Explicit Simulation
Simulating High-Speed, Short-Duration Events for Robust Mechanical Design
Explicit dynamic finite element solvers are ideally suited for simulating short-duration, high-speed events such as drop tests of consumer electronics, automotive crashes, and ballistic impacts. These solvers are particularly effective at handling highly nonlinear behaviors, including large deformations, complex contact interactions, and material failure. They are also well-suited for quasi-static simulations involving slow, progressive events like metal forming and the crushing of energy-absorbing structures.
Simulation Capabilities
Drop & Packaging Simulation
Our Drop and Package Simulation services use explicit dynamic analysis to evaluate how products and packaging respond to impact events such as free-fall drops, edge and corner impacts, and rotational tumbles. Simulations consider various drop orientations and angles—capturing the effects of real-world handling scenarios including flat, angled, and off-axis impacts. By replicating drop dynamics, we assess stress concentrations, deformation modes, and failure risks in both the product and its packaging. This virtual approach enables early design improvements, optimizes cushioning systems, and reduces the need for repeated physical testing—ultimately improving product survivability during transit and handling.
Impact & Crash Analysis
Our Impact and Crash Analysis services leverage explicit finite element simulation to predict the structural and energy absorption behavior of components and systems under high-speed impact or collision scenarios. We model real-world events such as vehicle crashes, tool or object impacts, structural collisions, and equipment tip-overs—capturing complex nonlinearities including material failure, contact, and large deformations. Simulations are performed across various impact velocities, angles, and boundary conditions to evaluate force transmission paths, crush zones, and occupant or equipment protection performance. These insights help optimize product safety, meet regulatory compliance (e.g., FMVSS, ECE), and reduce the reliance on costly full-scale physical testing.
Blast & Explosion Simulation
Our Blast and Explosion Simulation services employ explicit dynamic analysis to evaluate structural response to high-intensity pressure loads caused by gas explosions, deflagration, detonation, or accidental blast events. Using advanced numerical solvers, we simulate the propagation of shock waves, pressure-time histories, and resulting structural deformation or failure across various materials and geometries. The analysis captures critical phenomena such as wave reflection, structural impulse loading, fragment impact, and dynamic venting effects. These simulations are essential for designing blast-resistant enclosures, pressure relief systems, protective barriers, and safety-critical infrastructure—enabling compliance with blast design guidelines and enhancing safety in industrial, defense, and energy sectors.
Penetration & Ballistic Analysis
Our Penetration and Ballistic Analysis services simulate high-velocity impact scenarios involving projectiles, shrapnel, or debris striking protective structures or materials. Using explicit dynamic solvers, we model complex interactions such as material fracture, perforation, ricochet, and spallation across metals, ceramics, composites, and layered armor systems. These simulations capture critical outcomes like residual velocity, penetration depth, cone formation, and damage propagation. This service supports the development and optimization of defense-grade armor, protective shields, pressure vessel containment, and structural hardening for safety-critical systems in military, aerospace, and industrial applications—minimizing physical test iterations and accelerating design validation.
Why Explicit Dynamic Analysis Matters
Explicit Dynamic Analysis is critical for simulating short-duration, high-speed, and highly nonlinear events such as impacts, crashes, drops, blasts, ballistic penetration, and metal forming. These events involve complex behaviors—like material failure, contact interactions, and large deformations—that conventional implicit solvers struggle to handle. Explicit solvers provide robust and efficient solutions for accurately capturing the transient physics of such extreme scenarios, helping engineers make informed design decisions in safety-critical applications.
Key Engineering Benefits of Explicit Dynamic Analysis:
- Simulate High-Speed Impact Events: Accurately model collisions, crashes, and drop tests to predict deformation, energy absorption, and failure behavior.
- Evaluate Structural Response to Explosions: Analyze the effects of shock waves and blast loads on protective systems and containment structures.
- Optimize Crash and Safety Systems: Use ATDs and human body models to assess restraint systems and occupant safety in crash scenarios.
- Reduce Physical Testing Costs: Minimize the need for full-scale destructive testing by validating product performance virtually under real-world loading conditions. This enables rapid design iterations, reduces prototype manufacturing, and accelerates time-to-market while ensuring compliance with safety and performance standards.
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Design for extreme conditions with
advanced explicit dynamic simulation.