Define an elasto-plastic nonlinear material

You can select an elasto-plastic nonlinear material from the Fusion Nonlinear Material Library, or create one to your Favorites library.

1. Click (Simulation workspace > Setup tab > Materials panel > Manage Physical Materials) to open the Material Browser.

2. To select a pre-defined material from the Fusion Nonlinear Material Library click the down arrow next to the Home icon, and select Fusion Nonlinear Material Library, then choose a material.

3. Alternatively, create a new material in the Favorites library, as follows:

   1. Choose a material to use as the basis of your nonlinear material and click Copy to Favorites and Edit. The dialog expands to show the properties in the frame on the right side.
   2. Switch to the Physical tab and activate the Advanced Properties check box.
   3. Select the Advanced Properties tab to display additional settings. (Be careful not to click on the checkbox again, or the advanced properties mode will be deactivated.)

4. In the Type drop-down list, choose:

   • Elasto-plastic (bi-linear): This option approximates material behavior using a simple bilinear stress-strain assumption. The initial slope is the Young's Modulus (elastic range). A second slope, the Tangent Modulus, defines the stiffness and work-hardening effect beyond yield.

5. Specify the Tangent Modulus of the material. This post-yield stiffness value defines the slope of the stress-strain curve in the post-yield (work hardening) range. The relationship between Young's Modulus (E), the Tangent Modulus (Et), and the post-yield slope (H) of the bilinear curve is as shown in the following equation: H = Et / (1 - (Et/E))

6. Select the appropriate Hardening Rule from the drop-down menu.

7. Select the appropriate measure of stress to define the Yield Criterion.

8. The Initial Yield Stress field is predefined based on the materials basic physical properties. Ensure that the value is correct and adjust it as needed.

9. Click Apply to complete the nonlinear material specifications and OK to exit the Material Browser dialog.