tool
control before building prototypes, again letting

3
Costs
Hardware
The good news is that entry costs to acquiring a
platform to run your simulations is continuously
decreasing. Desktop Workstations, readily available
from a number of vendors, now have plenty of
power to drive these types of nonlinear analyses.
With MSC.Marc's Domain Decomposition
method (explained in more detail later on), more
power requirements simply translate into more
CPUs. For example, you can string four
Workstations together over a network and run
problems that are four times as large.
If having the hardware in-house is not practical,
you may consider running your simulation on
MSC.Software Simulation Center, where
MSC.Software hosts the software and hardware.
The only requirement is a client computer that can
connect over the Internet.
Software
When buying an MSC.Software product, you are
buying years of expertise and development from
engineers around the world. There is a cost
structure to fit any size budget, so you can
choose to license the software for any amount of
time, whether it is years or as short as a day.
The choice is yours.
Training
Most engineering groups will want to develop
their own in-house expertise. The MSC Institute
of Technology offers training courses that give
you the quickest path to get up to speed.
Training costs typically decrease over time as
your group gains in expertise.
Expertise
Certain, more difficult problems may require
outside expertise. The MSC.Software Consulting
Services delivers fast, accurate analyses, and
deep engineering insight.
As a part of MSC.Software, they can solve your
problems with the latest leading-edge software
and hardware tools months before they are
available to others. In addition, they can draw
upon the MSC.Software staff of developers,
application engineers, and world-renowned
experts to provide solutions that no one else
can. The costs associated with outside consulting
can vary considerably, and are dependent on
the difficulty of the problem encountered.
Support
Support costs can be in the form of additional
manuals, training materials, attending conferences,
etc. You will find it very beneficial to become a
part of the MSC.Software community and utilize
many of the support resources offered, and to
share experiences with other users. Much of
the support available, especially from the
MSC.Software web site, is free.
(www.mscsoftware.com)
Otto Fuchs’ Success
German forger Otto Fuchs’ discovered that the
use of state-of-the-art simulation software could
not only reduce tool and die iterations, but literally
eliminate them. Using MSC.SuperForge, they
have reduced the number of new die iterations
from three to one for certain parts. This saves
precious resources and time on expensive
presses. In a recent Forging Magazine interview,
Otto Fuchs’ head of design, Jorg Ihne, explained:
"In three weeks we can do the simulation for
three different geometries of a complex part,
optimizing the final geometry. And by using the
same die design for production, development
time can be reduced by a factor of three times,
because the die doesn't have to be changed
three times and doesn't have to be setup on the
forging machine three times." *
* Forging Magazine; July/Aug. 2000, page 51
4
Virtual manufacturing significantly reduces fuel costs for Boeing

Problem

During the metal-forming process of aircraft skin

panels, the work piece undergoes large
deformations and accumulates considerable
plastic strain. Upon release of the work piece, the
part recovers the elastic energy stored in it. This
causes the deformed part to deviate from the
desired shape. Historically, empirical methods
were used to determine this spring-back effect
after forming the panel. In the modern era, such
methods are impractical and cost prohibitive,
especially because of the large number of various
parts in a modern airplane. A new stretch form
block shape must be designed with the inherent
springback accounted for. Without optimized die
shapes, the quality of the part suffers, leading to
assembly problems that are compensated for by
trimming and shims to attain a proper fit. Such
difficulties can extend production schedules
unpredictably. The final installed aircraft skins
can become wavy, resulting in reduced fuel
economy over the life of the aircraft.

5
 Shimming was minimized and waviness was
reduced resulting in exceptional skin quality.

High quality skins allowed production

schedules to be met more easily, and the
resulting aircraft would see improved fuel
economy over its lifetime.

