"Firehole offers one of the most impressive and unique methods of composite evaluation we've seen - Helius:MCT™ - a product that lets us see exactly how composites perform under extreme loads. Tools like this allow us to maximize performance and optimize weight while still maintaining safety margins."

Mark Bishop
Senior Design Engineer
Farr Yacht Design

"A simple, robust and predictive simulation tool, able to accurately identify the failure and the post-failure behavior of general composite structure was an analyst's dream until now. The innovative Firehole multi-scale approach provides an outstanding value to our customers because of its proven effectiveness and sound physical basis."

Simone Ragionieri,
SmartCAE General Manager

"Helius:MCT provides a unique and powerful analysis toolset. The integration with ABAQUS is seamless and user-friendly. The increased resolution of material failure mechanisms results in the ability to more efficiently optimize composite structures."

Christopher T. Key
Applied Technologies Group,
Hi-Test Laboratories, Inc.

Products Helius: MCT

Helius:MCT Composite Materials Analysis Software

What could you do with a more accurate simulation of composite materials?

Reduce Weight
Minimize Testing
Save Time and Money

Helius:MCT delivers a powerful composite materials analysis capability to the composite engineer. Developed specifically for composite materials, it replaces traditional, generalized analysis technologies with a multiscale approach that is unsurpassed, enabling the kind of insight you’ve come to expect with metals – now with composite materials.

Helius:MCT offers advanced technology, but is also efficient and easy to adopt. With Helius:MCT, you can achieve optimal results in composite analysis and design simply with an extension to your FEA investment.

Want to be innovative with composite materials? Helius gives you the capability to do so.

Powerful Capabilities

  • Multiscale Structural Analysis


    Helius:MCT employs analysis methodologies designed specifically for composites and their unique behavior, enabling a multiscale solution to composite structural analysis. The Multicontinuum Technology (MCT) included in Helius:MCT provides efficient access to the constituent information. Its ability to efficiently decompose the stress and strain of a composite into the stress and strain of the fiber and matrix provides a unique ability to more accurately simulate the complex behavior of these materials. Coupled with the Intelligent Discrete Softening Method (IDSM), Helius:MCT uses knowledge of composite behavior to permit a robust approach to simulating load response.

    Read more about Multicontinuum Technology and the Intelligent Discrete Softening Method.


  • Material Non-Linearity and Progressive Failure


    Composite material failure is a progression of discrete failure events occurring separately in the matrix and fiber constituents. This results in nonlinear material behavior. Homogeneous, linear-elastic methods employed by most traditional failure criterion mask this unique phenomenon, resulting not only in inaccurate results, but often failing to converge on any solution at all. Helius:MCT is designed specifically for composite materials and is able to accurately simulate their non-linear behavior. Additionally, Helius:MCT offers a solution that delivers the accuracy of constituent-based failure analysis while incorporating a computational approach that is efficient and robust enough to support a structural analysis. The result is a convergent, progressive failure solution that is believable.

    Read a case study demonstrating Helius:MCT’s ability to predict non-linear material response.

    Read a white paper discussing Helius:MCT’s progressive failure solution.


  • Damage Tolerance


    Helius:MCT’s progressive failure simulation capability affords the ability to simulate strength after structural damage. A unique feature of the Helius:MCT approach is that initial conditions can be used to assign a “damaged state” to the fiber constituent, matrix constituent or both in a region prior to beginning an analysis. This allows the analyst to use simulation to assess the effect of damage on the residual strength and stiffness of the structure.

    Read a recent SAMPE presentation discussing Helius:MCT’s damage tolerance solution.


  • Delamination


    Helius:MCT improves composite delamination prediction capability by combining IDSM with cohesive zone modeling to provide robust simulation convergence.

    Read more about Helius:MCT’s cohesive technology.

Key Features

  • Seamless integration with commercial FEA solvers
  • Easy material property characterization
  • Robust convergence and computational efficiency
  • Clear, comprehensive user documentation
  • See More...

Benefits

  • Understand composite damage/failure modes
  • Optimize designs earlier in development cycle
  • Shorten design cycles by reducing characterization / correlation testing
  • Realize the true potential of composite materials!

See What Our Customer's Think

Don't take our word for it. Read this white paper.

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Helius:MCT, Helius:MatSim, Helius:CompositePro, CompositePro and Helius:Fatigue are trademarks of Firehole Technologies, Inc. Any use of these trademarks require the prior written consent of Firehole Technologies, Inc. Abaqus, Abaqus/CAE, Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Viewer are trademarks of Dassault Systemes S.A. and Dassault Systemes SIMULIA Corp. ANSYS is a trademark of ANSYS, Inc. fe-safe™ is a trademark of Safe Technology.