We were honored to have Ariun Menon from 4A Engineering GmbH present at the 2026 SIMULIA Americas Users Conference in Novi, Michigan, May 13-14, 2026.
Abstract:
Bridging experimental material testing and finite element simulation remains a key challenge in polymer modeling due to the nonlinear and rate-dependent behavior of polymer materials. This presentation demonstrates how an automated workflow can connect standardized polymer testing directly to Abaqus simulation, enabling faster and more reliable deployment of material models in industrial environments.
The proposed approach integrates experimental test data obtained from IMPETUS® and LINOVIS® testing systems, while remaining fully compatible with other standard mechanical test equipment, into the VALIMAT® material calibration environment. Elastic and viscoplastic material parameters are identified automatically using optimization-based fitting procedures. By minimizing manual interaction, the workflow improves material characterization consistency and repeatability across multiple loading conditions.
A central element of the methodology is the direct generation of Abaqus-compatible material cards following calibration. This removes additional manual translation steps and allows simulation engineers to move efficiently from physical testing to validated finite element models within a single, traceable process.
The workflow is demonstrated using a representative polymer case study, showing good agreement between experimental results and Abaqus simulations. Compared to conventional manual calibration approaches, the automated process significantly reduces material characterization effort while maintaining reliable simulation accuracy, making it well suited for industrial polymer simulation workflows.
Authors: Arjun Menon, Martin Schwab
Presenter:
Arjun Balafopal Menon Development Engineer - 4A Engineering GmbH Arjun Menon is a Development Engineer at 4A Engineer GmbH, specializing in polymer material modeling and nonlinear finite element simulations. He holds a Master’s degree in Computational Mechanics and is involved in the development and industrial application of automated simulation workflows that link material testing with finite element-based analyses. His work focuses on improving the robustness, efficiency, and reproducibility of material model deployment for polymer simulations. Arjun Menon has contributed to published work in the field of computational mechanics and has presented simulation-related research at international conferences. |
