Abaqus

Abaqus

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Software, Engineering simulation
Founded	February 1, 1978 (1978-02-01) in Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Founder	Dr. David Hibbitt, Dr. Bengt Karlsson, Dr. Paul Sorensen
Fate	Acquired by Dassault Systèmes in October 2005
Successor	Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corp.
Headquarters	Johnston, Rhode Island , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Dr. David Hibbitt (Chairman at acquisition), Mark Goldstein (President and CEO at acquisition)
Products	Abaqus/CAE, Abaqus/Standard, Abaqus/Explicit, Abaqus/CFD (discontinued after 2017), Abaqus/Electromagnetic
Number of employees	525 (2005)
Parent	Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corp.
Website	www.3ds.com/products-services/simulia/products/abaqus/

Abaqus FEA (originally known as ABAQUS) is a comprehensive software package designed for finite element analysis and computer-aided engineering, with its initial release dating back to 1978. The software’s name and emblem draw inspiration from the ancient calculation device, the abacus. Created by Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corp., Abaqus serves engineering sectors that demand sophisticated simulation tools.

This software suite comprises five principal components:

1. Abaqus/CAE (standing for Complete Abaqus Environment), a program dedicated to modeling, analysis (pre-processing), and visualization of finite element outcomes. A separate post-processing tool, Abaqus/Viewer, operates independently.
2. Abaqus/Standard, a versatile Finite Element solver utilizing an implicit integration method.
3. Abaqus/Explicit, tailored for highly nonlinear scenarios involving intricate contacts under transient loading conditions, employing explicit integration techniques.
4. Abaqus/CFD, which provides computational fluid dynamics functionalities integrated within Abaqus/CAE; this product was discontinued after the 2017 version.
5. Abaqus/Electromagnetic, focused on tackling complex computational electromagnetics challenges.

Customization of Abaqus products is enabled through the use of the open-source scripting language Python, while Abaqus/CAE’s graphical user interface is built on the fox-toolkit. The software supports both Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems on x86-64 hardware platforms, aligning with common industry standards.

History

Initially released under the name ABAQUS, the software’s origins are closely tied to MARC Analysis Research Corporation. In January 1978, Dr. David Hibbitt, Dr. Bengt Karlsson, and Dr. Paul Sorensen founded Hibbitt, Karlsson & Sorensen, Inc. (HKS) with the objective of developing and marketing ABAQUS. Hibbitt and Sorensen became acquainted during their doctoral studies at Brown University, while Karlsson later joined as a support analyst based in Stockholm.

The original ABAQUS logo features a stylized abacus calculator, where the beads symbolize the company’s launch date of February 1, 1978. Version 1 of ABAQUS was initially developed for Westinghouse Hanford Company to analyze nuclear fuel rod assemblies; by June 1979, version 3 was released. The software initially concentrated on nonlinear static and dynamic structural analyses as well as nonlinear heat transfer issues, with early distribution handled through CDC's Cybernet service. The first parallel computing version, 5.4, appeared in 1995.

The flagship product, ABAQUS/Standard—an implicit finite element solver—was augmented in 1992 by ABAQUS/Explicit, a dynamic explicit analysis package, followed by ABAQUS/CAE, a pre- and post-processing tool for finite element models, introduced in 1999. The inaugural release of ABAQUS/Explicit was personally delivered to M.I.T. in 1992. To highlight its product-centric identity, the company adopted the name ABAQUS, Inc. in late 2002.

In October 2005, Dassault Systèmes acquired ABAQUS, Inc., which at that time employed around 525 individuals and generated approximately $100 million in annual revenue, purchasing it for $413 million—roughly four times its yearly income. Following this acquisition, ABAQUS was integrated into Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corp.

At the time of purchase, Dr. David Hibbitt held the position of chairman while Mark Goldstein served as president and CEO. Hibbitt retired in 2001 after dedicating 23 years to the company; Karlsson and Sorensen retired soon thereafter. All three founders continue to reside in New England.

