Fundamental of FEA and Basics of MSC Nastran

Name: Fundamental of FEA and Basics of MSC Nastran
Rating: 3.9 (56 reviews)

Discuss "under the hood" of a Finite Element Analysis to better troubleshooting any FEM cases especially MSC Nastran

Created byCaesar Wiratama

Last updated 9/2024

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Understand the fundamental theory of Finite Element Analysis and able to implement it for real applications
Able to utilise basic knowledge of MSC Nastran in the Patran environment
Identify the right way to define the boundary conditions such as loads and constraints in a specific applications
Identify the error that might happen and how to troubleshoot it in the MSC Nastran and Patran environment

Course content

3 sections • 19 lectures • 5h 55m total length

Introduction to MSC Nastran17:52
Discover the MSC Nastran finite element analysis platform, its history and advanced solvers from linear static to nonlinear analysis and optimization, with pattern and patron for preprocessing and postprocessing.
Structure of the Course7:08
Outline the three-part course structure—basic, practical, and advanced—covering finite element analysis with MSC Nastran, meshing, loads, post-processing, modal analysis, thermal, fatigue, nonlinear contact, optimization, and parallel computing.
Fundamental of Structural Analysis32:32
Learn the fundamentals of structural analysis within finite element analysis, including equilibrium, boundary conditions, stress and strain, material properties, and common failure criteria like von Mises and Tresca.
Fundamental of Finite Element Analysis9:34
Learn the fundamentals of finite element analysis as a numerical method for structural, fluid, and heat problems, including the stiffness matrix, nodal displacements, and how MSC Nastran solves large systems.
First Simulation Using MSC Nastran (Static Structural)19:53
Set up your first MSC Nastran simulation with MSI workflow: build the connecting rod model, mesh, apply boundary conditions and materials, run the analysis, and view stress and deformation results.

Meshing in Patran15:04
Learn meshing in patran by converting a continuous domain into discrete elements across 1D, 2D, and 3D geometries, prioritizing high-quality hex and tetrahedral meshes to reduce computation time.
Types of Loads13:14
Explore types of loads and boundary conditions in finite element analysis with MSC Nastran, including element uniform and nodal loading, moment definition, and multi point constraints for flexible load input.
Post-Processing in Patran9:45
Visualize post-processing results in Patran using fringe and contour plots, examine deformations, and animate curves with adjustable scale, path, and color spectrum.
Simulating Assembly Structure24:38
Learn to simulate a gear shaft bearing assembly by creating separate groups and materials, defining properties, meshing, applying boundary conditions, and enabling automatic contact to analyze deformation and stress.
Modal Analysis27:15
Explore modal analysis and natural frequencies with finite element analysis to predict eigenvalues and motion patterns, and see how mass, modulus of elasticity, density, and geometry drive resonance.
Eigenvalue Buckling12:38
explain eigenvalue buckling and how compression loads, aspect ratio, and constraints determine the critical load for long beams, including lateral, torsional, and flexural modes.
Thermal Stress21:11
Learn how thermal stress arises from thermal expansion under temperature change, using alpha coefficients, and study a bimetal pattern with nonlinear implicit finite element analysis, glued contact, and temperature distribution.
Fatigue Analysis42:29
Learn fatigue analysis to predict part life under cyclic loads using the S curve, stress range, and mid-range stress, considering material properties, environment, and low/high cycle regimes.

Fundamental of BDF formats18:07
Explore the fundamental bulk data file (bdf) structure in msc nastran, including headers, case control, and continuation entries, plus data types like geometry, meshes, loads, materials, and post-processing outputs.
Thickness optimization using SOL 20027:03
Learn how sol 200 in MSC Nastran performs thickness optimization along with size, topology, shape, and topography optimization in finite element analysis to minimize weight while managing stress and displacement.
Topology Optimization13:17
Explore topology optimization to reduce material volume by selectively removing material, define constraints and optimized regions in MSC Nastran, and interpret density-based results.
Non-Linear FEA (SOL 400)23:31
Explore nonlinear fea fundamentals, including large displacement, frictionless contact, and material nonlinearity, with sol 106 and implicit nonlinear analysis, demonstrated on a self contact spring using tabular stress–strain data.
Fundamental of Contacts in FEA13:45
Master key concepts of contacts in FEA, including glued, touching, and segment-to-segment methods, with node-to-segment, slave-master definitions, tolerance, and friction considerations.
Running Parallel in MSC Nastran6:06
Run parallel finite element analyses in MSC Nastran using shared memory (SMP) and distributed memory (DMP) to speed large mesh solutions.

Requirements

No specific prequisite for this course. Basic understanding of mathematics and mechanical engineering will be beneficial.

Description

MSC Nastran is a very complete and advanced FEA solver in industry, and extensively used in real-world applications. In this course, we will not only discuss the powerful capabilities of MSC Nastran in the Patran environment, but we will discuss what happened "under the hood", so we can easily change the scenario based on our own unique case, and easily troubleshoot any potential problems.

This course is not designed for advanced FEA users, but rather a beginner introduction to MSC Nastran users, but it the still detailed and comprehensive, so it will also open some "unlocked" features even if you are already familiar with MSC Nastran and Patran.

Although an introduction course, we will discuss a wide spectrum of applications, such as static structural, assembly and contacts, modal analysis, linear buckling, normal modes, thermal expansion, and some advanced topics such as size optimization, topology optimization, non-linear FEA, and parallelization.

As the first Finite Element Analysis solver in the world, and now become the part of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, which make this software extensively used in the Industry, the skill of mastering MSC Nastran and Patran can be a good investment for your career as mechanical or structural engineer who wants to get a deeper role in the structural analysis or design in the industry.

Who this course is for:

Beginner mechanical engineer who wants to learn FEA for design or its theoretical background

Fundamental of FEA and Basics of MSC Nastran

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Basic5 lectures • 1hr 27min

Practical8 lectures • 2hr 46min

Advanced6 lectures • 1hr 42min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: