Tutorial 11
Tutorial 11
The notes for this tutorial have been adapted from the official Abaqus tutorials found in the v6.14 Abaqus/CAE
User's Guide.
Sections in this document are referred to at various points in this tutorial, as a source of further information
(optional, if you want to find out more).
This first tutorial involves the modeling of a simple cantilever beam-bending scenario. These notes will
lead you through the Abaqus/CAE (Complete Abaqus Environment) modeling process by visiting each
of the modules and showing you the basic steps to create and analyze a simple model. To illustrate
each of the steps, you will first create a model of a steel cantilever beam and load its top surface:
You will then submit the model for analysis and plot the resulting stresses and displacements.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to:
Use Abaqus to create a simple model of beam bending.
Identify the various modules that Abaqus comprises, and what they do.
1 Understanding Abaqus/CAE modules
Abaqus/CAE is divided into modules, where each module defines an aspect of the modeling process;
for example, defining the geometry, defining material properties, and generating a mesh. As you move
from module to module, you build the model from which Abaqus/CAE generates an input file that you
submit to Abaqus/Standard or Abaqus/Explicit (these are types of FE solver) for analysis. For example,
you use the Property module to define material and section properties and the Step module to choose
an analysis procedure. The Abaqus/CAE postprocessor (for analyzing results) is called the
Visualization module.
You enter a module by selecting it from the Module list in the context bar:
In the following cantilever beam tutorial, you will enter the following Abaqus/CAE modules and perform
the following tasks:
Part: Sketch a two-dimensional profile and create a part representing the cantilever beam.
Property: Define the material properties and other section properties of the beam.
Although the Module list in the context bar lists the modules in a logical sequence, you can move back
and forth between modules at will. However, certain obvious restrictions apply; for example, you cannot
assign section properties to geometry that has not yet been created.
A completed model contains everything that Abaqus/CAE needs to generate an input file and start the
analysis. Abaqus/CAE uses a model database to store your models. When you start Abaqus/CAE, the
Start Session dialog box allows you to create a new, empty model database in memory. After you start
Abaqus/CAE, you can save your model database to a disk by selecting File Save from the main
menu bar; to retrieve it from a disk, select File Open.
For a complete listing of which module generates a particular keyword, see “Abaqus keyword browser
table,” Section A.1 of the Abaqus/CAE User's Guide.
Part II, “Working with Abaqus/CAE model databases, models, and files,” of the Abaqus/CAE User's
Guide
Items in the Model Tree are represented by small icons; for example, the Steps icon, .
In addition, parentheses next to an item indicate that the item is a container, and the number in the
parentheses indicates the number of items in the container. You can click on the “+” and “–” signs in
the Model Tree to expand and collapse a container. The right and left arrow keys perform the same
operation.
The instructions for the example that follows will focus on using
the Model Tree to access the functionality of Abaqus/CAE. Menu
bar actions will be considered only when necessary (e.g.,
when creating a finite element mesh or postprocessing
results).
3 Creating a part
You can create parts that are native to Abaqus/CAE, or you can import parts created by other
applications either as a geometric representation or as a finite element mesh. The CAD capabilities of
Abaqus are somewhat limited, so for complex geometries a specialist package like SolidWorks could
be used and then the shape imported. For these tutorials, however, we will stick to using Abaqus.
You will start the cantilever beam tutorial by creating a three-dimensional, deformable solid body. You
do this by sketching the two-dimensional profile of the beam (a rectangle) and extruding it. Abaqus/CAE
automatically enters the Sketcher when you create a part.
Abaqus/CAE often displays a short message in the prompt area indicating what it expects you to do
next:
Click the Cancel button to cancel the current task. Click the Previous button to cancel the current
step in the task and return to the previous step.
1. If you have not already, start Abaqus/CAE. Resize your windows so that you can follow the tutorial
and see the Abaqus/CAE main window.
2. From the Create Model Database options in the Start Session dialog box that appears, select
With Standard/Explicit Model. If you are already in an Abaqus/CAE session, select File New
from the main menu bar. Abaqus/CAE enters the Part module. The Model Tree appears in the left
side of the main window. Between the Model Tree and the canvas is the Part module toolbox. A
toolbox contains a set of icons that allow expert users to bypass the menus in the main menu bar.
