What is S-Life Plastics?
S-Life Plastics is a software for the standardized strength assessment of plastic components. As a post-processor for FEM results, it enables the automated analysis of static strength and, above all, fatiguestrength for unreinforced and short-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic components.
- Standardized strength evaluation for plastic components instead of individual case-by-case methods.
- Post-processor for structural simulations for the automated processing of FEM results.
- Static strength and fatigue strength in a continuous evaluation process.
- Stress levels displayed as a contour plot, making critical areas in the component visible quickly.
Why strength assessments for plastic components are often so difficult
In practice, there is often no clear, standardized procedure for strength verification of plastic components. At the same time, determining appropriate design limits, dealing with fiber-reinforced materials, and evaluating variable loads present significant challenges. This leads to uncertainty, a high level of manual effort, and results that are difficult to compare.
No standardized procedure
Especially when it comes to plastic components, it is often unclear how simulation results should be technically and accurately translated into a reliable strength assessment.
- The lack of standards leads to uncertainty in the assessment
- Case-by-case decisions do not allow for comparability
Fiber-reinforced plastics are challenging
Short-fiber-reinforced plastics exhibit anisotropic behavior. This places greater demands on material data and the accurate assessment of the stress state.
- Anisotropic properties make the evaluation more complex
- Comparative values must be derived in a technically correct manner
It is difficult to account for time-varying loads
Multiple superimposed and time-varying loads make it difficult to reliably determine the actual potential for damage and the critical load combination.
- Variable load histories significantly increase the effort required for an assessment
- Critical load combinations are often not immediately apparent
How does S-Life Plastics solve the problem?
S-Life Plastics incorporates simulation results into a standardized evaluation process for plastic components. This makes it easier to evaluate static strength and, above all, fatigue strength in a transparent manner—even in the absence of design limits, when dealing with anisotropic material behavior, and under variable loads.
Standardized documentation becomes directly applicable
S-Life Plastics integrates standardized verification methods for plastic components—such as the VDI Guideline 2016 or the SSK method—directly into a digital workflow. This makes it significantly easier to perform static and fatigue strength analyses without the need for custom solutions. An advanced static verification method is also available for injection-molded short-fiber-reinforced plastics.
- Simplified verification methods for static and cyclic analysis
- Standardized procedure instead of individual evaluation logic
- Directly usable from FEM results in the daily development process
- Extended static analysis for short-fiber-reinforced injection-molded parts
Ratings are automated and transparent
S-Life Plastics processes the required isotropic or anisotropic local stresses from the FEM analysis virtually at the touch of a button. This produces technically accurate, user-independent results. In addition, the software provides a detailed report for the assessment nodes under investigation.
- Automated evaluation of the relevant stresses from the simulation
- User-independent results based on technically correct methods
- Detailed reports for assessment nodes
- Simple plausibility checking and clear communication of results
Cyclic strengths are determined
In practice, cyclic properties required for fatigue strength analysis are often lacking, particularly for plastics. S-Life Plastics provides a material database containing commonly available commercial plastic grades for this purpose. Users can add their own materials. For simplified fatigue strength analysis, the required cyclic properties are automatically derived from static strengths using synthetic Wöhler curves.
- Material database with existing strength properties
- Custom materials can be added
- Synthetic Wöhler curves for deriving cyclic properties
- Less testing and research effort required when fatigue data is missing
Variable loads and critical load combinations become manageable
S-Life Plastics accounts for time-varying load histories using a Miner damage accumulation model and provides standard load sets integrated into the Load Manager, as well as the option to create custom load sets. The Load Combinator can be used to identify the most unfavorable local load combinations when multiple loads are superimposed.
- Miner damage accumulation for variable load histories
- Load Manager with standard load sets and custom load sets
- Load-Combinator for determining critical load combinations
- Suitable for multiaxial and non-proportional loads
Features
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Structural strength verification Static strength verification using local stresses for thermoplastic components in accordance with Methods A & B, VDI 2016 Sheet 2:2025-09 Fatigue strength analysis Isotropic cyclic strength verification with local stresses for thermoplastic components in accordance with [SSK] for proportional, synchronous, and non-proportional loading. Consideration of the effect of average stress. Policy framework VDI 2016 Sheet 1:2025-08, Strength Analysis of Thermoplastic Components – Fundamentals |
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Material Data Assignment Convenient assignment of material data via the MatScape front end. Integrated materials Strength limits derived from more than 500 manufacturer-authorized stress-strain curves. Custom material data You can enter your own material data. |
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Stress display Display of the imported stresses as a 3D contour plot. Utilization ratios Display of static and cyclic utilization ratios on the component surface as a 3D contour plot. |
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Stress transformation Stress transformation into a surface-tangential coordinate system for fatigue strength analysis using coordinate stresses. Critical plane method Critical plane method for identifying the damage-relevant plane for fatigue strength analysis. Critical plane angle increment Customizable angle increments between 5° and 45° for the ciritcal plane method. Non-proportional stresses Treatment of non-proportional multiaxial stresses. |
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Assessment results per node Comprehensive nodewise reporting of assessment results. Preliminary results Display of all intermediate results for plausibility checking. Report Output Download the report in PDF format. |
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Load Combinator – Stress Preprocessing Load combinator for stress preprocessing (addition, subtraction, multiplication). Load Combinator – Critical Load Case Combinations Load combinator for determining critical load combinations when multiple loads occur simultaneously. Load Manager Load manager with built-in standard load spectcrum models (binomial and exponential). Custom models can be added. Weld lines and Weld Seams Seam lines and weld seams can be evaluated separately in the verification process. Estimation of weld line strength using MatScape. |
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Static and cyclic strength verification in accordance with VDI guidelines and SSK procedures
Structural strength verification
Static strength verification using local stresses for thermoplastic components in accordance with Methods A & B, VDI 2016 Sheet 2:2025-09
Static strength verification using local stresses for thermoplastic components in accordance with [SSK]
Treatment of isotropic and anisotropic (short-fiber-reinforced) plastics.
