MSC Software Corporation announced that Stanford University is using MSC Nastran and Marc to conduct a groundbreaking study on the testing and analysis of complex composite materials. The goals of the study are to reduce extensive and expensive testing programs, optimize the design of testing configurations and redefine structural deformation and failure processes. The sophisticated analysis capabilities of MSC simulation solutions are being used to predict the failure characteristics of heterogeneous composite materials to a greater degree and explore the possibilities of further innovation.

Traditional modeling of heterogeneous composite materials is almost always based on some degree of homogenization, taking materials with diverse characteristics and modeling them for evaluation based on materials with similar characteristics. Professor Tsai, Professor Research Emeritus in the Aeronautics and Astronautics department at Stanford University, and his team are using Mesomechanics to recognize local heterogeneity of composite laminates to build more accurate 2D shells and 3D solid models. Specialized composite analysis capabilities within MSC Nastran and Marc address the failure characteristics of the models. Preliminary results of the new method have been positive when it was recently applied to the novel bi-angle NCF (non crimp fabric) tape. Bi-angle NCF is a revolutionary lightweight material with strength equal to carbon materials and up to 30% lighter. The orientation of layers that makes BI-angle NCF unique was modeled, efficiently pre-processed, and analyzed with MSC’s simulation solutions to optimize the manufacturing process.

“We have found that MSC Software’s solutions have the combination of technical depth and ease of use,” said Professor Tsai. “They made our challenge solvable. We are very pleased to be able to learn more about our problem and will continue to explore next steps.”

“The need for lighter weight and stronger materials that have predictable behaviors is growing dramatically as a result of the greater demands for improved vehicle fuel efficiency and safety,” said Dominic Gallello, President & CEO of MSC Software. “Dr. Tsai has been a pioneer in this field and we are delighted to collaborate with him in this important project.”

With recent advancements in heterogeneous materials, it is becoming more critical to have physical and geometric models that better represent these complex materials. When analyzed, these models would provide a far more accurate evaluation of how heterogeneous composite materials will behave in real-life environments.