Metafor is an implicit simulation code written in C++ and python for the modelling of forming processes using the finite element method.

Metafor is able to handle:

  • large deformations/rotations,
  • non-linear constitutive behaviours of materials,
  • contact with rigid/deformable tools or self contact.

Typical applications are:

  • metal forming such as roll forming, deep drawing, levelling, extrusion, etc.
  • crash/impact (onto metals or composites)
  • biomechanics,
  • fluid / structure coupling (with the help of CUPyDO).

Metafor was initially the result of the PhD thesis of Prof. Jean-Philippe PONTHOT, my PhD supervisor. In 2000, I decided to entirely rewrite Metafor using C++ with the help my colleagues and the Oofelie toolkit (see Open Engineering).

Now, Metafor is a set of 33 libraries totalling 1400 C++ classes (more than 230k lines of code). The test suite contains more than 3100 finite element models that are verified before each commit.

Examples