The Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) is an advanced simulation technique that improves on the traditional FEM by handling problems with discontinuities, such as cracks, more efficiently. XFEM allows the model to represent cracks and other localized features without needing to change or refine the mesh, which saves time and improves accuracy.

Originally developed for modeling fractures, XFEM adds special functions to the standard FEM formulation to simulate crack opening and propagation. It has since been used for many other problems, including material interfaces, voids, and areas with singularities. One of the main benefits is that you don’t need to manually mesh around cracks or other complex features, reducing both computational cost and errors.

In this short video (under 10 minutes), you’ll learn how to build a simple XFEM model in Abaqus to predict crack growth in a part. You’ll see how to assign multiple cracks in one part and understand why XFEM is a fast and effective method for large-scale models.

This tutorial is designed to be simple and direct avoiding unnecessary details so you can easily use the shared files and apply the method in your own work.