ANSYS nCode DesignLife Standard

nCode DesignLife
Streamlining the Virtual Fatigue Engineering Process
nCode DesignLife provides fatigue life prediction from finite element results to answer the question "how long will it last?" or "will it pass the test?" before you even have prototype. Go beyond simplified stress analysis and avoid under or over-designing your products by simulating actual loading conditions.

For over 25 years, nCode products have established a reputation for leading fatigue technology, pioneering the world’s first commercial off-the-shelf FEA-based fatigue tool, P/Fatigue*, in the early 1990’s. Since then nCode products have continued to evolve, staying ahead of the competition. nCode DesignLife, our latest product solution, is optimized for today’s large model sizes and realistic loading schedules. Unique capabilities include the ability to simulate shaker tests by predict fatigue analysis in the frequency domain.

In use by major OEMs and their suppliers around the world, DesignLife is the easiest to use, most powerful and flexible CAE fatigue and durability software on the market.

Key Features

Intuitive and easy to use software for performing fatigue analysis from finite element models
Direct support for leading FEA results data including ANSYS, Nastran, Abaqus, RADIOSS, …
Efficiently analyze large finite element models and complete usage schedules
Wide range of fatigue analysis capabilities including stress-life, strain-life, multi-axial, weld analysis, virtual shaker table, and more
Highly configurable for the expert user
Single environment for both Test and CAE data
Enables standardization of analysis processes and reporting

Benefits

Reduce reliance on physical test and avoid costly design and tooling changes
Perform smarter and quicker physical tests by simulating first
Reduce warranty claims by reducing failures
Reduce cost and weight by assessing more design options
Improve consistency and quality with standardized analysis processes
Correlate directly with physical test data
*P/Fatigue was developed jointly with PDA Engineering for the PATRAN environment. PATRAN is now a registered trademark of MSC.Software. All other product trademarks are acknowledged.
nCode DesignLife Product Options
nCode DesignLife is the next generation CAE fatigue and durability analysis tool that works with all leading FE codes and produces realistic predictions of fatigue hotspots and fatigue life. DesignLife shares the nCode GlyphWorks architecture – providing an unparalleled integration of test and CAE data. DesignLife can be purchased separately or together with GlyphWorks.

Strain-Life (EN)
Applicable to a wide range of problems including low-cycle fatigue with the local elastic-plastic strain controls the fatigue life. Includes the ability to interpolate multiple material data curves for factors such as mean stress or temperature.

Stress-Life (SN)
Primary application is high-cycle fatigue (long lives) where nominal stress controls the fatigue life. Includes the ability to interpolate multiple material data curves for factors such as mean stress or temperature. Python scripting is also available for defining custom fatigue methods.

Dang Van
Dang Van is a multi-axial fatigue limit criterion and is a method of predicting the endurance limit under complex loading situations. The output from the analysis is expressed as a safety factor and not a fatigue life.

Spot Weld
This option enables the fatigue analysis of spot welds in thin sheets. The approach is based on the LBF method (see SAE paper 950711) and is well-suited to vehicle structure applications.

Seam Weld
This option enables the fatigue analysis of seam welded joints including fillet, overlap, and laser welded joints. The method is based on the approach developed by Volvo (see also SAE paper 982311) and validated through years of use on vehicle chassis and body development projects.

Vibration Fatigue
Vibration Fatigue enables the simulation of vibration shaker tests driven by random (PSD) or swept-sine loading. It provides the capability to predict fatigue in the frequency domain and it is more realistic and efficient than time-domain analysis for many applications with random loading such a wind and wave loads.