Define material properties for FEA models. Use when user mentions steel, aluminum, Young's modulus, elastic, plastic, density, or asks about material properties.
Define material properties and assign sections to parts. This skill handles elastic, plastic, thermal, and composite material definitions.
Route here when user mentions:
Route elsewhere:
/abaqus-interaction/abaqus-optimization/abaqus-field| Analysis Type | Required | Optional |
|---|---|---|
| Static stress | E, ν | - |
| Static with gravity | E, ν, ρ | - |
| Yielding/plastic | E, ν, σy | ρ |
| Modal/frequency | E, ν, ρ | - |
| Dynamic explicit | E, ν, ρ | Plasticity |
| Thermal stress | E, ν, α | k, cp |
| Heat transfer only | k | cp, ρ |
Key insight: Density (ρ) is required whenever inertia matters - modal analysis, dynamics, gravity loads.
| Material | E (MPa) | ν | ρ (t/mm³) | σy (MPa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel (mild) | 210000 | 0.30 | 7.85e-9 | 250 |
| Steel (high-strength) | 210000 | 0.30 | 7.85e-9 | 550 |
| Stainless 304 | 193000 | 0.29 | 8.00e-9 | 215 |
| Aluminum 6061-T6 | 68900 | 0.33 | 2.70e-9 | 276 |
| Aluminum 7075-T6 | 71700 | 0.33 | 2.81e-9 | 503 |
| Titanium Ti-6Al-4V | 113800 | 0.34 | 4.43e-9 | 880 |
Unit system: mm-tonne-s-N-MPa (consistent SI)
| Geometry Type | Section Type | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| 3D solid (hex/tet) | HomogeneousSolidSection | Most FEA models |
| Thin walls (t/L < 0.1) | HomogeneousShellSection | Plates, sheet metal |
| Slender members (L/d > 10) | BeamSection | Frames, trusses |
| Layered composites | CompositeShellSection | Carbon fiber, laminates |
If unclear, ask:
Create a material object with a descriptive name.
At minimum, add elastic properties (E, ν). Add density if analysis requires it.
Add plasticity, thermal, or other properties as needed.
Create appropriate section type (solid, shell, beam) referencing the material.
Assign section to all cells/faces that need this material.
Before running analysis, verify:
| Problem | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| "Material has no density" | Analysis requires density | Add density property |
| "Negative eigenvalue in stiffness" | Invalid Poisson's ratio | Ensure -1 < ν < 0.5 |
| "Section not assigned" | Missing assignment call | Assign section to region |
| "Material X not found" | Typo in material name | Check spelling matches |
| "Region has no mesh" | Mesh order issue | Mesh after section assignment |
For actual API syntax and code examples, see: