HDF5 Composite CAE is a vendor-independent specification that allows an accurate exchange of composite lay-ups between different CAE and CAD packages. The specification uses HDF5 for data storage, an open and widely used file format that efficiently stores binary data (http://www.hdfgroup.com/). Many specialized simulation tools (for forming and winding simulation, for example) support this format, which enables a seamless data transfer into Ansys Workbench – ACP to run a structural, thermal, modal, or buckling analysis. The format and interface contain all the necessary information such as ply surfaces, fiber directions, thicknesses, stacking sequence, and materials.
ACP supports the export and import of the HDF5 Composite CAE format. The interfaces are accessible through the ACP Model context menu.
Note: The HDF5 Composite CAE format does not take the Fabric Fiber Angle property into account. As a result, if the Fabric Fiber Angle property is active in ACP when the composite lay-up is exported, Mechanical properties might not be accurate.