Z88 FEM software
Encyclopedia
Z88 is a free finite element software package available for Microsoft Windows
, Mac OS X
and Unix
/Linux
computers. Versions are available for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
There are two versions of Z88 available: the Open Source Version Z88 V13 (without preprocessing) and the freeware system Z88Aurora (pre-&post processing). Now Z88 features static calculations in mechanical engineering and building & construction industries. More features like frequency analysis, thermo-mechanical analysis and non-linear behavior will be developed. The complete program is freeware, small, easy to use and built for the use on desktop computers with different operating systems and due to users' feedback constantly being improved. Z88 is coded in ANSI-C.
Since 2009 a new pre- and post processor called Z88Aurora is developed by a team around Prof. Rieg and was released in June 2010. Z88Aurora uses the technology of Z88 V13.0 combined with an intuitive user prompting (contains boundary conditions, several free FE-mesher, material database with data fitting).
Additional features of Z88Aurora compared with Z88V13:
Z88 is a free (Open Source resp. Freeware) finite element software package available for Microsoft Windows
, Mac OS X
and Unix
/Linux
computers. Versions are available for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
There are two versions of Z88 available: the Open Source Version Z88 V13 (without preprocessing) and the freeware system Z88Aurora (pre-&post processing). Now Z88 features static calculations in mechanical engineering and building & construction industries. More features like frequency analysis, thermo-mechanical analysis and non-linear behavior will be developed. The complete program is freeware, small, easy to use and built for the use on desktop computers with different operating systems and due to users' feedback constantly being improved. Z88 is coded in ANSI-C.
Since 2009 a new pre- and post processor called Z88Aurora is developed by a team around Prof. Rieg and was released in June 2010. Z88Aurora uses the technology of Z88 V13.0 combined with an intuitive user prompting (contains boundary conditions, several free FE-mesher, material database with data fitting).
Additional features of Z88Aurora compared with Z88V13:
Z88 is a free (Open Source resp. Freeware) finite element software package available for Microsoft Windows
, Mac OS X
and Unix
/Linux
computers. Versions are available for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
There are two versions of Z88 available: the Open Source Version Z88 V13 (without preprocessing) and the freeware system Z88Aurora (pre-&post processing). Now Z88 features static calculations in mechanical engineering and building & construction industries. More features like frequency analysis, thermo-mechanical analysis and non-linear behavior will be developed. The complete program is freeware, small, easy to use and built for the use on desktop computers with different operating systems and due to users' feedback constantly being improved. Z88 is coded in ANSI-C.
Since 2009 a new pre- and post processor called Z88Aurora is developed by a team around Prof. Rieg and was released in June 2010. Z88Aurora uses the technology of Z88 V13.0 combined with an intuitive user prompting (contains boundary conditions, several free FE-mesher, material database with data fitting).
Additional features of Z88Aurora compared with Z88V13:
, the Penn State University, the Universidad de Buenos Aires
, the L´Universita Di Cagliari, the University of Maribor
and the Zonguldak Karaelmas University.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
/Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
computers. Versions are available for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
There are two versions of Z88 available: the Open Source Version Z88 V13 (without preprocessing) and the freeware system Z88Aurora (pre-&post processing). Now Z88 features static calculations in mechanical engineering and building & construction industries. More features like frequency analysis, thermo-mechanical analysis and non-linear behavior will be developed. The complete program is freeware, small, easy to use and built for the use on desktop computers with different operating systems and due to users' feedback constantly being improved. Z88 is coded in ANSI-C.
Development and Contents
Z88 is developed and maintained by Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank Rieg holding the chair of engineering design and CAD at the University of Bayreuth in Germany and his crew. The Open Source Z88 V13 features over 20 different types of finite elements (2D: truss, beam, torus, plane stress elements; 3D: truss, beam, tetrahedron with 4 or 10 nodes, hexahedron with 8 or 20 nodes) a graphical interface and a plot program. Input and output are transparent text files. Several solvers (Cholesky, SICCG, SORCG, Sparse-solver) with multi domain feasibility are included.Since 2009 a new pre- and post processor called Z88Aurora is developed by a team around Prof. Rieg and was released in June 2010. Z88Aurora uses the technology of Z88 V13.0 combined with an intuitive user prompting (contains boundary conditions, several free FE-mesher, material database with data fitting).
Additional features of Z88Aurora compared with Z88V13:
- shell elements,
- import of fe data: ANSYS, NASTRAN, COSMOS, ABAQUS
- import of geometry data: STL, STEP
- different free and mapped mesher with adjustable options (tetrahedron, hexahedron)
- picking function for loads and constraints (pressure, force, displacements)
- multi core parallel solver
- detailed documentation (user guide, videos, theory guide, ready-to-run examples)
Z88 is a free (Open Source resp. Freeware) finite element software package available for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
/Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
computers. Versions are available for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
There are two versions of Z88 available: the Open Source Version Z88 V13 (without preprocessing) and the freeware system Z88Aurora (pre-&post processing). Now Z88 features static calculations in mechanical engineering and building & construction industries. More features like frequency analysis, thermo-mechanical analysis and non-linear behavior will be developed. The complete program is freeware, small, easy to use and built for the use on desktop computers with different operating systems and due to users' feedback constantly being improved. Z88 is coded in ANSI-C.
