Abaqus 2021 Is Out Now!

Abaqus Unified FEA (Abaqus/fe-safe/Tosca/Isight) 2021 is now available!  You can now grab the new release at software.3ds.com!  For more detailed instructions on downloading and installing Abaqus, see this blog post.  Be sure to install the patch (called “FP.CFA.2042”) over the base installation (called “Golden”).

Here are my highlights of what’s new:

Abaqus/CAE

• You can specify the thickness (max COPEN) that determines the contacting surfaces to be tracked. 
• New Abaqus/CAE plug-in to extract portion of results and store in a smaller output database 

Abaqus/Standard

Analysis Procedures 

• New GPU acceleration of the AMS eigensolver on Windows 
• Performance improvement for element output in linear analysis procedures 
• Secondary base motion in modal transient and steady-state dynamic procedures in local or global directions  
• Trim line simulation for sheet metal forming in Abaqus/Standard 

 Analysis Techniques 

• Import enhancements 
• Importing external fields in a sequential analysis 

 Elements 

• Enhancements to composites modeling with solid elements 

 Execution 

• Creating Abaqus user subroutines in individual dynamic link libraries or shared objects 
• Enhancements for translating Nastran data to Abaqus files 
• Enhancements to the abaqus adams translator 
• Flexible body dynamics workflow enhancements 

 General Enhancements 

• Defining spatial distribution of material directions 
• Removing node limit for execution on a single computer node 

 Interactions 

• Defining initial conditions by importing results data from an output database file 
• Enhanced rotational constraint for distributing coupling 

 Materials 

• Enhanced modeling of short-fiber reinforced composites 
• Improving the accuracy in a consolidation analysis for materials with low permeability 
• LaRC05 and Hosford-Coulomb damage initiation criteria 
• Metallurgical phase transformation 

Output and Visualization 

• Requesting the Lode angle term 

Abaqus/Explicit

Analysis Procedures 

• Capacity improvements in Abaqus/Explicit 

 Analysis Techniques 

• Enhanced contact formulation for Eulerian analyses 
• Import enhancements 

 Elements 

• C3D10 element distortion control 
• Linear kinematic conversion 

 Execution 

• New architecture using a combination of MPI and threads delivers improved parallel performance of Abaqus/Explicit 

 General Enhancements 

• Defining spatial distribution of material directions 

 Interactions 

• Defining initial conditions by importing results data from an output database file 
• Enhanced hard contact for general contact in Abaqus/Explicit 
• Evolving feature edge criteria with default angle thresholds 

 Materials 

• LaRC05 and Hosford-Coulomb damage initiation criteria 

 Output and Visualization 

• New contact field output CNAREA (node contact area) and CFRICWORK (nodal frictional work)  
• Requesting the Lode angle term 

Tosca Structure

• New Milling Constraint for topology optimization
• Faster evaluation of design response groups for Abaqus based optimizations
• Plastic strain as design response for Topology optimization
• Rotational symmetry in sensitivity-based shape optimizations
  

For the complete Abaqus Unified FEA 2021 release notes, follow the steps outlined here in our Support & Tools section.