Why Composite Materials Need a Multiscale Approach
Composite materials have an inherently multiscale architecture: their macro level behavior emerges directly from what happens at the microstructure, in the matrix, fibres, and how they interact. Modelling a composite as a single homogeneous material can miss important nonlinear or history dependent behavior, while modelling every fibre and matrix interaction in full detail is often computationally out of reach. Multiscale modelling closes that gap by linking the micro and macro scales using various techniques, so macro level predictions stay grounded in actual microstructure behavior.

Webinar Scope
In this training, 4RealSim will introduce multiscale modelling of composites in Abaqus, focusing on Mean Field Homogenization (MFH) and its FE based alternative. Participants will learn how information flows between micro and macro scales, how to specify a composite's microstructure, and how to model both linear elastic and nonlinear short fibre reinforced composites. We will also cover the Micromechanics plug in, which automates Representative Volume Element (RVE) model creation and postprocessing.

Topics Covered

• Multiscale modelling fundamentals: bottom up and top-down scale communication

• MFH versus FE-RVE: accuracy and computational cost tradeoffs

• Specifying composite microstructure: shape, volume fraction, aspect ratio, fibre orientation

• Linear elastic composites: Voigt, Reuss, Mori-Tanaka, and balanced formulations

• Multi-step homogenization for multi-inclusion or dispersed fibre composites

• Composites with thermal expansion

• Incremental MFH for nonlinear composites: plasticity, damage, and viscoelasticity

• Isotropization methods and their effect on prediction accuracy

• Micro and macro level output requests

• Using the Micromechanics plug in for RVE generation and postprocessing

• Deep Material Network (DMN), a reduced order, machine learning based approach for multiscale material modeling

Who Should Attend?

• Simulation engineers modelling composite or fibre reinforced materials

• Analysts working with short fibre reinforced or multi-inclusion composites

• Engineers looking to predict macro behavior from microstructure data, or vice versa

• Anyone evaluating MFH as an alternative to full FE-RVE modelling

Prerequisite

• 4RealSim Abaqus customer