Modeling complex mechanical behaviors with MFront and code_aster
June 18-19, 2026
Why register?
Do you recognize yourself?
- You want to switch to open-source code for better technological control and a cost advantage, but you don't know where to start or how to structure your first simulations.
- You run mechanical simulations that fail to converge or produce inconsistent results: poorly defined boundary conditions, incorrect material properties, contact or non-linearity issues… and you spend hours trying to figure out what's going wrong.
- You struggle to interpret .mess files and solver messages: has the simulation actually converged? Are the Newton iterations acceptable? Are the results physically consistent?
- You want to go beyond tutorials and fully master code_aster to adapt it to your industrial use cases: automating simulations, chaining multiple analyses, running parametric studies, or integrating the solver into a broader simulation workflow.
Why our training in particular?
Theory revisited, immediate practice
Two days of hands-on practice backed by a review of theoretical fundamentals. Each practical exercise is more demanding than the previous one: you progress in concrete steps, from discovery to industrial-level work — not through slides.
From installation to post-processing: the complete workflow
You learn to operate and master the tools (Salomé, code_aster and Paraview) together, as in your day-to-day work. Not just the solver: the entire simulation chain.
Practitioner trainers, in front of you
Our engineers and PhDs use code_aster daily on industrial projects at Simvia. In person, they share with you live the best practices, the pitfalls to avoid and the troubleshooting tips you won't find in any documentation.
Close-knit supervision
1 trainer for a maximum of 6 trainees during practical work. When you get stuck, an expert is right beside you — not behind a shared screen with 30 other people.
A network, not just a training course
The inter-company format brings together engineers from different sectors and backgrounds around the same CFD challenges. You exchange feedback, compare approaches and leave with a network of peers who share your technical day-to-day.
Description
Discover how to develop and integrate your own material behaviour laws into a finite element simulation chain using MFront and code_aster. This training guides you step by step from understanding non-linear behaviours through to their implementation, validation and use in a finite element simulation. Through progressive hands-on exercises, you will learn how to write a material law with MFront, test it with MTest, and then integrate it into code_aster to simulate realistic mechanical cases.
Practical Information
- Date: 18 June 2026 – 19 June 2026
- Duration: 2 days
- Hours: 9:00 → 12:30 ; 14:00 → 17:00
- Location: EDF Lab Paris Saclay
- Training language: Oral in FR / Materials in EN
In order to provide participants with an optimal learning experience, each of our trainers will supervise a maximum of 6 participants.
Prerequisites
- Basic proficiency in code_aster
- Fundamentals of continuum mechanics
- Basic knowledge of non-linear analysis
Training Programme
Day 1 – Morning: Introduction to MFront and Non-Linear Behaviours
Training Introduction
- Presentation of objectives
- Round table introduction of participants
MFront / MGIS / code_aster Ecosystem
- Role of MFront in material simulation
- Interactions with MGIS and finite element solvers
Fundamentals of Non-Linear Behaviours
- Plasticity, viscoplasticity and damage
- Internal variables and evolution laws
Structure of an MFront File
- Organisation of a behaviour
- Material parameters and internal variables
- Automatic code generation
Day 1 – Afternoon: First Implementations and Validation with MTest
Introduction to MFront Bricks
- Presentation of the StandardElastoViscoPlasticity brick
- Principle and advantages of behavioural bricks
Introduction to MTest
- Material point simulation of material tests
- Analysis of stress–strain responses
TP1 – Cyclic Test Simulation
- Implementation of elasto-viscoplastic behaviour
- Analysis of material response
TP2 – Full Implementation of a Behaviour Law
- Implementation of an elastoplastic law
- Compilation and validation with MTest
Day 2 – Morning: Integration of an MFront Behaviour into code_aster
Introduction to the Day
MFront ↔ MGIS ↔ code_aster Coupling
- Principle of material behaviour integration
- Compilation and loading into code_aster
- Non-linear solver configuration
TP3 – Finite Element Simulation with MFront Behaviour
- Simulation of a tensile test with elasto-viscoplastic behaviour
- Simulation setup in code_aster
- Results analysis
Day 2 – Afternoon: Command Variables and Multiphysics Coupling
Fields and Command Variables in code_aster
- Temperature, irradiation, environmental variables
- Use in behaviour laws
Information Transfer between code_aster and MFront
- Management of external variables
- Environment-driven behaviour control
TP4 – Tensile Test with Environmental Dependency
- Implementation of an environment-dependent behaviour
- Simulation and results analysis
Training Closing
- Questions
- Discussion and debrief
Basile
Marchand
Your trainer
After this training, you will be able to:
Build a complete finite element model : geometry, mesh and mesh groups in Salomé, using a methodology that anticipates simulation issues.
Configure a realistic mechanical model in code_aster : materials, boundary conditions, loads, and choice of analysis type (static, dynamic, linear or non-linear).
Run and diagnose a simulation: reading the .mess file, analysing Newton iterations, understanding convergence criteria and quickly identifying the causes of failure.
Post-process your results in ParaView or Salomé: displacements, stresses, derived fields, cross-sections and advanced visualisation to analyse mechanical behaviour.
Pricing
Included: lunches, coffee breaks, help installing the latest version of the code, end-of-training certificate...
Frequently asked questions
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