Windchill to manage Ansys files

[sdicarlo]

Has anyone used Windchill to do the following :

For any of Ansys, Abaqus, or Star-CCM+, an analysis contains:

• All documentation and notes;
• Analysis geometry, setup, input files;
• Reports, slide decks, non-direct analysis results (i.e. excel or Mathcad calculations);
• Anything else produced to support the effort during the analysis;
• txt file and all files necessary to recreate the results.

These are split up into ~5 different folders for organization. Each folder may have up to hundreds of sub files and folders.

We would want a system which would retain all of the files except certain file extension types we have identified which are the results files. These could be recreated at a later date a represent many TBs of data. I would want this step to be automated.

Every analysis reports to a part number (or assembly number) and can be categorized into its analysis type (Structural, Thermal, CFD, EMag, Coupled, etc.). Sometimes there is an add-on analysis or an updated requirement that requires a re-run or a change that we should capture.

[wbrandsmeier]

I have seen where the Ansys files are .zip up and uploaded to a CN/CT to track with the CAD version.  But nothing like how CAD and windchill work with the work group managers.

I am struggling with the same set of questions.

[lhoogeveen]

A possible idea is to use Windchill Documents. You could upload a main file (summary PowerPoint, zip file, etc.) and add any secondary files or zip files as attachments. Your Windchill admin could create a Document sub category called something 'FEA Report' for easier searching later if this will be a common category. If your company uses WT Parts, this document could get associated to the related WTParts that the analysis went with.

If desired for later searching, your admin could also create an required attribute for the 'FEA Report' document category so people would have to fill in what type of FEA Report (Structural, Thermal, etc.).