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Geometry
Information about treatment and properties of geometric entities in SimSolid.
Material Properties
Material properties define the structure and thermal characteristics of each part in the assembly.

Welcome
What's New
View new features for SimSolid 2024.1.
Get Started
Learn the basics and discover the workspace.
Tutorials
Discover SimSolid functionality with interactive tutorials.
Interface with External Products
Interfaces that support SimSolid output file format.
Geometry
Information about treatment and properties of geometric entities in SimSolid.
- Geometry Import Settings
  Options for defining treatment of geometry before import.
- Material Properties
  Material properties define the structure and thermal characteristics of each part in the assembly.
  - Edit Material Database
    Create and edit material property definitions.
  - Define Custom Material Database
    Duplicate material property definitions present in a CAD system.
  - CSV Format for Bulk Loading Material Properties
    Materials can be read in bulk from an external .csv formatted text file.
  - Define Stress versus Strain Curve
    Define a stress versus strain curve that is referenced by a non-linear material property.
  - Define Temperature Dependent Properties
    Define density, thermal conductivity, and specific heat capacity with respect to temperature.
  - Define Orthotropic Material Properties
    Defines the material properties for orthotropic behavior in terms of engineering constants.
  - Import SN Curve from CSV
    Import SN curve from an external CSV file using the Curve definition method and Input points option.
- STL Model Vizualization
  SimSolid allows for the visualization of raw STL data exported from a CAD system.
- Access Models in Onshape
  Directly access models from the cloud-based CAD system Onshape.
- Access Models in Teamcenter
  Connect to existing Teamcenter instances and query for and retrieve CAD files directly into SimSolid.
- File Handling and Formats
  Summary of the file formats supported for CAD integration in SimSolid.
Assembly
Summary of available functionality for defining the properties and behavior of parts in the model.
Connections
Connections are used to define the association of different regions of interest between parts in an assembly.
Create Analysis
Create an analysis for your project.
Boundary Conditions
Boundary Conditions available for SimSolid.
Post Processing
Run analyses and view a variety of results in SimSolid.
Design Study
Design studies allow you to quickly evaluate and compare the structural performance from different design scenarios.
Verification Problems
Solved verification models.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section provides quick responses to typical and frequently asked questions regarding

Material Properties

Material properties define the structure and thermal characteristics of each part in the assembly.

In SimSolid, materials are assumed to remain in the linear-elastic region of the stress-strain curve for structural analysis. That is, strains are assumed small (<0.2%) and material properties do not change with load or time.

Figure 1.

Material properties must be defined based on the problem physics. Mechanical properties must be defined for structural analysis. Young’s modulus, density and coefficient of thermal expansion are mandatory fields. Thermal analysis requires definitions for thermal properties and density.

Additionally, material yield strength is used to calculate factors of safety. For fatigue analysis, fatigue properties must be specified by estimating from UTS or input of Stress-Life or Strain-Life curve parameters.

SimSolid comes with a sample material database which defines these parameters for common materials (steel, aluminum, and so on). Custom material properties can be created as well.

Important: Material properties can dramatically effect simulation solution results. Material properties provided with SimSolid are intended as examples only. Actual material properties should be obtained from the relevant part or material supplier and entered in a local user database. SimSolid Corporation does not verify or validate the accuracy of the examples materials provided.