B3 is available on Windows NT/2000/XP as a fully-integrated plug-in for the widely established data translator CADfix DX, and for the less widespread pre- and postprocessor CADfix CAE. The B3 solver was developed by John Watson, the interfaces to/from CADfix, the CADfix plug-in menus, the installation-into-CADfix-Wizard, and the online user manuals by Michael Forster and Eckardt Waschke in cooperation with the CADfix-development team of ITI TranscenData. Extensive systematic testing of meshing parameters and drawing up of guidelines has been performed in the course of a cooperation project with the University of Dortmund, which is ongoing since 1999.
B3's strengths in three sentences
(a) Efficient and painless CAD model import, defeaturing, and meshing; thanks to integration with CADfix.
(b) Much easier modelling and meshing of small details (e.g. welds, cracks) than for FEA, when interactive visualisation and mesh control is required.
(c) Singular elements for direct computation of stress intensity factors of crack-tips. The element formulation comprises quadratic variation displacement functions plus overlaid singular crack stress and displacement functions. Mode I, II, and III stress intensity factors are computed as direct system unknowns (i.e. not by hidden internal postprocessing).
Please explore our new B3 illustrated examples pages...