Case Study: Auburn University achieves validated, more accurate drop-impact solder-crack simulation with Dassault Systemes (SIMULIA Abaqus)

Auburn University - Customer Case Study

Auburn University’s NSF CAVE3 research center needed to predict shock- and drop-induced cracking in solder interconnects on populated PCBs (BGA and copper‑reinforced solder column packages). To capture realistic, solution-driven crack growth without costly remeshing, researchers used the XFEM capabilities in Abaqus FEA from Dassault Systemes.

Using Dassault Systemes’ Abaqus XFEM, Auburn built refined sub‑models with XFEM enrichment on vulnerable corner solder joints, applied node-based boundary conditions from digital image correlation (DIC), and ran explicit drop simulations. The simulations showed excellent spatial correlation with post‑failure cross‑sections and strong agreement in strain magnitude and phase with high‑speed DIC data, demonstrating that Dassault Systemes’ XFEM approach accurately captures crack nucleation/propagation and improves drop‑reliability assessment of electronic packages.

Auburn University

Arjun Angral

Department of Mechanical Engineering