Abaqus

This HELP file is an aid to DANTE® users who are using ABAQUS/CAE® to build finite element models, ABAQUS/STANDARD®² to execute DANTE simulations, and ABAQUS/VIEWER®² to view DANTE modeling results. It is not meant to replace the HELP system within ABAQUS/CAE, ABAQUS/STANDARD, or ABAQUS/VIEWER, nor should it be viewed as a complete, authoritative guide to model development for general FEA analysis. This help file includes guidelines for developing models for heat treatment simulations using DANTE.

DANTE is a set of user subroutines that link to the ABAQUS/STANDARD solver. The DANTE subroutines combine mechanical models, metallurgical phase transformation models and mass diffusion models that couple with ABAQUS/STANDARD’s thermal and stress/displacement (static) solvers to calculate a steel component’s response to a heat treatment process. The DANTE user must have a valid license for ABAQUS/STANDARD in order to run DANTE heat treatment models.

DANTE is a set of user subroutines compiled to work with ABAQUS/STANDARD. The DANTE user subroutines are compiled to either object files (.obj for PC and .o for Linux and Unix) or dynamic library link files (.dll). To use DANTE object files, the PC user should have Microsoft Visual C++ (suggested versions by Abaqus) installed. To use the compiled DANTE dynamic library files, no specific compilers are required. The compiled .dll file works with a specific ABAQUS version. DANTE suggests the use of a 64-bit operating system for large models due to its compatibility with increased RAM. On Linux and Unix operation systems, the required compiler can be found on the ABAQUS website. For more detailed information, please contact DANTE Solutions, Inc.

The multiphase mechanical model used in DANTE was developed at Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA. It is based on an internal state variable approach to modeling the mechanical behavior of a solid. This mechanical model considers the strain hardening in all directions, as well as the material’s response during reverse loading, which is important because the internal stresses undergo reversals due to the thermal gradients and phase transformations during heat treating processes. The mechanical properties of each phase are input, and the mechanical response of the composite structure as it changes during heat treatment is calculated.

The metallurgical transformation models include both diffusive and martensitic transformations. Heat up kinetics for slow (equilibrium) and rapid formation of austenite are included and were developed by DANTE Solutions for various heating methods, such as furnace heating, induction heating, flaming heating, and laser heating. A low temperature tempering model is also included in DANTE. A high temperature tempering model has also been recently added to DANTE and can be used for tempering of precipitation hardening steels. Temperature, time, and stress state information is passed into these models, and the material response in terms of phase change is calculated. The updated phase fractions are passed to the thermal and mechanical models. The data input to characterize the transformation kinetics includes steel chemistry, grain size, and kinetics parameters derived from dilatometry, TTT, CCT, and Jominy.

The diffusion model is mainly meant to support carburization, decarburization, and nitriding processes. Input data includes carbon/nitrogen diffusivity as a function of temperature and alloy content. In addition, the boundary conditions that determine the carbon surface content, namely the applied carbon potential and the carbon activity, are important drivers to the diffusion model. Both gas and vacuum carburization processes are modeled using DANTE. Currently, only gas nitriding is supported.

DANTE^® has improved its ability in vacuum carburization, gas quenching, and press quenching areas. During gas quenching simulations, user can change both heat transfer coefficient and ambient temperature as functions of time.

DANTE subroutines also work with ANSYS Mechanical. For more information, please contact DANTE Solutions, Inc.

Contact Information:

DANTE Solutions, Inc. 7261 Engle Road, Suite 105 Cleveland, OH 44130, USA Phone: [phone] Email: [e-mail] Website: www.Dante-solutions.com

Latest update: February 9, 2025