The company maintained its headquarters in Providence, Rhode Island until 2014; since then, its base has been located in Johnston, Rhode Island, United States.

Release history

The initial ABAQUS release occurred in September 1978. This was followed by version 3 in June 1979, and the official introduction of ABAQUS/Explicit took place in 1992. In 1998, ABAQUS/Viewer was launched as a separate product, before its functionality was incorporated into the Visualization module of ABAQUS/CAE in 1999.

Abaqus version	Release date
1.0	September 1978
2.0	Circa 1979
3.0	1979
4.5	1986
4.8	Approximately 1989
5.4	Around 1994/1995
5.8	1998
...	Unknown
6.1	2000
6.2	2001
6.3	2002
6.4	2003
6.5	2004
6.6	2006
6.7	2007
6.8	2008
6.9	2009
6.10	2010
6.11	2011
6.12	2012
6.13	2013
6.14	2014
2016	2015
2017	2016
2018	2018
2019	2018
2020	2019
2021	2020
2022	2021
2023	2022
2024	2023

In recent years, new versions have been launched annually, generally toward the end of each calendar year.

Applications

Abaqus is widely utilized across industries such as automotive, aerospace, and industrial manufacturing. Engineering firms prefer it for its extensive material modeling options and customization flexibility, including the ability to define user-specific materials for simulating novel substances. Its advanced multiphysics capabilities—encompassing coupled acoustic-structural interactions, piezoelectric effects, and structural-pore dynamics—enable detailed simulations that require multi-field coupling at production scale.

Initially developed to model nonlinear physical phenomena, Abaqus supports a broad spectrum of material representations, including elastomeric and hyperelastic models for soft tissues, which enhances its utility in sophisticated engineering evaluations.

Solution Sequence

A finite-element analysis typically involves three distinct phases:

• Pre-processing (model setup): preparing an input file that defines the engineering design parameters for the solver.
• Processing (finite element computation): producing output results.
• Post-processing: generating reports, visualizations, or animations derived from the output data.

Abaqus/CAE facilitates all three phases—model preparation, process monitoring, and result interpretation—although pre-processing may also be accomplished using compatible CAD platforms or text editors. The processing step is executed by Abaqus/Standard, Abaqus/Explicit, and Abaqus/CFD solvers. Dassault Systèmes additionally offers Abaqus for CATIA, which extends advanced processing and post-processing capabilities to users within the CATIA environment.

Solvers Comparison

The table below outlines differences between Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit solvers:

Feature	Shared Capabilities	ABAQUS/Standard Exclusive Features	ABAQUS/Explicit Exclusive Features

|- | Element library || Extensive coverage || No restrictions on element types || Limited to elements appropriate for explicit methods |- | Material models || Wide-ranging support || Includes yield models only || Supports both yield and fracture models |- | Solution methods || — || Utilizes implicit integration
solves multiple coupled equations via the stiffness matrix (F=Ku)
Numerically stable approach || Employs explicit integration
stepwise solution with small time increments
may exhibit instability under certain conditions |- | Required Disk Space || — || Significant storage needed due to repetitive calculations || Does not require repetitive calculations under normal operation |- | Types of Problems Addressed || Linear:
Non-linear:
Contact:
Typical systems
|| Capable of solving all listed problem types
Most effective under steady load conditions
|| Handles all listed problems
Optimal for highly nonlinear scenarios
Best suited for complex transient conditions such as impact, pulses, explosions
|}

Additional Notes

• Complex contact scenarios increase computational repetition and resource demands in ABAQUS/Standard; ABAQUS Explicit is often preferred in these cases.
• Typical systems include static, dynamic, thermal, and electrical elements.
• Steady loads refer to static or constant forces; transient loads cover quasi-static and dynamically varying forces.

See also

• ABAQUS, Inc
• List of finite element software packages
• Dassault Systèmes

External links

• SIMULIA official site
• Dassault Systèmes website