ABAQUS Brings VCCT to Market

By DE Editors

ABAQUS, Inc.(Providence, RI), a provider of finite element analysis (FEA) softwareand services, is shipping a new add-on capability for ABAQUS Version6.5 called VCCT for ABAQUS. It's a comprehensive implementation of thevirtual crack closure technique (VCCT) developed by Boeing forpredicting fracture and failure in laminated composite materials.

Though developed for aerospace, VCCT for ABAQUS has analysisapplications for other industries that design and manufacturehigh-performance composite components. Composites are becoming morewidespread as an engineering material in applications where strength iscrucial and reductions in product weight offer a market advantage.

"Fracture mechanics analysis involves complex calculations that allowus to determine when a composite structure will fail and whether acrack will propagate," says Dr. Hyonny Kim of the Purdue UniversitySchool of Aeronautics and Astronautics. "The latest VCCT capability inABAQUS helps engineers predict failure in composite parts so they cancreate designs that are more damage tolerant."

VCCT for ABAQUS simulates delamination in composites so engineers canidentify the overall load at which a crack initiates and then predictthe behavior of the structure as the crack propagates. The program alsohelps users understand the stability and load-carrying capacity of thecomposite structure after failure, a vital assessment for ensuring thedurability and tolerance of aerospace components.