🚀In this article, we will take a look at 5 advanced FEA techniques in Abaqus that every engineer needs to learn to be a FEA expert in 2025. If you are looking to improve your skills in the field of FEA, this guide can be a suitable and practical starting point for you.
Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) in Abaqus
The Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) is a powerful numerical technique to simulate FEA projects in Abaqus. It allows engineers to model crack initiation and growth without the need to define a predetermined crack path. It also does not require remeshing.
Unlike traditional finite element analysis methods that require the mesh to be aligned with discontinuities (such as cracks), XFEM extends the response space using special functions that can represent discontinuities independently of the mesh.
This feature makes it very suitable for simulating complex failure problems such as crack propagation along arbitrary paths, crack branching, and crack interaction with boundaries or other types of cracks.
XFEM is particularly useful in structural strength analysis and composite failure, as it reduces model preparation time and increases the accuracy of crack prediction. In Abaqus, this capability is implemented with an easy-to-use interface, enabling engineers and researchers to perform advanced failure simulations.
Abaqus has supported XFEM since v6.9 for FEA Projects—it enables modeling of cracks without needing to predefined crack paths or refine meshes continually.
In this video you can watch Crack Propagation using extended finite element method (XFEM) in Abaqus
These are some advanced FEA projects that can be done with XFEM in Abaqus:
De-lamination and Matrix Cracking in Composite Laminates
Fatigue Crack Growth in a Metallic Component
Dynamic Crack Branching in a Brittle Material
Abaqus Phase-Field Fracture Modeling
Phase-Field Fracture Modeling is a new and advanced method for simulating material failure in Abaqus. It allows for continuous fracture analysis without the need for explicit crack tracking.
In this method, instead of being modeled as a discrete discontinuity, the crack is represented by a scalar field (phase field) that represents the degree of material damage. This approach is particularly suitable for modeling complex phenomena such as crack branching, crack convergence, and crack propagation in complex geometries.
Phase-field fracture modeling is becoming a popular tool in multiphysics and advanced materials simulations because it does not require decomposition and can be combined with other phenomena such as contact and heat transfer.
In Abaqus, the implementation of this method is usually done using user subroutines such as UMAT or VUMAT and requires relative mastery of programming and fracture mechanics theories.
In this video you can see a simulation in ABAQUS/CAE using a UEL phase-field option to model dynamic fracture initiation, propagation and branching.
Adaptive Meshing & ALE (Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian) in Abaqus
Adaptive Meshing and the ALE (Arbitrary Lagrangian-Euler) method in Abaqus are advanced techniques used to simulate large and complex deformations. For examples: metal forming processes, dynamic collisions, and nonlinear analyses.
In traditional FEA analyses, the mesh can become completely distorted due to large deformations, which can lead to unstable or inaccurate results. This is where the ALE method comes into play; it combines the Euler (for fluids) and Lagrangian (for solids) perspectives, allows the mesh to change during the analysis while maintaining element quality.
Adaptive meshing also automatically regenerates the mesh in critical areas to improve the accuracy of the calculations. These techniques are specifically used in Abaqus/Explicit and Abaqus/Standard for dynamic analysis and nonlinear shaping, and increase numerical stability and accuracy in the simulation of complex engineering problems.
This video explains using adaptive remeshing technique to create an efficient and accurate mesh in ABAQUS.
Why it matters: Without these, Large deformation or long-running simulations (e.g., metal forming, crash) can fail due to mesh quality issues.
Tip: Use Mesh → Adaptive Mesh Controls prior to running explicit analysis or use the ALE adaptive domain in dynamic simulations.
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Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian (CEL) & Multiphysics
The Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian (CEL) method is a powerful and advanced technique in Abaqus. This features allows simulating interactions between solids and fluids (such as high-speed collisions, penetration, erosion, and fluid flow around solids). In this method, solids are modeled Lagrangian (moving with the mesh) and fluids are modeled Eulerian (independent of the mesh motion).
The combination of these two perspectives allows users to analyze complex phenomena. For examples: immersion in fluid, bullet impact, failure of structures in contact with fluid, and surface wear with high accuracy. Abaqus also provides capabilities for multiphysics analysis such as thermal-mechanical coupling, fluid-structure interaction (FSI), viscoelastic material modeling, and coupling with magnetic or electric fields. Using CEL and multiphysics in Abaqus allows engineers to simulate real-world, complex industrial conditions with high accuracy and detail.
In this video you will learn how to develop CEL simulation model with an example of Can Drop Test.
You can practice and reproduce the FE model in Abaqus on your own and leverage CEL skill and technique to various similar applications.
Click here to read about Assembling coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian models in Abaqus/CAE
Tip: Enable CEL under Interaction → Method → CEL and adjust remap parameters to avoid voids or excessive mixing.
Scripting & Automation (Python + Subroutines)
Scripting & Automation in Abaqus, with the Python programming language and user subroutines such as UMAT, VUMAT, and UEL, is one of the most powerful tools for advanced users.
Python serves as the main scripting language in Abaqus. It allows users to automate and repeat processes such as modeling, analysis, and post-processing of results. This feature is very useful for performing parametric analyses, optimizing designs, or analyzing hundreds of models with small changes.
Also subroutines written in Fortran, allow the definition of specific material behaviors, plasticity laws, user elements, and complex boundary conditions. The combination of Python and Subroutine allows engineers to solve complex industrial and research problems.
The Abaqus Scripting Reference Guide contains a complete description of each command in the Abaqus Scripting Interface.