Return on investment

Correcting the stretch form block prior to its

fabrication, and optimizing the forming process
Solution reduced approximately a third to half the total
manufacturing cost per part. As much as 100 lbs
By using the nonlinear finite element (FEA) of shims were eliminated from the cab section
software, MSC.Marc, to simulate the metal-form- and installation time was shortened several days.
ing process, the spring-back can be accurately
predicted before the real die is built. The material
often used is aluminum, which is elastic-plastic “Virtual Manufacturing saved
with large deformation in the plastic region. Boeing more than 2 million dollars
There is material, geometric, and boundary a year for the 737 program alone.
nonlinearity involved. The software must be able The improved skin quality after
to accurately predict this spring back effect. To final installation minimized waviness
optimize the die shape, a trial-and-error procedure and increased fuel economy of the
is required. Instead of implementing the trial-and- plane over its lifetime.”
error procedure on the real model, FEA is used
to find the optimal die shape. Using MSC.Marc's -Darrell Wade, Boeing
automated contact applied to 3-D bodies
required no exotic programming by the end user
to converge on a solution, making it a very
practical tool for this virtual manufacturing
simulation. Once a Stretch Form Block shape
was designed, a robotics model of the stretch
press was undertaken to determine the optimal
control of the sheet-forming process. Once the
robotics model was optimized in the virtual
environment, the data was sent to the controller
on the stretch press. Thus the operator, when
forming the part, directly used the FEA information.

By developing the tooling dies and the

manufacturing controls in a virtual manner, the
risk associated with part manufacture and
assembly was reduced.

6
 Vir tual manufacturing optimizes r oll forming pr ocess
Problem
Cold formed roll profiles are important structural
elements in almost any area of engineering. This
includes automotive, and construction, where a
large variety of open or closed section bar
shaped profiles are used. In the continuous roll
forming process, flat sheet metal is formed by
driving pairs of contoured rolls into a finished
profile through several stages without any
intended reduction in sheet thickness. The final
profile shape can be influenced by longitudinal
strains causing sheet edge waviness and
bowing. Also, residual stresses in the profile
produce spring-back, and can deform the final
profile shape. In order to speed up tool design,
virtual manufacturing based techniques are
required to aid in planning of the pass sequence
development, calculation of the spring-back
angle, and estimation of the strip edge elongation.
7
Solution
The planning for a new part begins with a definition
of the finished section, the design of the pass
sequences, and the sizing of the different rolls in
the CAD system. In this analysis, the CAD data
was fed into the MSC.Marc FEA solver, and the
simulation was run. The results were analyzed to
determine the deviations in shape and dimensions
of the finished section. The longitudinal strains of
the sheet edge revealed the quality of the roll
forming process. Some of the characteristics that
were checked included, dimensional tolerances,
angular tolerances, longitudinal bow, twist sheet
edge waviness, and profile end deformation.
After optimizing the manufacturing process in this
virtual environment, the manufacturer was able
to manufacture the tools and run a test in the
mill. This analysis avoids high costs derived from
improperly designed tools needing adjustment
and rework in the mill to fit a new profile.*
* Prof. Dr. Schmoeckel, -Ing. D.; Sitzmann, B. Institute for
Production Technology and Forming Machines Technical
University Darmstadt, Germany. Integration of the
FE-simulation in a planning for roll forming
 Deep drawing simulation r eveals manufacturing defect
Problem
Deep drawing is a process to manufacture high
quality stamped metal products. During the
process, an initially flat sheet is clamped
between the die and the blank holder after which
a punch moves down to deform the clamped
blank into the desired shape. The shape of the
part depends on the geometry of the tools, the
material behavior of the blank, and the process
parameters. FEA can provide detailed insight
into tool design and manufacturing parameters.
After simulating Deep Drawing of an s-shaped
rail, wrinkles were discovered along the edge.
Solution
The edge wrinkles can be observed in the shadow
of the last image. This potentially costly mistake
was avoided prior to committing resources to
tooling. To achieve an accurate analysis,
MSC.Marc was able to simulate the contact and
friction between the sheet and die, and to calculate
the plastic deformation of the work piece. The
punch velocity and other parameters were
optimized to avoid tearing and to monitor the
final thickness distribution leading to a high
quality part. The virtual lighting capabilities of
MSC.Marc Mentat facilitated visualization of the
wrinkles while postprocessing the FEA results.
8
 Rubber boot r edesign lessens r epair costs
Problem