For many tools, as you select an item from the main menu bar or the Model Tree, the corresponding
tool is highlighted in the module toolbox so you can learn its location.
3. In the Model Tree, double-click the Parts
container to create a new part. The
Create Part dialog box appears. Abaqus/CAE
also displays text in the prompt area near the
bottom of the window to guide you through
the procedure. You use the Create Part
dialog box to name the part; to choose its
modeling space, type, and base feature; and
to set the approximate size. You can edit and
rename a part after you create it; you can also
change its modeling space and type but not
its base feature.
The Sketcher grid helps you position the cursor and align objects in the viewport.
• Dashed lines indicate the X- and Y-axes of the sketch and intersect at the origin of the sketch.
• A triad in the lower-left corner of the viewport indicates the relationship between the sketch plane
and the orientation of the part.
• When you select a sketching tool, Abaqus/CAE displays the X- and Y-coordinates of the cursor
in the upper-left corner of the viewport.
6. To sketch the profile of the cantilever beam, you need to select the rectangle drawing tool .
The rectangle drawing tool appears in the Sketcher toolbox with a white background indicating
that you selected it. Abaqus/CAE displays prompts in the prompt area to guide you through the
procedure.
• Press [esc] to exit the rectangle tool (can also use the scroll button on your mouse). (Tip: Like
all tools in Abaqus/CAE, if you simply position the cursor over a tool in the Sketcher toolbox for
a short time, a small window appears that gives a brief description of the tool. The following
aspects of the Sketcher help you sketch the desired geometry)
• Use the dimension tool to dimension the top and left edges of
the rectangle. The top edge should have a horizontal
dimension of 200 mm, and the left edge should have a vertical
dimension of 20 mm. When dimensioning each edge, simply
select the line, click the left mouse button to position
the dimension text, and then enter the new dimension
in the prompt area.
• Note that you could also have defined your sketch using coordinates (as opposed to mouse
clicking then using the dimension tool). When creating a sketch you might have seen the
following in the prompt window, which would have allowed you to do this:
8. If you make a mistake while using the Sketcher, you can delete lines in your sketch, as explained
in the following procedure:
• From the sketch, click a line to select it. Abaqus/CAE highlights the selected line in red.
• Note: You can also use the Undo tool and the Redo tool to undo and redo your
previous operations.
9. From the prompt area (near the bottom of the main window), click Done to exit the
Sketcher. Note: If you don't see the Done button in the prompt area, continue to press [esc] in
the viewport until it appears.
• To help you orient the cantilever beam during the modeling process, Abaqus/CAE displays a
triad in the lower-left corner indicating the orientation of the global coordinate system.
11. Before you continue the tutorial, save your model in a model database file.
• From the main menu bar, select File Save. The Save Model Database As dialog box
appears.
• Type a name for the new model database in the File Name field, and click OK. You do not
need to include the file extension; Abaqus/CAE automatically appends .cae to the file
name. Abaqus/CAE stores the model database in a new file and returns to the Part module.
The title bar of the Abaqus/CAE window displays the path and name of the model database.
You should always save your model database at regular intervals (for example, each time you
switch modules).
Note: if you were concerned about computational times, it would have been possible to run this
simulation as a 2D problem (i.e., you would have drawn a simple 2D beam and not extruded it). You
are able to do this since the results should not change through the beam thickness (z-direction).
It is often very important in FE simulations to exploit the symmetries of problems to reduce their
complexities and computing requirements. For instance, instead of simulating the compression of a
cylinder in full 3D, you could use a 2D slice of the cylinder and apply axis-symmetric boundary
conditions.
Here, however, we’ll stick to 3D because the computing times are so short (and because the results
look prettier!)
To define a material:
1. In the Model Tree, double-click the Materials container to create a new material. Abaqus/CAE
switches to the Property module, and the Edit Material dialog box appears.
2. Name the material Steel. Use the menu bar under the browser area of the material editor to reveal
menus containing all the available material options. Some of the menu items contain submenus; for
example, the options available under the Mechanical Elasticity menu item are:
When you select a material option, the appropriate data entry form appears below the menu.
3. From the material editor's menu bar, select Mechanical Elasticity Elastic. Abaqus/CAE
displays the Elastic data form.
