Using Adina with Femap 1

[ThomasH]

Hi
I have been using Femap for many years now, always with Nastran as the solver. Different versions of Nastran but thats another story. I have no plan to stop using Nastran but I have become a bit curious regarding Adina.

Basically, I have part of Adina as SOL 601/701 in NX Nastran but the full Adina package seems interresting. According to Adinas site it is possible to use Femap as pre/post processor and run Adina.

Does anybody have any experience in using this setup? Comments on good / bad experiences would be appreciated.

Best Regards

Thomas

 

[jerzy]

Hello Thomas,

I, too, have been a FEMAP user for many years and mostly use Advanced Nonlinear Modules 601/701, which are part of the ADINA program. I was dismayed to learn that solutions 601/701 will stop being supported by Siemens, and will be disabled in NX NASTRAN starting July 2020. I had purchased a perpetual license and have paid maintenance every year and thought I would always have use of solutions 601/701. I regard this as a breach of contract, and certainly a breach of good faith.
I brought these concerns up with my reseller and Siemens people. They offered mild sympathy but no satisfactory solution beyond saying their replacement modules (401/402, I think) were just as good if not better (despite having no explicit solver like 701).

I looked into ADINA and discovered that they seem sincerely concerned about NX NASTRAN 601/701 users losing their use of the program in which they had invested time and money. They are offering special pricing so that these users can not only maintain their use of the ADINA subset, but also obtain the complete ADINA Structures program.

I urge you to get in touch with ADINA before you lose your capability to use Solutions 601/701 in July 2020.
They have a large Website with much information.


Best regards and good luck.

Jerzy

 

[ThomasH]

Hello Jerzy

Thanks a lot for your input.

When I first noticed that the 401/402 solver had been made available I thought it was positive. I noticed it when I initially checked my installation for Femap 12, it was available among the installed options. Okej, it may be a nice addition was the initiat thought, but that was it. Later when info arrived that it is not an addition, it is a replacement for 601/701 I was a lot more worried.

From what you say it seems that this "divorce" is not on Adinas initiative. Then I certainly hope that 401/402 will improve a lot before 601/701 is removed. Actually, I expect it to improve a lot if Seimens doesn't want to look bad. Still, I can't say that I like the approach that they just tell the customers that it will be replaced like that. Some applications require an explicit solver, then it may be a serious problem if you loose it.

I have seen on Adinas site that it should be possible to run Adina using Femap for pre and post. The thing is that I want to continue with Femap and NX Nastran. But I need some functionality in 601/701 also. If it was my choice I would have preferred keeping the Adina option and add functionality into that part. I have actually suggested that to Siemens so this is not what I hoped for. But I will contact Adina, I have seen the info regarding NX Nastran and that option. But I noticed that info after my first post here.

Again, thanks for your input.

Thomas

 

[StressRick]

Hi Thomas,
We use ADINA day to day in our business, and we are resellers of ADINA in the UK.
What I can tell you is that for current NX Nastran users with Sol 601/701 ADINA R&D have a great price for you, which would enable you to keep using all the features of Sol 601/701. You would have access to even more features as well - i.e. the full solver.
We have used ADINA with FEMAP as well which is a great combination, such that you can essentially have the same analysis workstream as you have now.

I don't know where you're based, but I would recommend you get in touch with your local reseller. I'm sure they will sort out a license for you to do testing with, and they will let you know the local price.

Cheers,
Rick.

 

[ThomasH]

Hi Rick, and also Jerzy

I have been tinking about updating on my progress and your questiong (Rick) prompted me to do so.

I have actually been in contact with Adina R&D and recieved some interesting information. The price is higher then it was when it was bundled inside NX Nastran but it is also more features.

We'll see where I end up but currently I am "playing" a little with the 900 node solver just to familiarize myself with the system. The key for me is to make it work with Femap and I have not fixed that yet. Later I will test the full solver, the 900 nodes is just to satisfy my initial curiosity.

Thanks for your interest.

Thomas