An existing constant velocity joint seal design

exhibited unsatisfactory life-cycle performance
when it was modified to a split seal configuration
for ease of installation. The purpose of the seal,
which is used on front- and four-wheel drive
vehicles, is to keep grease in the joint and keep
dirt and moisture out. The original equipment
versions of the boot were one piece and were
installed over the CV joint at assembly. However,
when failure of a part occurs due to wear,
fatigue, or road hazards, it usually cannot be
replaced without first removing the entire CV
joint and associated axle. This results in a repair
bill that is 90% labor and 10% parts. By providing
a boot with a seam which could be mounted
over an installed joint, the consumer would be
saved much of the installation costs. It was
expected that introducing a seam into the existing
boot design would lower the life expectancy of
the boot. The original replacement design had a
life expectancy of about 70,000 miles, and if a
life of 30% to 50% of this value could be
achieved with the split design, that would be
acceptable. The logic behind this was that while
the customer who used the split boot would
have to replace it more often, he could do so at
a much lower cost.

Solution

A stress analysis of the design was performed

using MSC.Marc to gain some understanding of
the mode of failure. After an accurate model of
the existing seal was created, changes were
made to the design in an effort to reduce the critical
stresses. A modified design resulted which was
then built and tested. The actual behavior of the
new seal agreed with the predicted behavior
and product cycle-life was increased to an
acceptable level.*

* Swanson, Douglas J. Gates Rubber Company. Design

and analysis of an elastomeric constant velocity joint seal

9
 Side impact analysis of a car door r educes injuries
Problem

In car accidents, side impacts result in numerous

injuries because the side structure of the car,
including the occupant compartment, is crushed.
During design, the strength of the door should be
stressed for passenger safety. It is a common
belief that improvements in the strength of the
door itself is quite effective for passenger safety,
particularly in collisions from the oblique direction,
or with fixed objects. In this research, MSC.Marc
was used for static compression analysis and
However, the latch part still receives most of the
dynamic impact analysis to understand the crash
force. In fact, experimental results of the door
worthiness of the door. Experiments were also
within the car body showed cracks in the latch
performed for comparison purposes. In addition,
part, just like the results with the door alone. The
the effectiveness of the door-beams, which were
importance of the strength of the latch part should
installed within the doors, were analyzed.
be stressed for the strength of the door itself.
Solution From the static compression analysis and
dynamic impact analysis of a door, as well as
The doors used for this experiment were the the experiments, it was found that the strength
front doors of four door sedans. The door panels, of the door hinge and door latch strongly affected
hinges, locks, and other necessary mechanisms the crush resistance of a door itself. In the
were used, while the windows and door trims experiments, it was found that once crack
were removed. Hinges and latches were propagation occurred in the latch, the force
constrained. For static compression and dynamic drastically decreased. It was also necessary to
impact, the loading device was applied laterally consider reinforcing the latch even when a door
on the center of the door. has a door-beam. It was also found that by
attaching a door-beam, absorption of the
Experimental results of a door in the body show deformation energy increased and deformation
different characteristics from the results of a door of the door decreased upon impact.*
alone, mainly because the door contacts with the
center pillar and side sill; therefore, the force on * Mizuno, K.; Toyofuku, Y.; Irie, H.; Tateishi, M.; Maeda, K.
the door is distributed rather than concentrated Analysis of impacted car door
on the latch.