Fatigue strength analysis
Isotropic cyclic strength verification with local stresses for thermoplastic components in accordance with [SSK] for proportional, synchronous, and non-proportional loading. Consideration of the effect of average stress.
Policy framework
VDI 2016 Sheet 1:2025-08, Strength Analysis of Thermoplastic Components – Fundamentals
VDI 2016 Sheet 2:2025-09, Strength Analysis of Thermoplastic Components – Strength Analysis for Static Loads, Methods A & B
[SSK] Stommel, M.; Stojek, M.; Korte, W.: FEM for the Calculation of Plastic and Elastomer Components, Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich Vienna, 2025
Assign material data, use existing materials, and add your own
Material Data Assignment
Convenient assignment of material data via the MatScape front end.
Integrated materials
Strength limits derived from more than 500 manufacturer-authorized stress-strain curves.
Custom material data
You can enter your own material data.
Display stresses and stress levels as 3D contour plots
Stress display
Display of the imported stresses as a 3D contour plot.
Utilization ratios
Display of static and cyclic utilization ratios on the component surface as a 3D contour plot.
Stress transformation, critical plane method, and evaluation of complex stresses
Stress transformation
Stress transformation into a surface-tangential coordinate system for fatigue strength analysis using coordinate stresses.
Critical plane method
Critical plane method for identifying the damage-relevant plane for fatigue strength analysis.
Critical plane angle increment
Customizable angle increments between 5° and 45° for the ciritcal plane method.
Non-proportional stresses
Treatment of non-proportional multiaxial stresses.
Document assessment results and output interim results for plausibility checking
Assessment results per node
Comprehensive nodewise reporting of assessment results.
Preliminary results
Display of all intermediate results for plausibility checking.
Report Output
Download the report in PDF format.
Combine load cases, manage load spectra, and identify critical combinations. Account for weld lines and weld seams
Load Combinator – Stress Preprocessing
Load combinator for stress preprocessing (addition, subtraction, multiplication).
Load Combinator – Critical Load Case Combinations
Load combinator for determining critical load combinations when multiple loads occur simultaneously.
Load Manager
Load manager with built-in standard load spectcrum models (binomial and exponential). Custom models can be added.
Weld lines and Weld Seams
Seam lines and weld seams can be evaluated separately in the verification process. Estimation of weld line strength using MatScape.
What our customers say
"Fresenius Medical Care's dialysis machines contain several plastic components that must withstand various mechanical stresses. For medical reasons, failure or malfunction is not an option. PART Engineering Software helps analyze the strength of the parts and increase confidence in the machine."
“S-Life Plastics enables us to design our plastic components efficiently and in a standardized manner with regard to static and cyclic strength. This enhances the safety of our products and shortens their development times.”
"S-Life Plastics enables engineers to perform strength assessments based on material data, thereby achieving high simulation accuracy and enabling more reliable predictions of part lifespan."
"The operational load or regulatory requirement that must be met varies depending on the application. Safety considerations often involve short-term overloads, while quality considerations tend to focus on long-term or cyclic behavior. S-Life Plastics ultimately provides the answers to these questions."
Benefits
S-Life Plastics helps you perform strength assessments for plastic components in a standardized and traceable manner, with significantly less manual effort. This makes it possible to systematically evaluate and reliably perform static strength analyses—and, in particular, fatigue strength analyses—during the development process.
S-Life Plastics is reducing
- Development time, as the standardized and automated process replaces labor-intensive manual evaluations
- Errors, as the structured workflow largely prevents incorrect entries and misinterpretations
- Testing effort, as cyclic strengths can be determined based on existing data and methods
- Component costs, as components can be designed less conservatively based on reliable results
S-Life Plastics increases
- Reliability of strength assessment, as standardized verification methods for plastic components can now be applied digitally
- Comparability of evaluations, as identical methods and criteria are used for different components and variants
- Confidence in the results, as the procedure is documented in a traceable manner and is verifiable