Bridging Abaqus with Other Engineering Software Using Scientific Workflows

Complex engineering design often involves simulation workflows that consist of multiple sub-steps, integrates various software tools, and handles large-scale scientific data. Traditional workflow management functions built into engineering software, while convenient, lack the capability to integrate and coordinate multiple third party software tools. Scientific workflow engines offer a scalable and automated approach to managing simulation pipelines. These engines allow users to define structured workflows that coordinate multiple software tools, automate data transfer, and streamline computational processes. By adhering to the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles, workflow engines ensure that simulation data and processes are well-documented, easily shared, and seamlessly integrated across different computational environments. However, setting up such workflows often requires expertise. Once established, they can be reused, shared, and adapted for similar tasks, reducing the manual workload and making advanced simulations more accessible to a broader engineering community. This work presents a framework leveraging the Galaxy workflow engine to streamline engineering simulations by linking Abaqus with other computational tools. We demonstrate this approach through a neutronics heating simulation, where OpenMC handles neutron transport, and Abaqus performs thermal analysis. By automating simulation orchestration, this integration improves efficiency, usability, and reproducibility, making advanced multiphysics simulations more accessible to engineers and researchers. This integration enables Abaqus users to extend their simulation capabilities beyond traditional setups, facilitating multi-physics modeling and large-scale analysis with minimal manual effort. By leveraging scientific workflows, engineers and researchers can focus more on design and analysis rather than on repetitive simulation management tasks.