10
 Connecting r od forging pr ocess developed vir tually
Problem
In the field of hot forging technology, developments
of new forming processes are difficult due to the
large number of parameters constituting the
process. In developing a process, the design
engineer has to consider both the technical and
economical limits in order to obtain competitive
forgings. Forming a connecting rod requires
several single forming processes resulting in a
precision forming operation. During this multi-step
process, there is the risk of gap formation. Gaps
contain the danger of material flowing into them
making the forging useless. The timing of the
tool and the force closing the gap influences its
formation. If the force is too low, the gap can
open again during the forming operation. Other
process goals include reducing the number of
forging steps, minimizing tool abrasion, reducing
the contribution of flash material, and ensuring
the stability of the forming process with a
minimum of rejects.
11
Solution
Experimental testing is one method of forging
process development, but usually requires much
time and money, especially during development
of new processes. Time and costs of developing
the forging process for the connecting rod was
reduced with the help of the forging simulation
packages, MSC.SuperForge and
MSC.SuperForm. These codes made it possible
to vary many process parameters in a "virtual"
way. The result was new process knowledge,
which never would appear in such evident form
during physical
testing. These virtual tools allowed tuning of the
forging process to avoid potential trouble areas,
like gap formation, before the manufacturing of
the tools took place.*
* Altmann, Hans Christoph. Institute for Integrated
Production Ltd, Hanover, Germany; Slagter, Wim J.
MSC.Software (E.D.C.) B.V., Gouda, The Netherlands.
Quality of simulation packages for flashless hot forging
operations
 Vir tual pr ototyping impr oves buckle performance
Problem
In designing a snap buckle, several objectives
must be addressed including load required to
open and close, fatigue life of the clasp, acoustic
profile, weight, and cost. For this design, the
fatigue life was a critical component to provide
maximum customer satisfaction. In many
consumer products, the prevention of failure is
important to minimize warranty costs. By adjusting
the geometry in the design phase, one can
insure that the product is both reliable and has
the correct “feel” to the user.

Solution

The snap buckle was designed in MSC.Patran,

and analyzed using MSC.Marc. The analysis
included large deflection with sliding contact plus
friction, which MSC.Marc can easily handle with
its automatic load stepping algorithm and ease
of defining the contact bodies. The product's
performance was measured by monitoring the
maximum strains in the plastic, the insertion
force required, as well as other variables, all
within the virtual environment. These results
used in conjunction with MSC.Fatigue may be
used to predict the product life cycle. This virtual
prototyping application demonstrates how a
consumer product can be optimized and tested
before being manufactured and subjected to
physical testing.

12
 Impr oved stent design saves lives
Problem

A stent is a cylindrical device used in arteries Solution

and veins to maintain patency of the vessel for
acceptable levels of blood flow to specific
The finite element models used in this study
organs. Their widespread use in cardiovascular
relied upon simple linear elastic, isotropic beam
surgical procedures is hindered by 20%-30%
and shell elements. Researchers at Wake Forest
failure rates within the first year. Stent design
University School of Medicine are designing
profoundly influences the post-procedural
stents using MSC.Patran for the pre-and post
hemodynamic and solid mechanical environment
processing. MSC.Marc Mentat can also be used.
of the stented artery by introducing non-physiologic
MSC.Marc is used as the analysis code because
flow patterns and elevated vessel strain. This
of its capability of handling nonlinear and large
alteration in the mechanical environment is
deformation material behavior.
known to be an important factor in the long-term
performance of stented vessels. Because of
Clinical evidence showed an abrupt compliance
their critical function, it is vital that the stent
mismatch existing at the junction between the
design be thoroughly validated by methods
stent ends and the host arterial wall disturbing
such as FEA. Finite element modeling highlights
both the vascular hemodynamics and the natural
any design or process problems well in advance.
wall stress distribution. These alterations caused
by the stent were greatly reduced by smoothing
the compliance mismatch between the stent and
the host vessel. MSC.Patran was used to
evaluate the solid mechanical stress created by
existing commercially available stents. It was
found that stresses were five to ten times
greater than the arterial wall stress under normal
physiologic pressure. A compliance matching
stent (CMS) was created using these findings
and was manufactured and tested. Preliminary
results show the CMS is effective in reducing the
unwanted tissue growth associated with the
failure of conventional stents. It is expected that
these results will lead to improved stent designs
that will ultimately improve the quality of life for
patients receiving them.*

