One of the students asked me, "What is the difference between Ansys and Abaqus?"
I replied, "You know...Abaqus is known to be more advanced and only few legends have the ability to use it, but Ansys is user-friendly and accessible to a wide range of users." 😎
The student then replied, "Oh, I see."
😅Just Kidding!
ANSYS and Abaqus are both software intended for simulating engineering problems through numerical methods. Regardless of the FEA tool being used, user expertise and familiarity are key.
To the best of my knowledge,
♦️ ANSYS is primarily used for structural analysis, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer simulations, while Abaqus is used for more advanced simulations such as nonlinear, transient, and multiphysics simulations.
♦️ ANSYS has a more flexible user interface, making it easier to customize and modify simulations, while Abaqus has a more standardized interface.
♦️ANSYS boasts a set of exceptional meshing tools coupled with a user-friendly interface. It stands out for its automated mesh generation and adaptive meshing capabilities, which allow the software to dynamically refine the mesh in regions of interest, enhancing accuracy without unnecessary computational burden. On the other hand, Abaqus is known for its robust meshing capabilities, especially when dealing with complex geometries. Additionally, Abaqus provides users with a comprehensive suite of advanced mesh diagnostic tools, simplifying the identification and resolution of potential mesh-related issues.
♦️Ansys also offers many free resources, like the online learning center for industry professionals and students than Abaqus.
♦️ ANSYS has a larger user community, with more resources available online, while Abaqus has a smaller, more focused user community.
From my personal point of view,
If you want to become a FEA expert, writing your own code is a must!
Don't just rely on pre-built software.
♦️ABAQUS has a simpler coding platform compared to ANSYS. ABAQUS also has the advantage of subroutines that make it more flexible in solving complex user-defined models. Python is the main programming language used in ABAQUS, while ANSYS has its structured scripting language, APDL.
Overall, for complex FEA problems that require the use of subroutines, ABAQUS is the better software to use.
But,....honestly, if someone new to Finite Element Programming software were to ask me which programming software to use, I would suggest utilizing Ansys due to its convenient built-in material library and units. Because Abaqus has a unit system feature that allows users to set and check the consistency of units in the model. New Abaqus users often make errors related to inconsistent units. 😅
If someone aspires were to ask me....., I'd say try to learn Abaqus if you want to be an FEA expert. 😎 Except for CFD analysis.😁 ( forget it . I am kidding! 😅😂)
Please keep in mind that the selection of Finite Element software is primarily influenced by the specific requirements, budget, and expertise of the user.
The software mentioned are just needle in haystack as there are numerous FEA programming software available.
💻📈
#Abaqus #Ansys #FEA
Written by:
Theingi Nwe