Hey everyone! I’m looking to connect with other engineers and makers to collaborate on a mechanical design/FEA project.

I'm comfortable tackling static, modal, harmonic, and buckling analyses (and always down to research new methods if a project needs it).

​This isn't for business—just looking to share experiences, build something cool together, and learn from each other. If you've got an open-source project, a personal build, or an idea you're working on and need an extra set of hands for the design/simulation side, DM!

Pardon me if this is the wrong place to ask questions.

I have fabricated a sandwich composite, consisting of 8 layers of 300gsm E glass Mats and with particle rubber reinforced epoxy matrix by vacuum resin infusion as a part of my undergraduate project. Due to some circumstances, I will not be able to perform tensile test, charpy test and flexural test.

Which software can I use to perform simulations of above tests on this composite? The only software I am familiar with is Mechanical APDL.
The questions I have is:

1. Which is a more appropriate software for this kind of purpose? (CSM Mat has random directions of fiber, so is ACP really necessary)
2. Should this be two step process like
   1. first simulate particle rubber and epoxy properties
   2. then simulate the sandwich composite properties
3. Is mori-tanaka a better choice than halpin tsai model for elastic properties in my case?

4. Beginner resources to get started (if the ABAQUS, digimat or Ansys Workbench is only possible)

   Thanks in advance

Please let me know if you have any advice for my situation.