* Berry, Joel. Wake Forest University. Finite element

analysis is used to design cardiovascular stents

13
 Why Vir tual Manufacturing Now?
Why virtual manufacturing now? Perhaps the
best answer to this question is that the very
nature of simulation is the search for more
information. Every simulation acts as the
vantage point from which one can better view
the possibilities and then ask the next question.
That question generally requires a finer simulation,
or more of them, and as soon as that is available,
someone will ask for the "optimum" solution.
The primary limitation today in reaching this
optimum solution is problem size. The needs of
companies for faster solutions, for better and
better simulations, for more refined and accurate
simulations, and now for virtual manufacturing
simulations leads to the unquenchable demand
for more computational power. The computer
industry is delivering on that demand.
Computer Industry Maturing
In the past, simulations such as these were
limited to the largest of companies possessing
the largest of computers. That is no longer the
case. Today, all of our analysis and graphical
products operate on workstations that are readily
available from a number of manufacturers running
any of the popular operating systems.
Increasingly, the single most important factor in
determining which computer you choose is
simply "How fast do you want your answers?"
Parallel Processing
Parallel Processing involves combining the
resources of many CPU's or entire machines
and applying them to the solution of a single
virtual manufacturing simulation.
The appeal of parallel processing is that it offers
a means of simultaneously capitalizing on the
growth of chip performance and the potential
performance benefits of multiple chips.
At the moment, there are two fundamental
problems associated with parallel processing: the
first is that most existing algorithms can derive
only limited benefits from the use of multiple
CPUs; the second is Amdahl's Law, which
loosely states that you can't parallelize a portion
of an algorithm and make a significant impact on
the total clock time.
The solution to these two problems is to
redesign the algorithm to provide scalable
performance across multiple CPUs for all
aspects of the problem. At MSC.Marc, we saw
the coming requirement for such a capability
years ago when we started the parallel processing
project. It has been a long road with occasional
dead ends, but we are very pleased with the
results of the research.
14
 The Key is Domain Decomposition
MSC.Marc DDM Software
Pioneered by MSC.Marc, the Domain
Decomposition Method or DDM, involves
dividing up the virtual manufacturing simulation
into pieces, and feeding each piece separately
to its own CPU. As the simulation progresses,
some steps of the simulation allow all the CPUs
to work by themselves. In other steps, all of the
CPUs have to come to an agreement about
results before continuing. This inter-domain
communication between CPUs is done with
message-passing interface or MPI.
The challenge was to provide scalability for the
broadest possible range of nonlinear simulations
for a sizable number of CPUs. The result is our
implementation of Domain Decomposition. This
was a substantial challenge but now we are able
to provide scalable performance for virtually all
of the linear and nonlinear analysis capabilities
of MSC.Marc as well as our Vertical products.
This includes capabilities such as large deformation,
plasticity, viscoplastic effects, thermal effects,
and automated 3-D contact.
Overall, the objective was to permit the user
to define the model without worrying about
parallel considerations.
The simulation is defined and the
analysis is ready to begin. The user is
asked one additional question: How
many CPUs are to be involved in the
calculation? The GUI will then subdivide
the model into as many domains as
there are CPUs, either interactively or
automatically. Then the analysis is
submitted and monitored automatically.
When done, the user can view the
results in any domain or the entire
model graphically.
The concept of Domain Decomposition is
straightforward. There is a mapping between the
finite element model and the hardware. Each
domain is handled by an individual CPU while
the interaction between domains is handled
using message passing between processors.
Analysis using 4 CPUs

In designing this system, we had to allow

for many different architectures vying for
ascendancy, with differences in the number of
processors, the allocation of memory, software
infrastructure, types of processors, and the
methods of communication.
MPI MPI MPI
From the hardware point of view, the objective
was to provide as much parallelism as possible
and to do so while minimizing inter-domain
communications.

From the software point of view, the objectives

were to provide an analysis product that was
fully integrated with our GUI including model
definition, analysis and results viewing with
robustness similar to that of a single processor
version, and which required minimal additional
user experience.