4. The units of elasticity are in MPa. Enter 200.E3
MPa for Young's modulus and a value of 0.3 for
Poisson's ratio in the respective fields. Use [Tab]
to move between cells.
Example 1: SI Units
Base dimensions:
[Length] = m
[Force] = N
[Time] = s
[Mass] = kg
Base dimensions:
[Length] = mm
[Force] = N
[Time] = s
[Mass] = kg
Therefore, if you want to enter the Young’s modulus value, you need to use its value in MPa.
Base dimensions:
[Length] = µm
[Force] = µN
[Time] = s
[Mass] = kg
• You can simply select the region from the part and assign the section to the selected region.
• You can use the Set toolset to create a homogeneous set containing the region and assign the
section to the set.
For the cantilever beam tutorial you will create a single homogeneous solid section that you will assign
to the beam by selecting the beam from the viewport. The solid section will contain a reference to the
material Steel that you created.
3. In the dialog box: Accept the default selection of Steel for the
Material associated with the section. Click OK.
4. In the Model Tree, expand the branch for the part named
Beam by clicking the “+” symbol to expand the Parts container
and then clicking the “+” symbol to expand the Beam item.
7. Click Done in the prompt area to accept the selected geometry. The Edit Section Assignment
dialog box appears containing a list of existing sections.
8. Accept the default selection of BeamSection as the section, and click OK. Abaqus/CAE assigns
the solid section to the beam, colors the entire beam aqua to
indicate that the region has a section assignment, and
closes the Edit Section Assignment dialog box.
“Creating and editing sections,” Section 12.13 of the Abaqus/CAE User's Guide
For this tutorial you will create a single instance of your cantilever beam. Abaqus/CAE positions the
instance so that the origin of the sketch that defined the rectangular profile of the beam overlays the
origin of the assembly's default coordinate system.
4. Drag the mouse in the viewport to rotate the model and examine it from all sides. You can also pick
a center of rotation by clicking Select in the prompt area; your selected center of rotation is retained
for the current object and viewport. Click Use Default to return to the default (center of viewport)
rotation method. Press [esc] to exit rotate mode.
5. Several other tools (pan , magnify , zoom , and auto-fit ) are also available in the View
Manipulation toolbar to help you examine your model. Experiment with each of these tools until
you are comfortable with them. Use the context-sensitive help system to obtain any additional
information you require about these tools. Direct view manipulation is available using the 3D
compass. The compass allows you to pan or rotate your model by clicking and dragging on it. For
example:
Click and drag one of the straight axes of the 3D compass to pan along an axis.
Click and drag any of the quarter-circular faces on the 3D compass to pan along a plane.
Click and drag one of the three arcs along the perimeter of
the 3D compass to rotate the model about the axis that is
perpendicular to the plane containing the arc.
Click and drag the free rotation handle (the point at the top of
the 3D compass) to rotate the model freely about its pivot
point.
Click the label for any of the axes on the 3D compass to select
a predefined view (the selected axis is perpendicular to
the plane of the viewport).
• An initial step, in which you will apply a boundary condition that constrains one end of the
cantilever beam.
• A general, static analysis step, in which you will apply a pressure load to the top face of the
beam.
Abaqus/CAE generates the initial step automatically, but you must create the analysis step yourself.
You may also request output for any steps in the analysis.
• Select the region of the model for which Abaqus will generate data.
• Select the variables that Abaqus will write to the output database.
• Select the section points of beams or shells for which Abaqus will generate data.
• Change the frequency at which Abaqus will write data to the output database.
When you create a step, Abaqus/CAE generates a default output request for the step. For the cantilever
beam tutorial, you will simply examine the output
requests and accept the default configuration.
9. Review the default output request that Abaqus/CAE generates for the Static, General step you
created and named BeamLoad. Click the cell in the table labeled Created; that cell becomes
highlighted, and the following information related to the cell appears in the legend at the bottom of
the manager:
• The type of analysis procedure carried out in the step in that column. (The Step
procedure)
12. Click Cancel to close the field output editor, since you do not wish to make any changes to the
default choice.
