NX^™ Nastran

NX Nastran is a finite element (FE) solver for stress, vibration, buckling, structural failure, heat transfer, acoustics and aeroelasticity analyses. Manufacturers as well as engineering suppliers in aerospace, automotive, electronics, heavy machinery, medical device, and other industries rely on NX Nastran software for their critical engineering computing needs so they can produce safe, reliable and optimized designs within increasingly shorter design cycles.

Develop products faster
Simulation with NX Nastran helps engineers to find problems with product designs earlier before conducting any costly physical tests. With NX Nastran, engineers can be confident their design will work when the first physical prototype is tested.

Increase product quality
NX Nastran enables engineers and designers to rapidly evaluate many more design concepts than can be accomplished with physical prototypes. Simulation allows engineers to better understand and optimize design trade-offs for quality, cost and performance.

Reduce development and warranty costs
Simulation with NX Nastran is credited with driving millions of dollars out of R&D costs because building a computer model and digitally testing performance is cheaper, faster and more effective than the physical prototyping processes it replaces. And with increased product quality, companies can save on potential warranty costs.

Siemens’ CAE vision and heritage
Siemens PLM Software delivers by building upon a simulation software heritage which spans over 40 years and encompasses well known CAE brands such as I-deas™, FEMAP, Simcenter, NX CAE and NX Nastran.

Multiple solution domains – one solver
NX Nastran solves most structural analysis problems for linear and nonlinear analysis, dynamic response, rotor dynamics, aeroelasticity and optimization. The advantage to having all of these solutions available in a single solver is that input/output file formats are the same for all solution types, greatly simplifying modeling processes.

Linear analysis
Linear analysis assumes that materials are not strained beyond their yield limits and that deformations remain small in relation to overall dimensions. NX Nastran features a complete range of linear analysis functionality. For example, it can solve static problems, such as determining if a structure will fail under a prescribed load. NX Nastran also solves transient problems where loads change over time, like a car driving down a road. In addition, engineers use NX Nastran to solve for buckling load capacities and heat transfer behavior.

Advanced nonlinear analysis
When deformations are large, linear material assumptions are invalid, or contact is a factor, then nonlinear analysis is the appropriate simulation choice. Nonlinear implicit and explicit analysis solvers enable engineers to address problems as simple as a plastic catch and as complex as a car body roof crush and post-buckling analysis.

Advanced material capabilities enable users to simulate the collapse of a rubber mount or the performance of an engine gasket seal. Integrated explicit dynamic capabilities let engineers perform metal forming analysis or evaluate electronic hardware performance during a high impact drop test simulation.

Rotor dynamic analysis
Rotating systems, such as shafts and turbines, are subject to rotation-induced gyroscopic and centrifugal forces that give rise to dynamic behavior not present in stationary systems. In particular, dynamic instability can occur at certain rotation speeds known as critical speeds. Rotor dynamic analysis allows engineers to predict critical speeds for their systems and develop designs that operate away from these unstable speeds. Computational performance and numerical accuracy

Finite element analysis models have consistently grown in size as engineers continue to tackle more complex problems through the increase in computing capacity. Today, complex models with tens of millions of node points and elements are common. Performance is what makes NX Nastran the solution of choice for users who need to solve today’s increasingly large problems.

Shared memory parallel processing (SMP)
Using multiple processors in parallel can significantly reduce solution run times compared to more traditional serial solutions that use one processor. Shared memory parallel processing (SMP) is the preferred technology on multiprocessor nodes with shared memory or with processor nodes with multiple cores. SMP is used for lower level operations, such as matrix decomposition and matrix multiplication for all solution sequences. Since every solution sequence involves matrix multiplications, SMP can be activated in all solution sequences for all analyses as long as the hardware supports SMP. In these cases, users should expect a significantly faster solution.

Distributed memory parallel processing (DMP)
Large system-level static and dynamic analyses, often seen in the automotive and aerospace industries, are a major computational challenge, and much higher levels of scalability can be obtained with distributed memory processing (DMP) compared to shared memory processing (SMP). NX Nastran uses DMP to achieve faster solution speed by dividing the finite element solution into smaller pieces that can be solved simultaneously.

DMP solutions are typically run on a cluster with multiple nodes and multiple I/O channels communicating over a network. Each node has its own memory and one or more disks. Users only need to specify the number of processors, and the partitioning of the solution is done internally.

Ease of modeling and engineering workflow
Engineers can easily create NX Nastran models through a number of available FEA preprocessors that support NX Nastran. But to simplify the modeling process even more, NX Nastran includes unique features that enable engineers to quickly connect complex components together and speed process time.

Integration with Simcenter 3D and FEMAP
Siemens strategy is to develop NX Nastran for the most advanced and demanding users. The same robust capabilities are then integrated with Simcenter and FEMAP software tools to enable a wider user community to benefit. Solver and graphics teams work closely together ensuring that enhancements to NX Nastran capabilities are rapidly supported by corresponding advances in Simcenter and FEMAP.

Simplifying component connectivity
NX Nastran connectivity modeling features let analysts model contact problems for simulations that are otherwise linear, as well as more easily connect dissimilar FE meshes together – thus saving modeling time. Connectivity features in NX Nastran include:
• Linear contact
• Glue connections for joining dissimilar meshes, including edge-surface and surface-surface connections
• Bolt preloading
• Thermal expansion for rigid elements

Shorten simulation process time
Beyond simplifying the modeling process, NX Nastran includes capabilities that can help you speed simulation process time:
• Easier-to-use external superelements simplify complex FE assembly modeling and speed solution time
• Automatic resolution of dependency conflicts saves re-modeling time when dependency conflicts exist
• Direct interfaces to multi-body dynamic (MBD) solutions like NX Motion, RecurDyn, Adams and SIMPACK enables motion simulation with flexible bodies

Support by third-party preprocessors
Siemens understands each analyst’s engineering processes and preferences are unique. A number of available third party FEA preprocessors also support NX Nastran bulk data and results files.

Scalable licensing and bundling
Small engineering firms to large, multinational manufacturers use NX Nastran today for their simulation needs. This is made possible through NX Nastran’s flexible and scalable licensing and bundling options.

NX Nastran Desktop
NX Nastran Desktop licensing is ideal for smaller customers without centralized computing servers. Desktop licensing means the NX Nastran solution initializes from within the CAE preprocessing environment (Simcenter or Femap software), and solver execution occurs on the same CPU as the FE preprocessing solution.

The same NX Nastran Desktop solver is used across NX Advanced Simulation, NX Design Simulation and Femap/NX Nastran bundles. This means the same NX Nastran technology can scale from high-end, expert analysts to design-integrated solutions for consistent and accurate analyses.

• NX Nastran Basic
• NX Nastran Advance Dynamics
• NX Nastran Add-On Analysis Modules