15
 The Advanced Technology of MSC.Softwar e
MSC.Software offers a variety of products and
services to help you build your Virtual
Manufacturing facility. From advanced FEA tools,
to experts and consultants, a total solution,
enabling you to get started today leveraging the
latest in virtual manufacturing technology.
MSC.Marc and MSC.Marc Mentat
MSC.Marc allows the user to perform a wide
variety of structural, fluid, and coupled analyses
using the finite element method. These procedures
provide solutions for simple to complex linear
and nonlinear engineering problems. Analysts
can graphically access all features via MSC.Marc
Mentat or the MSC.Patran interfaces. Also
included in MSC.Marc is the parallel processing
of large problems using Domain Decomposition.
MSC.SuperForm
MSC.SuperForm provides solutions to
manufacturing problems including Hot and
Cold (Open or Closed) Forging, Extrusion, Axial
and Ring Rolling, Blanking, Cogging, Clading,
Thick Sheet Bending, and Cutting. MSC.SuperForm
uses the finite element method with a wealth of
material and process models to support your tool
design requirements.
MSC.Nastran
MSC.Nastran is the premier computer aided
engineering (CAE) tool that major manufacturers
worldwide rely on for their critical engineering
computing needs to produce safe, reliable, faster
and optimized designs.
MSC.Dytran
MSC.Dytran is an advanced finite element
program capable of simulating many common
forming processes, including the forming of
complex sheet metal parts such as automobile
hoods, fenders, and side panels, as well as
forming of household and industrial containers
like plastic bottles.
MSC.Patran
MSC.Patran provides a complete software
environment for companies performing simulation
of mechanical products. MSC.Patran enables the
user to conceptualize, develop and test a product
using computer-based simulation prior to making
manufacturing and material commitments. Major
manufacturers around the world use MSC.Patran
as the basis for their product improvement
process, reducing or eliminating costly physical
prototyping and testing.
MSC.SuperForge
MSC.SuperForge provides a fast and easy to use
tool for forging engineers to analyze industrial
forging processes. Using MSC.SuperForge in
every day forging practice allows for the reduction
of shop floor trials by optimizing the forging
process, using more economical and faster
computer simulations. As a result, product
development time is shortened and product
quality is increased.
Backed by MSC.Software
MSC.Software is the established information
technology software and services provider
helping companies worldwide develop better
products faster. MSC.Software’s software and
services are used to enhance and automate the
product design and manufacturing process. The
ability to model and test software prototypes has
cost effectively enabled manufacturers to design
and build everything from sophisticated aircraft
and automobiles to electronic products.
MSC.Software markets products and services
internationally to aerospace, automotive, biomedical,
construction, consumer products, electronics,
energy, manufacturing industries and universities.
For additional information about MSC.Software,
please visit us at www.mscsoftware.com.
16
MSC.Software provides the industry's most
comprehensive support system with over 50 offices
worldwide to provide local and centralized support.
Investing in MSC.Software gives you access to
extensive client support through comprehensive
documentation, direct technical expertise, and
customized training classes.

To find your local MSC.Software office or

to learn more about our company and our
products, please contact:

Corporate:
MSC.Software Corporation
2 MacArthur Place
Santa Ana, California 92707 USA
+1 714 540.8900
Fax: +1 714 784.4056

Information Center:
1 800 642.7437 ext. 2500 (U.S. only)
1 978 453.5310 ext. 2500 (International)

Worldwide Web - www.mscsoftware.com

On-line Purchases - www.engineering-e.com
On-line Simulation - www.simulationcenter.com

Europe:
MSC.Software GmbH
Am Moosfeld 13
81829 Munich, Germany
+49 89 43 19 87 0
Fax: +49 89 43 61 71 6

Asia-Pacific:
MSC Japan Ltd.
Entsuji-Gadelius Bldg.
2-39, Akasaka 5-chome
Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 Japan
+81 3 3505 0266
Fax: +81 3 3505 0914

MSC, Marc and Patran are registered trademarks of MSC.Software Corporation. Nastran is a
registered trademark of NASA.MSC.Nastran, MSC.Patran, MSC.Dytran, MSC.Marc
Mentat, MSC.SuperForm, MSC.SuperForge, MSC.Fatigue, are trademarks of MSC.Software
Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their registered owners. All specifications
are subject to change without notice.

©2001 MSC.Software Corporation