Development and Contents
Z88 is developed and maintained by Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank Rieg holding the chair of engineering design and CAD at the University of Bayreuth in Germany and his crew. The Open Source Z88 V13 features over 20 different types of finite elements (2D: truss, beam, torus, plane stress elements; 3D: truss, beam, tetrahedron with 4 or 10 nodes, hexahedron with 8 or 20 nodes) a graphical interface and a plot program. Input and output are transparent text files. Several solvers (Cholesky, SICCG, SORCG, Sparse-solver) with multi domain feasibility are included.Since 2009 a new pre- and post processor called Z88Aurora is developed by a team around Prof. Rieg and was released in June 2010. Z88Aurora uses the technology of Z88 V13.0 combined with an intuitive user prompting (contains boundary conditions, several free FE-mesher, material database with data fitting).
Additional features of Z88Aurora compared with Z88V13:
- shell elements,
- import of fe data: ANSYS, NASTRAN, COSMOS, ABAQUS
- import of geometry data: STL, STEP
- different free and mapped mesher with adjustable options (tetrahedron, hexahedron)
- picking function for loads and constraints (pressure, force, displacements)
- multi core parallel solver
- detailed documentation (user guide, videos, theory guide, ready-to-run examples)
Z88 is a free (Open Source resp. Freeware) finite element software package available for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
/Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
computers. Versions are available for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
There are two versions of Z88 available: the Open Source Version Z88 V13 (without preprocessing) and the freeware system Z88Aurora (pre-&post processing). Now Z88 features static calculations in mechanical engineering and building & construction industries. More features like frequency analysis, thermo-mechanical analysis and non-linear behavior will be developed. The complete program is freeware, small, easy to use and built for the use on desktop computers with different operating systems and due to users' feedback constantly being improved. Z88 is coded in ANSI-C.
Development and Contents
Z88 is developed and maintained by Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank Rieg holding the chair of engineering design and CAD at the University of Bayreuth in Germany and his crew. The Open Source Z88 V13 features over 20 different types of finite elements (2D: truss, beam, torus, plane stress elements; 3D: truss, beam, tetrahedron with 4 or 10 nodes, hexahedron with 8 or 20 nodes) a graphical interface and a plot program. Input and output are transparent text files. Several solvers (Cholesky, SICCG, SORCG, Sparse-solver) with multi domain feasibility are included.Since 2009 a new pre- and post processor called Z88Aurora is developed by a team around Prof. Rieg and was released in June 2010. Z88Aurora uses the technology of Z88 V13.0 combined with an intuitive user prompting (contains boundary conditions, several free FE-mesher, material database with data fitting).
Additional features of Z88Aurora compared with Z88V13:
- shell elements,
- import of fe data: ANSYS, NASTRAN, COSMOS, ABAQUS
- import of geometry data: STL, STEP
- different free and mapped mesher with adjustable options (tetrahedron, hexahedron)
- picking function for loads and constraints (pressure, force, displacements)
- multi core parallel solver
- detailed documentation (user guide, videos, theory guide, ready-to-run examples)
Use in research and development
Since 1998 the program is used for engineering design lectures at different universities like the TU Dresden, the University of Applied Sciences Ravensburg-Weingarten, the University of IoanninaUniversity of Ioannina
The University of Ioannina is a university lying in the plains 5 km southwest of Ioannina, Greece. The campus is linked to the town by Greek National Road 5. It now hosts over 20,000 students in 17 faculties...
, the Penn State University, the Universidad de Buenos Aires
University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America. Founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires, it consists of 13 faculties, 6 hospitals, 10 museums and is linked to 4 high schools: Colegio Nacional de Buenos...
, the L´Universita Di Cagliari, the University of Maribor
University of Maribor
The University of Maribor is the second university in Slovenia, established in 1975. It currently has 17 faculties.-History:The university's roots reach back to 1859, when a theological seminary was established with the encouragement of Maribor bishop and patriot Anton Martin Slomšek...
and the Zonguldak Karaelmas University.
Application in industry
Due to the open source approach many application use Z88 solvers, the plot programs or the complete software package. Often the possibility of adaption z88 for unique FE-problems is used (calculation of glass plates for architecture, mechanical behavior of wood, computation of pressure vessels, comparison to other fe software etc.) Z88 is used by Boeing Missile and Defense/USA, Teledyne Brown Engineering/USA, Winimac Coil Spring Inc./USA, Double D Design Ltd/New Zealand, RINGSPANN GmbH/Germany, KTR Kupplungstechnik GmbH/Germany, etc.Literature
- Frank Rieg: „Z88 – The compact Finite Element System“http://www.z88.uni-bayreuth.de/download/z88mane.pdf.
- Frank Rieg, Reinhard Hackenschmidt: „Finite Elemente Analyse für Ingenieure: Eine leicht verständliche Einführung“. Hanser Fachbuchverlag, München, Wien, 2009, ISBN 978-3-446-40215-7.
- Karl-Heinz Decker: „Maschinenelemente – Funktion, Gestaltung und Berechnung“. Hanser Fachbuchverlag, München, Wien, 2009, 17. Auflage, ISBN 978-3-446-41759-5.