Course Objective

This hands-on workshop covering material testing, material modeling and finite element analysis of elastomers. Instructors from SIMULIA and Axel Products, Inc. present an integrated testing and analysis workshop featuring the experimental facilities of Axel Products, Inc. and the Abaqus software. Attendees perform elastomer experiments using laboratory instruments to create data appropriate for use in building elastomer material models in FEA. Material models are then developed and examined on workstations running Abaqus.

Characterizing a particular rubber compound for use with FEA can be quite challenging because of the complexity of rubber behavior. This course ties together issues of how to test the material, under what conditions, what loadings, what preconditioning and how to use this test data to derive a reliable, robust FEA material model for the elastomer. 

• In the Axel Products Test Lab, students will perform the tests - uniaxial, biaxial tension, planar tension, stress relaxation
• In the Computer Lab, students will perform computer curve fitting to derive hyperelastic material models
• Learn how to gather the best test data
• Obtain the best possible material constants from the available test data
• Model viscoelastic behavior - in the time domain and frequency domain.
• Discuss rubber contact issues through case studies
• Open Forum time to investigate additional testing issues

For further information about course content please contact Kirk Siefker at SIMULIA Great Lakes, Kirk.Siefker(at)3ds.com or Kurt Miller at Axel Products, Kurt(at)AxelProducts.com.

Who Should Attend

This seminar is recommended for engineers involved with the FE analysis of elastomers, or with testing of elastomers for material model characterization.

Course Agenda

Day 1

• Overview of Rubber Behavior and Rubber Material Models
• Achieving Correlation in Product Testing / Simulation
• Introduction to Test Lab Procedures and Safety
• Uniaxial Tension Testing and Curve Fitting

Day 2

• Equi-biaxial Testing and Curve Fitting
• Combined Mode Fitting
• The Problems with Simple Compression Testing
• Volumetric Compression Testing
• Plane Strain Testing and Curve Fitting
• Testing for Friction

Day 3

• Viscoelastic Material Behavior
• Strain-Rate Sensitivity
• Time Domain Viscoelasticity
• Stress Relaxation Testing
• Fitting the Time Domain Visco Material Model
• Frequency Domain Viscoelasticity
• Time-temperature Inter-relationship
• Contact Case Studies
• Testing Open Forum