Leveraging the Advantages of Workbench

Overview

Over the past several releases, ANSYS Inc. has been rolling out more and more of their Workbench technology. There is already a lot of marketing and technical information available on the various aspects of Workbench, but PADT is still often asked: “Why should I use Workbench?” or “How can Workbench help me?” We will attempt to answer these questions with a series of articles on using these new tools to your advantage.

In this first article we will go over what Workbench is and some highlights on the advantages of the technology. In future articles we will delve into specific capabilities such as using CAD associativety, robust meshing, imbedding APDL, post processing with report writing, and using Workbench hand-in-hand with ANSYS Classic.

What’s Workbench Got to Do with Me, an ANSYS “Classic” User?

You likely already own ANSYS Workbench Environment! Because it shipped with the 7.1 release of ANSYS Classic, it is a simple install that runs with your current ANSYS license! Perhaps you’ve noticed the extra button on the interactive startup of ANSYS, as in the figure below.

Note that if the option for Workbench Environment is greyed out, it still needs to be installed! The installation CD shipped with the ANSYS 7.1 product. Installation should be a simple process given that ANSYS Classic is already installed.

So, What Is Workbench Anyway?

The term “Workbench” actually refers to a group of technologies that was created by ANSYS Inc. for developing simulation tools. The goal of this technology was to allow developers to quickly develop robust tools that could meet the needs of the entire analysis user spectrum, from designers to Multiphysics analysts. DesignSpace was the first Workbench based product to come out of this effort. The next product was the ANSYS Workbench Environment (AWE), which ships with the ANSYS products. It is a new Pre/Post processor that is well on its way to providing a powerful and robust new front end to high-end FE analysis. Other tools such as DesignModeler, Workbench Project Pages, and DesignExplorer also use the same toolset.

A Faster Way to Build, Run, and Review Models

The most significant advantage to Workbench applications is the way in which users interact with the programs while conducting simulation. The Workbench paradigm is for users to specify objects and attributes on objects instead of the traditional command-driven approach. The difference is subtle but powerful.

The result to the user is that fewer commands are required to carry out the same tasks, and there is less ambiguity as to what action is taken against what object. A positive side effect is that you can also see the “state” of your model at any time without listing and sifting through large amounts of data. It is hard to describe this without sounding like a “sales guy”, so users need to try it out to see for themselves. The thing that is most noticeable to experienced users is that they feel they have somehow forgotten something, because the number of steps required to conduct tasks is so much less.

CAD-Centric Approach Results in Less Work to Prepare Geometry

Simulation tools in the past often repeated the capabilities of CAD tools or required translation and simplification. The Workbench technology is built from the ground up on the premise that CAD is best done in a CAD system, and simulation in a CAE system. A key part of Workbench applications is the ability to quickly attach to existing CAD geometry in an associative manner that understands today’s parametric solid modelers.

Once a model is attached the user can change its shape and size by changing parameters that go back and drive the CAD model. The whole series of steps that analysts used to have to go through are now gone. Experienced analysts instantly see how optimization and DOE studies are much easier with this approach.

Meshing Designed for Success Means Better Models Faster

One of the most frustrating parts of analysis is creating a good mesh. With traditional solutions, many companies have spent so much time tweaking parameters to get parts, that they have invested millions of dollars trying to devise “meshless” analysis tools. To avoid this, ANSYS, Inc. has focused on a meshing module that is built from the ground up to be robust. Although the user is given significant control over the meshing parameters, there are a wealth of internal meshing algorithms to not only obtain a mesh, but to get a high quality mesh. PADT has seen parts mesh 10 to 20 times faster with this technology than in traditional meshers. In addition, you no longer have to deal with slivers and small gaps in geometry.

Open and Flexible Implementation Removes “Brick Walls”

A significant problem with introducing any new technology in this industry is that when the product is new, it is limited. Users often try to apply a new tool and find that it “can’t do this” and “can’t do that.” Although some Workbench based packages are still evolving, they are all open to customization and provide more traditional solutions so users can get their work done while taking advantage of the new capabilities of the tool. APDL in AWE is a prime example of this. You can conduct complex non-linear analysis and leverage the CAD and meshing advantages of the Workbench technology, because APDL scripts can be imbedded in the model and therefore access the full capability of the ANSYS family.

Just Get in There and Get Started – and Follow this Series of Articles!

We do not want to get too long-winded and detailed in this first article. If you have ANSYS 7.1 loaded we recommend that you try out the AWE. If you have complex geometry or meshing difficulties, we strongly recommend that you try it out. In the next issue, we will look at the CAD attachment capability, how to use it, and the significant advantages of a CAD-centric approach.