Note: What is the difference between the Dismiss and Cancel buttons? Dismiss buttons appear in
dialog boxes that contain data that you cannot modify. For example, the Field Output Requests
Manager allows you to view output requests, but you must use the field output editor to modify those
requests. Clicking the Dismiss button simply closes the Field Output Requests Manager. Conversely,
Cancel buttons appear in dialog boxes that allow you to make changes. Clicking Cancel closes the
dialog box without saving your changes.
14. Review the history output requests in a similar manner by right clicking on the History Output
Requests container in the Model Tree and then opening the history output editor.
A boundary condition that constrains one end of the cantilever beam in the X-, Y-, and Z-directions;
the boundary condition is applied during the initial step.
A load that you apply to the top face of the beam; the load is applied during the general analysis
step.
1. In the Model Tree, double-click the BCs container. Abaqus/CAE switches to the Load module, and
the Create Boundary Condition dialog box appears.
3. You will fix the face at the left end of the cantilever beam; the desired face is shown below. Selecting
the region on which to apply a boundary condition.
Rotate the
view in order to
select the face.
Click OK to
confirm your
choice.
4. Click Done in
the prompt area
to indicate that
you have finished
selecting. The
Edit Boundary
Condition dialog
box appears.
5. In the dialog
box:
Toggle on
ENCASTRE.
6. In the Model Tree, right click on the BCs container and select Manager from the menu that
appears. Abaqus/CAE displays the Boundary Condition Manager. The manager indicates that
the boundary condition is Created (activated) in the initial step and is Propagated (continues to be
active) in the general analysis step BeamLoad.
You will apply a pressure that is unique to you (this is for purposes of the mini-assessment) of
0.XX MPa, where XX are the last two digits of your university ID number (not including your card
issue number, which is usually an un-bold O).
Use the ID number of the person who is currently operating the computer. You will re-run the
simulation (it’s very quick) for the other person in your pair at the end of the tutorial (see the
assessment information in Section 13).
7. In the Model Tree, double-click the Loads container. The Create Load dialog box appears.
8. In the Create Load dialog box:
12. Examine the Load Manager and note that the new load is “Created” (activated) in the general
analysis step BeamLoad.
“What are step-dependent managers?,” Section 3.4.2 of the Abaqus/CAE User's Guide
9 Meshing the model
You will now generate the finite element mesh. You can choose the meshing technique that
Abaqus/CAE will use to create the mesh, the element shape, and the element type. Abaqus/CAE uses
a number of different meshing techniques. The default meshing technique assigned to the model is
indicated by the color of the model when you enter the Mesh module; if Abaqus/CAE displays the model
in orange, it cannot be meshed without assistance from you.
6. From the main menu bar, select Mesh Element Type. You will be prompted to select the regions
to be assigned the element types. Select the beam and click Done. The Element Type dialog box
will then appear.
7. In the dialog box, accept the following default selections that control the elements that are available
for selection:
8. In the lower portion of the dialog box, examine the element shape options. A brief description of the
default element selection is available at the bottom of each tabbed page. Since the model is a
three-dimensional solid, only three-dimensional solid element types – hexahedral on the Hex tabbed
page, triangular prism on the
Wedge page, and
tetrahedral on the Tet page – are
shown.
13. Click Done in the prompt area to indicate that you have
finished the seed definition. Abaqus/CAE applies the
seeds to the part instance. You can gain more control of
the resulting mesh by seeding each edge of the part
instance individually.
14. From the main menu bar, select Mesh Part to mesh
the part instance (or click the icon).
15. In the prompt area, click Yes to confirm that you want to mesh the part instance. Abaqus/CAE
meshes the part instance and displays the resulting mesh, as shown below.
10 Creating and submitting an analysis job
Now that you have configured your analysis, you will create a job that is associated with your model
and to submit the job for analysis.
You can also right click on the job and select Monitor for more detail.
7. When the job completes successfully, you are ready to view
the results of the analysis with the Visualization module. In the
Model Tree, right click on the job named Deform and select
Results to enter the Visualization module.
For this tutorial you will view the undeformed and deformed shapes of the cantilever beam model and
create a contour plot.
1. After you select Results in the Model Tree, Abaqus/CAE enters the Visualization module, opens
Deform.odb, and displays the undeformed shape of the model in bright green
The title block (text overlay on the screen, top half) indicates the following:
The release of Abaqus/Standard or Abaqus/Explicit that was used to generate the output
database.
