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NEi Works Capabilities

check Model Geometry Access

Part geometry data is accessed directly through SolidWorks API
Data accessed for finite element mesh generation and application of loads and boundary conditions
Supports SolidWorks type surfaces, such as mid-surfaces and sheet metal
Supports assembly analysis

Meshing

Global and local controls applied to part geometry with default sizing
Mesh control on arbitrary user defined regions
Sketch line or curve meshing
Free surface meshing: quads or triangles
Continuous shell (quad or tri) meshing
Auto mesh, loads and constraints update with geometry changes
Mesher status window and progress bar
Display/hide shell element normals
Reverse normals for shell elements
Mesh validation checks - distortion, Jacobian, and skew
Display/hide beam element orientation
Display/hide beam element and shell element cross section
1D element cross section property definition
Combined Shell (2D) and Beam (1D) meshing

Lens Assembly analyzed with NEi Works

Assembly Connectors

True surface contact
Automatic contact
Thermal contact resistance

Loads and Boundary Conditions*

Uniform pressure and force on faces, edges and vertices
Directional pressure and force
Acceleration loads (gravity)
Enforced motions: acceleration, velocity, displacement (rotational/translational)
Temperature, default temperature and heat flux
Symmetric, antisymmetric, axisymmetric boundary conditions
Fixed constraints on faces, edges and vertices
Directional and prescribed constraints
Thermal constraints
Thermal body loads
Initial temperature conditions
Custom colors and sizes for loads and constraints
Loads defined using edges
Convection
Conduction
Radiation
Heat generation
Rotational velocity/acceleration
From output (thermal)
Load variation using arbitrary 3D scale factors

check Element Library*

1D line (CBEAM, CBAR, CPIPE)
2D linear shell (CQUAD4 and CTRIA3)
2D parabolic shell (CQUAD8 and CTRIA6)
3D linear and parabolic tetrahedron (CTETRA)
Composites with plates and shells
Surface to surface contact with manual or automatic recognition of surfaces
Concentrated mass
Connectors

Spring (CBUSH)
Rigid elements
Rod (CROD)
Nonlinear cable

Materials*

Isotropic
Anisotropic (2D & 3D)
Orthotropic (2D & 3D)
Nonlinear materials

Nonlinear elastic
Elasto-plastic
Plastic

Hardening

Isotropic
Kinematic
Combined

Yield

Von Mises
Tresca
Mohr-Coulomb
Drucker-Prager

Custom stress-strain curve
Hyperelastic

Neo-Hookean
Mooney-Rivelin
Ogden
Yeoh
Generalized polynomial

Temperature dependent property support

Material Orientation

Vector projection
Curve tangent
Rotated curve tangent
Translated curve tangent
Surface U and V directions

Properties

1D beam (PBEAM/PBEAML) and bar (PBAR/PBARL)
2D plate (PSHELL) and composite (PCOMP)
3D solid (PSOLID)
Contact (BSCONP)

Surface Contact

Automatic surface contact generation
General, welded, slide, rough, offset weld and RBE3 element contact types
Static friction

Analysis Types*

Linear statics
Normal modes
Linear buckling
Nonlinear statics
Thermal stress
Prestress static
Composite
Contact analysis in assemblies
Linear steady state heat transfer
Optimization
Modal transient response
Direct transient response
Direct frequency response
Modal frequency response
Nonlinear steady state heat transfer
Nonlinear transient heat transfer
Nonlinear transient response

Composite Analysis

Various failure theories supported:

Hill
Hoffman
Tsai-Wu
Max. stress
Max. strain
NASA LaRC02

Optimization Analysis

Design objectives to minimize, maximize or reach target values
Parametrically update geometry dimensions
Optimize weight, stress, material properties, temperature, eigenvalue, plate and laminate properties thickness

Drop Testing Analysis*

Automatic impact wizard
Acceleration and contact direction input
Time stepping automatically calculated based on natural frequency

Coordinate Systems

Cartesian, cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems
Referencing global assembly, part or custom coordinate systems
Display toggles

Post-Processing

Stress, deformation plots
Principal and directional stress plot
Strain plot
Resonant frequencies, mode shape plots
Temperature, heat flux plots
Iso-surfaces
Results across composite laminates
Partial results generation for modal and transient analysis types
Export Nastran input deck to other FEA systems
Output within SolidWorks view with sensitive Help and analysis control, such as pausing and solution termination
Import results using Femap Binary Neutral file format (FNO)
Customizable material library
Single and multi-set animations
Max/min labels
Results processed on selected parts of assemblies
Dynamic result data display during nonlinear analysis
Loads and constraints shown on deformed plots
XY plot capability
Section cut capability

Report Generation

HTML formatted reports for linear static analysis
Customizable report format
Step by step wizard for report generation process
Includes standard model data

Bicycle frame analysis

Graphics

OpenGL graphics taking advantage of the latest Computer Graphics chips
3D dynamic pan, zoom and rotation
Hidden line and wireframe display
Light source shading and transparency
Multi-view display of Part/Assemblies

Compatibilities

Nastran input file can be sent to any Nastran FE Solver including NEi Nastran, NX Nastran, or MSC.Nastran
Binary results file in OP2 format usable by all Nastran solvers and wide variety of post-processors
Part and Assembly geometry is fully compatible with SolidWorks’ Parts and Assemblies

User Interface

Seamless integration with SolidWorks GUI
Menu support for all features
Toolbar shortcuts
Modern tree view layout
Query display of real time information on nodes and elements
Highlight specific nodes and elements on the model
Total number of nodes/elements displayed in assembly tree
Section view for parts and assemblies
Dynamic update of loads, constraints, and rigid bodies

International Languages

GUI: English, Japanese, Italian, French
Technical documentation: English

System Requirements

Intel Pentium^® 4 or AMD based PC as a minimum, Intel Core™ i7, Xeon, AMD Opteron recommended
1 GB RAM minimum, more recommended
600 MB free hard disk space for installation, more required for simulation models
Microsoft Windows XP^® Professional with SP2 or greater, Vista base release or with any SP, and Windows 7 with SP0, 32-bit and 64-bit
Compatible with SolidWorks 2009 SP0, but SP4 recommended, and SolidWorks 2010 SP0, but SP1 recommended for Windows 7

*Features marked in green are only available in NEi Works Expert. Request the brochure.

> Compatibility Matrix