MSC Software Releases Marc 2013.1 for Nonlinear Simulation

NEWPORT BEACH, CA, Nov 5 - MSC Software Corporation, the leader in multidiscipline simulation solutions that accelerate product innovation, announced the new release of Marc 2013.1. The capabilities in this release provide engineers with faster nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) with new modeling options and increased ease of use.

Highlights included in Marc 2013.1:

Improved Parallel Analysis Speeds Simulation Run Times

Performance improvements that take advantage of the modern multi-core processors are implemented in this release. This may be used in conjunction with Domain Decomposition (DDM) and/or the parallel solution of equations of motion. When combined with DDM, this method provides two levels of parallelism: one at the domain level and one at the assembly level, enabling both designers and analysts to achieve improved productivity.

Tests have shown 5-8 times faster element loop computation time and 4 times faster total wall time for models with over 500,000 degrees of freedom on multi-core processors.

New Material Models for Greater Realism

With the rapid growth in the usage of elastomers, it is important to understand their complete nonlinear behavior and damage accumulation.

• Three new models have been added to represent the behavior of anisotropic incompressible materials such as rubber belts and biological materials. These models provide higher accuracy in simulations of reinforced elastomers.
•  The Marlow model for elastomers has been enhanced to be used with the Bergström-Boyce model and with frequency dependent damping. The model may now also use experimental data based upon a pure shear test. These extensions provide additional flexibility in the choice of material models available to users in modeling of elastomers.
•  Frequency dependent material models have been expanded to support orthotropic behavior which may be encountered in composite materials, providing improved physics based damping for frequency response simulations

Enhanced Nonlinear Contact Improves Accuracy - Initial Gap/Overlap

Gaps and overlaps of contact bodies can occur either due to discrepancies in the original CAD file or during the mesh creation process, which can lead to non-realistic interaction between components. Users can now account for any initial gaps or overlaps in a contact analysis to obtain accurate stress results. This is valuable in design, because the dimensions of parts can be modified without the need to update all of the assembly.

User Interface Improvements for Ease of Use & Efficiency

Mentat, the user interface of Marc, has been improved further for ease of use. Enhancements include:

• New Model Browser that enables the user to visually observe the contents of model. This allows users to quickly validate the contents of the model. It allows users to quickly move to different menus saving modeling time and improving efficiency
• ACIS geometry engine has been replaced with Parasolid geometry engine allowing for better interoperability with a broader range of CAD systems, and improved integration between Marc's user interface and other MSC products.
• A new meshing capability enables quality lower and higher order tetrahedral element mesh creation on solids, easily and efficiently.

Other enhancements include Arrhenius shift function for modeling viscoelastic materials such as plastics, a permanent magnet that can be defined in element or preferred material system, crack propagation based on a fatigue model (Paris law) or a user-defined direct model, and trimming capability that simplifies removal of material by representing trimming tools with rigid surfaces.

For more details about the new release, watch on-demand new release webinar at http://www.mscsoftware.com/Marc_2013-1_Webinar.

About MSC Software

MSC Software is one of the ten original software companies and the worldwide leader in multidiscipline simulation. As a trusted partner, MSC Software helps companies improve quality, save time, and reduce costs associated with design and test of manufactured products. Academic institutions, researchers, and students employ MSC's technology to expand individual knowledge as well as expand the horizon of simulation. MSC Software employs 1,100 professionals in 20 countries. For more information, visit www.mscsoftware.com.