Ansys Rocky

Ansys Rocky - Particle Dynamics Simulation Software

Ansys Rocky is discrete element method (DEM) software for simulating how granular and bulk materials move: ore on a conveyor, tablets in a coating drum, grain in a silo, powder in a mixer. It tracks every particle, its shape and its collisions, which together determine throughput, wear, blockages, segregation and power draw.

Mining, metals, pharmaceutical, food, agricultural and battery-materials teams use Rocky to resolve material handling problems in simulation rather than on the plant floor.

Ansys Rocky 2026 R1

• VOF and free-surface coupling: VOF plus DEM coupling, and a one-way free-surface module that adds liquid effects without solving the fluid.
• GPU and distributed scaling: better performance for large particle counts.
• Ansys Engineering Copilot: streamlined set-up with AI assistance built into Rocky.

Read more: What's New Across Ansys Fluids in 2026 R1

Non-Spherical, Flexible and Breakable Particle Modelling

Rocky models non-spherical solids, shells and fibres, which can be rigid or flexible and can break. Contact properties, cohesion and breakage are calibrated to match the actual feed material, which matters in transfer chutes, crushers and mills, where particle shape governs both flow and damage.

Chutes, Mills, Hoppers and Conveying: Throughput and Wear

Typical studies cover transfer chutes, bins, hoppers, mills, screens, blenders and pneumatic conveying. Results include throughput, breakage rates, segregation and wear rates, which feed directly into maintenance planning. The multi-GPU solver handles tens of millions of particles.

DEM-CFD Coupling with Fluent and Particle Loads to Mechanical

Where fluid and particles interact, as in fluidised beds, slurries and pneumatic conveying, Rocky couples with Ansys Fluent. Particle loads export to Ansys Mechanical as a pressure field for structural assessment.

Common DEM Consultation Topics

• Conveyor transfer chutes: flow, spillage, blockage and wear.
• Mills and crushers: grinding performance and liner wear.
• Hoppers, bins and silos: discharge flow and segregation.
• Mixing and coating: blend uniformity and tablet coating.
• Pneumatic conveying: particle transport in air, coupled with CFD.

Have a project outside this list? Send us the specification. Where a study needs specialist knowledge, we draw on our wider Ansys partner network.

Related Products

• Ansys Fluent: CFD for the fluid phase in coupled particle-fluid simulations.
• Ansys Mechanical: structural assessment of equipment under Rocky particle loads.

Ansys Rocky FAQ

Can Rocky predict wear?

Yes. Surface wear on chutes, liners and equipment is one of its most common applications, and wear rates help set maintenance intervals.

Oct ’26 update by the CADIT Ansys CFD Team.