The FEM Workbench provides a modern finite element analysis (FEA) workflow for FreeCAD. Mainly this means all tools to make an analysis are combined into one graphical user interface (GUI).
The steps to carry out a finite element analysis are:
- Preprocessing: setting up the analysis problem.
- Modeling the geometry: creating the geometry with FreeCAD, or importing it from a different application.
- Creating an analysis.
- Adding simulation constraints such as loads and fixed supports to the geometric model.
- Adding materials to the parts off the geometric model.
- Creating a finite element mesh for the geometrical model, or importing it from a different application.
- Solving: running an external solver from within FreeCAD.
- Postprocessing: visualizing the analysis results from within FreeCAD, or exporting the results so they can be postprocessed with another application.
The FEM Workbench can be used on Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX. Since the workbench makes use of external solvers, the amount of manual setup will depend on the operating system that you are using. See FEM Install for instructions on setting up the external tools.
Workflow of the FEM Workbench; the workbench calls two external programs to perform meshing of a solid object, and perform the actual solution of the finite element problem
Analysis container: Creates a new container for a mechanical analysis. If a solid is selected in the tree view before clicking on it, the meshing dialog will be opened next.
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Material for solid: Lets you select a solid material from the database. -
Material for fluid: Lets you select a fluid material from the database. -
Nonlinear mechanical material: Lets you add a nonlinear mechanical material model. -
Reinforced material (concrete): Lets you select reinforced materials consisting of a matrix and a reinforcement from the database. -
Material editor: Lets you open the material editor to edit materials.
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Beam cross section: Used to define cross sections for beam elements. -
Beam rotation: Used to rotate cross sections of beam elements. -
Shell plate thickness: Used to define shell element thickness. -
Fluid section for 1D flow: Creates a FEM fluid section element for pneumatic and hydraulic networks.
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Constraint initial flow velocity: Used to define an initial flow velocity for the domain. -
Constraint flow velocity: Used to define a flow velocity as a boundary condition at an edge (2D) or face (3D).
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Constraint plane rotation: Used to define a plane rotation constraint on a planar face. -
Constraint section print: (v0.19) -
Constraint transform: Used to define a transform constraint on a face.
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Constraint fixed: Used to define a fixed constraint on point/edge/face(s). -
Constraint displacement: Used to define a displacement constraint on point/edge/face(s). -
Constraint contact: Used to define a contact constraint between two faces. -
Constraint tie: Used to define a tie constraint ("bonded contact") between two faces. (v0.19) -
Constraint spring: Used to define a tie constraint ("bonded contact") between two faces. (v0.20) -
Constraint force: Used to define a force in [N] applied uniformly to a selectable face in a definable direction. -
Constraint pressure: Used to define a pressure constraint. -
Constraint self weight: Used to define a gravity acceleration acting on a model.
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Constraint initial temperature: Used to define the initial temperature of a body. -
Constraint heatflux: Used to define a heat flux constraint on a face(s). -
Constraint temperature: Used to define a temperature constraint on a point/edge/face(s). -
Constraint body heat source: Used to define an internally generated body heat.
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Constraint bearing: Used to define a bearing constraint. -
Constraint gear: Used to define a gear constraint. -
Constraint pulley: Used to define a pulley constraint.
Constant vacuum permittivity: (v0.19)
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FEM mesh boundary layer: Creates anisotropic meshes for accurate calculations near boundaries. -
FEM mesh region: Creates a localized area(s) to mesh which highly optimizes analysis time. -
FEM mesh group: Groups and labels elements of a mesh (vertex, edge, surface) together, useful for exporting the mesh to external solvers. -
Nodes set: Creates/defines a node set from FEM mesh. -
FEM mesh to mesh: Convert the surface of a FEM mesh to a mesh.
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Solver CalculiX Standard: Creates a new solver for this analysis. In most cases the solver is created together with the analysis. -
Solver Elmer: Creates the solver controller for Elmer. It is independent from other solver objects. -
Electricforce equation: (v0.19) -
Solver job control: Opens the menu to adjust and start the selected solver. -
Run solver calculations: Runs the selected solver of the active analysis.
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Purge results: Deletes the results of the active analysis. -
Show result: Used to display the result of an analysis. -
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Open FEM examples: Open the GUI to access FEM examples.
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Clear FEM mesh: Deletes the mesh file from the FreeCAD file. Useful to make a FreeCAD file lighter. -
Display FEM mesh info: Displays basic statistics of existing mesh - number of nodes and elements of each type.
Preferences...: Preferences available in FEM Tools.
The following pages explain different topics of the FEM Workbench.
FEM Install: a detailed description on how to set up the external programs used in the workbench.
FEM Mesh: further information on obtaining a mesh for finite element analysis.
FEM Solver: further information on the different solvers available in the workbench, and those that could be used in the future.
FEM CalculiX: further information on CalculiX, the default solver used in the workbench for structural analysis.
FEM Concrete: interesting information on the topic of simulating concrete structures.
FEM Project: further information on the unit system, limitations, and the development ideas and roadmap of the workbench.
Tutorial 1: FEM CalculiX Cantilever 3D; basic simply supported beam analysis.
Tutorial 2: FEM Tutorial; simple tension analysis of a structure.
Tutorial 3: FEM Tutorial Python; set up the cantilever example entirely through scripting in Python, including the mesh.
Tutorial 4: FEM Shear of a Composite Block; see the deformation of a block that is comprised of two materials.
Tutorial 5: Transient FEM analysis
Tutorial 6: Post-Processing_of_FEM_Results_with_Paraview
Tutorial 7: FEM Example Capacitance Two Balls; Elmer's GUI tutorial 6 "Electrostatics Capacitance Two Balls" using FEM Examples.
Coupled thermal mechanical analysis tutorials by openSIM
Video tutorial 1: FEM video for beginner (including YouTube link)
Video tutorial 2: FEM video for beginner (including YouTube link)
Many video tutorials: anisim Open Source Engineering Software (in German)
The FEM Workbench is under constant development. An objective of the project is to find ways to easily interact with various FEM solvers, so that the end user can streamline the process of creating, meshing, simulating, and optimizing an engineering design problem, all within FreeCAD.
The following information is aimed at power users and developers who want to extend the FEM Workbench in different ways. Familiarity with C++ and Python is expected, and also some knowledge of the "document object" system used in FreeCAD is necessary; this information is available in the Power users hub and the Developer hub. Please notice that since FreeCAD is under active development, some articles may be too old, and thus obsolete. The most up to date information is discussed in the FreeCAD forums, in the Development section. For FEM discussions, advice or assistance in extending the workbench, the reader should refer to the FEM subforum.
The following articles explain how the workbench can be extended, for example, by adding new types of boundary conditions (constraints), or equations.
- Extend FEM Module
- Onboarding FEM Devs attempts to orient new devs on how to contribute to the FEM workbench.
- Add FEM constraint tutorial
- Add FEM equation_tutorial
A developer's guide has been written to help power users in understanding the complex FreeCAD codebase and the interactions between the core elements and the individual workbenches. The book is hosted at github so multiple users can contribute to it and keep it updated.
- Early preview of ebook: Module developer' guide to FreeCAD source forum thread.
- FreeCAD Mod Dev Guide github repository.
- More information regarding extending or missing FEM documentation can be found in the forum: FEM documentation missing on the Wiki
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