When you are viewing a deformed plot, the deformed variable and the deformation scale factor.
By default, Abaqus/CAE plots the last step and the last frame of your analysis. Buttons that allow
you to control which analysis results are plotted are available in
the top right of the screen (they sometimes also appear in the
prompt area).
2. From the main menu bar, select Plot Deformed Shape to view a deformed shape plot.
3. Click the auto-fit tool so that the entire plot is rescaled to fit in the viewport
4. From the main menu bar, select Plot Contours On Deformed Shape to view a contour plot
of the von Mises stress.
5. For a contour plot the default variable displayed depends on the analysis procedure; in this case,
the default variable is the von Mises stress. From the main menu bar, select Result Field Output
to examine the variables that are available for display. Abaqus/CAE displays the Field Output
dialog box; click the Primary Variable tab to choose which variable to display and to select the
invariant or component of interest. By default, the Mises invariant of the Stress components at
integration points variable is selected. Tip: You can also use the Field Output toolbar to change
the displayed field output variable.
Chapter 43, “Plotting the undeformed and deformed shapes,” of the Abaqus/CAE User's Guide
You have now finished this tutorial. Continue reading for details of how to submit your mini-
assignment. There is also an extension section (optional) that you may want to explore.
12 Extension (optional, not assessed)
Can you design a beam with the same length and total volume as the beam modeled above, but
which does not bend as much? Keep the cross-section fixed.
Explore what happens when you change the mesh size used in the models – what are the
advantages and disadvantages of using different mesh sizes?
13 Summary
When you create a part, you name it and choose its type, modeling space, base feature, and
approximate size.
Abaqus/CAE automatically enters the Sketcher when you create or edit a part. You use the Sketcher
to draw the two-dimensional profiles of parts.
Press [esc] in the viewport (or click Done in the prompt window) to indicate you have finished
selecting items or using a tool.
You can create a material and define its properties and create a section and define its category and
type. Since the section refers to the material, the material must be defined first.
A model contains only one assembly. The assembly is composed of instances of parts positioned
in a global coordinate system.
Abaqus/CAE generates the initial step automatically, but you must create analysis steps. You use
the step editor to define each analysis step.
When you create a step, Abaqus/CAE generates a default output request for the step. You use the
Field Output Requests Manager and the History Output Requests Manager to examine which
categories of data will be output.
You invoke the field and history output editors from the Field Output Requests Manager and the
History Output Requests Manager to select the variables that Abaqus/CAE will write to the output
database during the analysis, as well as the frequency at which they are written and the regions
and section points from which they are written.
Prescribed conditions, such as loads and boundary conditions, are step-dependent objects, which
means that you must specify the step or steps in which they become active.
Managers are useful for reviewing and modifying the status of prescribed conditions in each step.
You create loads and define where the load is applied to the assembly in the Load module.
Although you can create a mesh at any point after creating the assembly, you typically do it after
configuring the rest of the model, since items such as loads, boundary conditions, and steps depend
on the underlying geometry, not the mesh.
You can assign the element type either before or after you create the mesh. The available element
types depend on the geometry of your model.
You use seeds to define the approximate position of nodes in your final mesh. You select the
number of seeds based on the element size or on the number of elements that you want along an
edge.
You can use the Model Tree to submit jobs and to monitor the status of a job.
In the Visualization module you read the output database generated by your analysis and view the
results. You can select the variable to display from the data in the output database, and you can
also select the increment being displayed.
You can display the results in several modes – undeformed, deformed, and contour. You can control
the appearance of the display in each mode, independent of other modes.
14 Submitting your mini-assignment
For this tutorial, you each should submit two screenshots to Blackboard:
1. A screenshot of the unique load you used (right click on Loads in the Model Tree and click
Manager to bring up the Loads Manager, then click Edit to show the value of load entered).
2. A screenshot of your von Mises contour plot (as shown below), complete with scale.
To re-run the model for a different load value, change the load via the Loads Manager. Re-submit the
job.
It’s easiest for me to mark on Blackboard if you paste your screenshots into a Word document
and upload this (or the pdf of this). Please use your student number in the title of the file.
To take a screenshot, you might wish to use the Snipping Tool, which can be found from the Start
button All Programs Accessories.
Example