On the other hand, thin shell structures and components made of materials such as rubber and elastomers show little resistance at small deformation and increasing resistance as they are subjected to more and more deformation. For these applications, no useful results can be obtained using linear analysis. Similarly, nonlinear analysis is required to model creep phenomenon, which is important for high polymer plastics and machine elements at high temperatures. Another application of nonlinear analysis is contact analysis such as a tire in contact with pavement or the analysis of seals and gaskets. Overview Nonlinear analysis in MSC.Nastran can consider material, geometric, and boundary nonlinearities.
Material properties can be temperature dependent.
Any yield criterion may be combined with isotropic, kinematic, or combined hardening. For creep, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory laws and rheological models are available. Nonlinear elements can consider large rotations with large or small strains. Large strain elements are fully nonlinear and are useful in rubber, elastomer, and tire applications. In many applications where the structure undergoes large deformations, it is important to consider the changes in the load direction.