NEiWorks 1.2 Basic
Introduction
You can carry out FEA on SolidWorks parts and assemblies from within the SolidWorks environment. NEiWorks Basic is fully integrated, uses the SolidWorks geometry engine, provides the same look and feel as the host SolidWorks program, via an identical menu and tree type structure, and has SolidWorks' Gold Product status.
NEiWorks Basic accesses NEiNastran's L1 and L2 Solver modules to provide you with high accuracy solutions to a range of linear static, heat transfer, and modal analyses.
NEiWorks Basic is available in 2 editions, Designer or Analyst:
- Designer - The NEi FEA Modeler and NEi Nastran Solvers are tied together. NEi Nastran Solvers can only be used with the companion NEi FEA Designer Modeler and cannot be used with any other modeler.
- Analyst - The NEi FEA Modeler and Solvers are unbundled. NEi FEA Analyst Nastran Solvers can be used with any other Pre-Post Processor. This arrangement is useful for environments where multiple Pre-Posts are in use (e.g. Patran, HyperMesh, ANSA) and an NEi Nastran Solver may be needed for them. Or, Modelers are networked and Solvers are shared among multiple users.
One of the most common types of analysis needed by design engineers is linear static analysis. By far, linear static structural analysis represents the majority of the analyses performed. NEiWorks Basic makes this type of analysis easy to do. Starting with your SolidWorks part, loads and boundary conditions are applied using a series of pull down menus to define the force or pressure on the structure and the direction. Similarly, constraints are defined. The material is then selected from a material library or you can define a material by entering appropriate properties, including orthotropic materials and composites. The part is meshed automatically with provisions for manual control. Results can be displayed in a wide variety of formats from contour plots of stress, strain and displacement, to graphical outputs, tabular data listings, and animations. Context sensitive Help is available to assist you at every step.
In addition to structural analysis, NEiWorks Basic lets you perform heat transfer analysis providing temperature and heat flux plots. Modal analysis is also included which is used to reveal vibrations in structures.