CSV Format for Bulk Loading Material Properties

Materials can be read in bulk from an external CSV formatted text file.

The CSV file must contain a header row and one or more additional rows of materials. The units must be consistent with the SI or IPS values displayed on the dialog. Please ensure they are specified in the proper format as no unit translation or checking is done here. The columns can be in any order.

Table 1. CSV File Format
Section Content
Header Row units, material-group, material-name, E, nu, rho, CTE, k, TYS, CYS, UTS, failure-criterion, stress-strain-curve-file-name, SN-curve-method, SNSRI1, SNb1, SNb2, SNNC1, SNFL, SNStdErr, EN-curve-method, ENSf, ENb, ENc, ENEf, ENNp, ENKp, ENNc, ENSEe, ENSEp
Material Rows
  • Col 1: units can be either “SI” or “IPS” and will define material units for the given row. The entire row must all be in consistent SI or IPS units as defined on the dialog fields. For example E must be in units of “pa” for SI or “psi” for IPS.
  • Col 2: material-group is a string
  • Col 3: material-name is a string
  • Col 4: E is Modulus of Elasticity
  • Col 5: nu is Poisson’s Ratio
  • Col 6: rho is density
  • Col 7: CTE is Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
  • Col 8: k is Thermal Conductivity
  • Col 9: TYS is Tensile Yield Strength
  • Col 10: CYS is Compressive Yield Strength
  • Col 11: UTS is Ultimate Tensile Strength
  • Col 12: failure-criterion must be one of the text strings “max-vm”, “max-shear”, “max-normal”, “christensen” or “not-specified”
  • Col 13: stress-strain-curve-file-name must be a .CSV formatted text file in the same directory. This is optional and only required for non-linear materials.
  • Col 14: SN curve method. Either EstimateFromUTS, OneSlope, or TwoSlopes.
  • Col 15: SN fatigue strength coefficient (SR1)
  • Col 16: SN first fatigue strength exponent (b1)
  • Col 17: SN second fatigue strength exponent, only required if TwoSlopes is specified (b2)
  • Col 18: SN Cycle limit of endurance/transition point (NC1). Must be greater than 1.0E+03
  • Col 19: SN Fatigue Limit, only required if TwoSlopes is specified (FL)
  • Col 20: SN standard error
  • Col 21: EN curve method. Either EstimateFromUTS or Slope
  • Col 22: EN fatigue strength coefficient (Sf)
  • Col 23: EN fatigue strength exponent (b)
  • Col 24: EN fatigue ductility exponent (c)
  • Col 25: EN fatigue ductility coefficient (Ef)
  • Col 26: EN cyclic strain hardening exponent (Np)
  • Col 27: Cyclic strength coefficient (Kp)
  • Col 28: EN reversal limit of endurance. Must be greater than 1.0E+05 (Nc)
  • Col 29: Standard error from elastic strain (SEe)
  • Col 30: Standard error from plastic strain (SEp)

Elasticity Modulus

  • Elasticity modulus can be left blank when a stress-strain curve is defined. The elasticity modulus is calculated using the first two point on the curve.
  • If both elasticity modulus and the stress-strain curve are defined and if the elasticity modulus calculated from the curve is different from the elasticity modulus defined in Col 4, the stress-strain curve is edited to accommodate the elasticity modulus defined in Col 4.

Fatigue Curves

SN curves can be defined by EstimateFromUTS, OneSlope or TwoSlope options.
  • For EstimateFromUTS, columns 15-19 should be left empty.
  • For OneSlope, columns 15, 16, and 18 are mandatory.
  • For TwoSlopes, columns 15-19 are mandatory.

EN curves can be defined by EstimateFromUTS or Slope options.

  • For EstimateFromUTS, columns 22-27 should be left empty.
  • For Slope, columns 22-27 are mandatory.
Always leave a blank column in .csv file as a placeholder for non-mandatory fields if there isn’t a value associated.

Example file (mymaterials.csv)

units,material-group,material-name,E,nu,rho,CTE,k,TYS,CYS,UTS,failure-criterion,stress-strain-curve-file-name 
SI, myGroup, mySteel, 2.1311, 0.26, 8000, 1.5e-7, 50, 2.8e8, 2.8e8, 3.3e8, max-vm, my-stress-strain-xy-file.csv

Example file (my-stress-strain-xy-file.csv)

strain,stress 
0.00,0.00 
0.005,5.30e8 
0.4,5.30e8
Note: A .csv file with more detailed material data is located here: <install_directory>\2021\SimSolid2021\Examples\Material Database\Import_CSV.csv.

See Import Material from CSV for instructing on importing the file.