Feb 23 2011
Firehole Composites announced today the launch of Helius:MCT v4.0, the newest edition of the finite element add-on built to significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of composite structural analysis.
Building on the strength of its multiscale and progressive failure technologies, version 4.0 now offers unique solutions to the challenges of delamination and FEA mesh dependency.
“Helius:MCT v4.0 is a great example of how Firehole listens to our customers,” said Firehole CEO, Jerad Stack. “Across the industries we serve – Commercial and Military Aircraft, Spacecraft, and Automotive – the two most requested features have been delamination simulation and reduction of mesh dependence. That is exactly what we are delivering with this release.”
The new cohesive functionality incorporated in Helius:MCT v4.0 extends the same technology that gives Helius:MCT a unique computational advantage in progressive failure to cohesive layers. With the release of Helius:MCT v4.0, Firehole Composites introduces a robust solution able to model the simultaneous evolution of composite material failure and delamination, offering a complete solution to the composite engineer.
A second analysis hurdle addressed by version 4.0 is the mesh-size dependency of an FE solution. Often an analyst may find considerable variability in their solution depending on the size of their mesh. Helius:MCT addresses this problem by incorporating an energy-based damage law that accounts for mesh size as it predicts damage evolution.