In this work the possibilities and capabilities of high-resolution crystal plasticity simulations are presented and discussed. Giving several examples, it is shown how the application of crystal plasticity simulations helps to understand the micro-mechanical behaviour of crystalline materials. To avoid the high computational costs associated with crystal plasticity simulations that arise from (i) the evaluation of the selected constitutive law, and (ii) the solution of the associated mechanical boundary value problem, both contributions to the runtime have to be kept small. This is done by (i) employing a rather simple—and therefore fast—constitutive model, and by (ii) using an effective spectral method employing fast Fourier transforms for solving the partial differential equations describing the mechanical behaviour. Here, an improved spectral solver incorporated into the Düsseldorf Advanced Material Simulation Kit (DAMASK) is used.
