Simulating a part which possesses a complicated micro-structure poses a difficult challenge. Composite materials are the classic example, whether fiber-reinforced or particle-reinforced. Meta-materials like honeycomb structures or lattice structures fall into this category as well, along with many others. Simulating these kinds of parts using Finite Element Analysis often requires experimental testing on fabricated samples to determine their exact properties, an expensive and time-consuming process.

Ansys Material Designer is a powerful tool which replaces costly experimental testing. Its algorithms can calculate the properties of a homogenized material using the known properties of its base materials. It can handle a wide range of meta-materials, beyond just composites. And it does more than compute homogenized properties. It can also parameterize your micro-structure so you can determine which combination of material properties is optimal for your specific application.

Material Designer’s utility is evident in the field of additive manufacturing. It can generate homogenized materials comprised of lattice structures and has the tools for optimizing the structures quickly and efficiently, without the time and expense of physical testing.

As a beta feature in Release 2024 R2, Material Designer can also compute stress-strain curves for micro-structures with nonlinear constituent materials. For more information, see the document Material Designer Beta Features.