The 2021 SIMULIA Champions come from locations around the world, as well as from a variety of industries. Several of them have agreed to share their stories about how they are using simulation and what led them to the engineering field.

Dr. Robert Luo is a Principal FEA Engineer at Trelleborg in Leicester, where he is in charge of CAE supporting a design team. Trelleborg is a global leader in engineered polymer solutions, serving industries including automotive and defense. The company’s parts last longer than their competitors’, says Dr. Luo, and SIMULIA software has helped to improve their performance.

He began using Abaqus in 1996, when he was doing his postdoctoral research at Leicester University. Prior to his PhD, he received his Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering degrees at Central South University in China.

Dr. Luo has been happy to work with Abaqus for 25 years, and he has now been teaching engineering students about it for over 10 years. His advice to new Abaqus users involves familiarizing themselves with the software one step at a time, concentrating on one area first before expanding to other areas. An expert in the software, he has published three books about it as well as approximately 50 peer-reviewed papers.

“I try to solve practical engineering issues with software, and Abaqus is what I need,” he says. “My dream is to implement my idea or thought through simulation. Abaqus is very powerful to achieve what I need.”

Dr. Luo has spent nearly his entire career at Trelleborg. He became aware of an available position at the company when his wife saw an ad in the newspaper, and he interviewed and was hired as a Senior FEA Engineer. He was then promoted to Principal FEA Engineer in 2005. He has learned a great deal during his time at the company – with the help of Abaqus. Prior to joining Trelleborg, he worked mostly with metals, but became acquainted with rubberlike materials once he arrived at his current place of employment.

“Abaqus helped me learn, step by step, how to model rubber,” he says. “With Abaqus capabilities, I learned CFD, fluids, and anti-vibration effects.”

It took 10 years for him to reach a certain level, and he recommends patience for anyone just starting out in the engineering field. Reaching one’s goals is a step-by-step process, he says, one that does not happen overnight. Everyone has to go through the learning process, and one of Dr. Luo’s goals for the rest of his own career is to share his expertise with the next generation of engineers by writing more books and journal articles.

Outside of work, Dr. Luo enjoys playing bridge and table tennis.