Newport News Expands ABAQUS Implementation

Northrop Grumman Newport News has expanded its use of ABAQUS advanced finite element software. Traditionally, Northrop Grumman Newport News, the sole designer and builder of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the U.S., used a combination of ABAQUS and other commercial software for finite element analysis. As a result of their collaboration, technical teams from ABAQUS and Northrop Grumman Newport News determined that ABAQUS usage could be extended to a wider range of applications than previously thought possible. The collaboration focused on the Navy's use of Dynamic Design Analysis Method (DDAM), as well as some newly developed features in ABAQUS, such as advanced and fully coupled structural/acoustic capabilities to perform underwater shock analysis (UNDEX). The expanded usage of ABAQUS also allowed Northrop Grumman Newport News to realize considerable cost savings via consolidation of their software tools.