Trapezoidal Loads??

[LepleyMIWD]

Hey everyone.

I am an engineer at MI Windows and Doors. We make all kinds of windows and doors and have 4 or 5 companies under our belts. My question is...

We are looking into getting an FEA program that will integrate with Inventor. We dont have IVPro or we wouldnt need to buy an FEA program. We called autodesk and they said we would have to upgrade to IVPro 11 for 8000. So does anyone know how much Algor is and will it do trapezoidal loading on beams.

Thanks.

 

[GBor]

If you are just looking for linear, static capability, it will probably be in the same ballpark as IVPro 11...maybe more, but talk to Algor and see.

I haven't used beams in quite a while, but I'm pretty sure it will do trapezoidal loads. I seem to recall that you apply one magnitude at end "A" and another magnitude at end "B" and it basically draws a straight line between the two magnitudes.

If you are using autodesk products to integrate with Algor and you are modeling the doors/windows in solids, you may want to consider using a hydrostatic load instead. You can manipulate the density of the "fluid" so that you get the proper pressures on your structure, but from that method, you will definitely get a trapezoidal load.

Garland E. Borowski, PE
Borowski Engineering & Analytical Services, Inc.
Lower Alabama SolidWorks Users Group

 

[jakeline6]

I know Nastran will handle this for beams and will even do intermediate locations not necessarily at each end. It has a lot of flexibility with the PLOAD1 entry. I know that NEi and NX Nastran use FEMAP which is integrated with Inventor. You should post this on the finite element page.

 

[GBor]

You should also call Algor about pricing. A friend of mine contacted me and said that I was a little high. He recently purchased some basic capabilities for less than the $8k of Inventor.

If you are looking at basic capabilities, NE will probably have a hard time meeting the price of NX or Algor. NX is owned by UGS, the owner of FEMAP. Because of this, they can discount the entire package.

Algor has an integrated pre- and post- processor, so they also own the entire package.

NE has an agreement with UGS for FEMAP.

 

[jakeline6]

I think we paid $8900 for the entire NEiNastran package with nonlinear and maintenance. They have many pricing options just like Algor.

 

[GBor]

<$8k...$8900, I'm not a salesman...I don't know Algor's pricing schedule...I do know that it is at least as capable as NENastran...I've used them both. I like them both. I've had this argument in the proper forum many times...I have NO intention of arguing it here, but I strongly suggest that you take the NENastran rhetoric to the FEA or Nastran forums where they belong.

LepleyMIWD,

Are you actually modelling line elements in Inventor? Or are you modeling solids? How are you planning on porting the model over to your FEA package and what are you planning on doing with it once it is in your FEA package (linear static analyses?)?

For the $8k upgrade to IVPro, what type of control will you have over the FEA side of the model (element types, boundary conditions, loading methods, element size/mesh control, etc.)?

It is not always easy to compare price because these packages are rarely bundled in the same manner. You really need to know what you are getting for the price to be able to properly compare.

Garland

Garland E. Borowski, PE
Borowski Engineering & Analytical Services, Inc.
Lower Alabama SolidWorks Users Group