Colonel Sandurz is too chicken to try SIMSOLID’s meshless simulation technology. But the release of the company’s Professional edition software might interest many small and medium-sized businesses. (Image courtesy of MGM and Mel Brooks.)
According to SIMSOLID, fine meshes are to blame for the slow speed of simulations. As an alternative, it defines geometry into regions.
Each region is matched with a governing equation. This isn’t too different from traditional finite element analysis (FEA). However, SIMSOLID raises a system’s degrees of freedom (DOF) by increasing the DOF of each region’s governing equation.
The result, according to SIMSOLID, is a simulation that converges at ludicrous speed! Engineering.com has covered SIMSOLID’s technology before. But now, things just got a little more interesting with the announcement of SIMSOLID Professional.
The new SIMSOLID Professional software enhances the core technology’s user experience by introducing chained/multistep simulations, which improve CAD connectivity and automate weld connections for large assemblies.
SIMSOLID Professional’s Chained and Multistep Simulations
A transient dynamic simulation of an automotive racing frame using SIMSOLID Professional. (Image courtesy of SIMSOLID.)
Those still using SIMSOLID Standard will have access to linear static and modal analyses.
Those using SIMSOLID Power edition will have access to thermal, thermal-stress material nonlinear and geometric nonlinear analyses.
Among the benefits of the Professional edition is that it gives users access to multistep and chained analysis simulations.
Multistep simulations involve the use of an additional analytic dimension within a simulation. This can be a load history, time or frequency. This additional element opens the door to transient dynamic simulations. SIMSOLID reports that future releases will include frequency, random dynamic response and multistep nonlinear simulations.
A chained analysis occurs when the results form one simulation are used as the input to another simulation. This enables engineers to link their geometric nonlinear analysis to a material nonlinear analysis, or link a modal analysis to a transient dynamic analysis.
Future releases of SIMSOLID Professional will also link a modal analysis to a frequency or random response analysis, as well as link a nonlinear static analysis to a modal analysis, to assess mode stiffening.
Improved CAD Integration for SIMSOLID Professional
Every incarnation of SIMSOLID is able to integrate CAD. Currently, the Standard edition supports Onshape, SOLIDWORKS, Autodesk Fusion 360 and STL files.
Unfortunately, SIMSOLID Standard edition users will need to download a plug-in for SOLIDWORKS or Fusion 360. This means that the CAD software must be open in order to transfer the data to SIMSOLID Standard.
SIMSOLID Professional, however, will read these 3D CAD files natively without the need for third-party CAD applications. The current CAD systems and neutral formats compatible with SIMSOLID Professional include:
- CATIA
- NX
- Creo
- Onshape
- SOLIDWORKS
- Inventor
- Solid Edge
- STEP
- VDA
- JT
- CGR
- PLMXML
- Parasolid
- ACIS
- STL
SIMSOLID Professional will also be capable of associative model updates. This will ensure that when there is a change in geometry, much of the preprocessing—from load definitions to constraints—will still apply to the model.
When it comes to the features that a vendor would choose to include in their “professional” versus “standard” versions, this improved CAD interface gives one pause. It seems a little clunky to open a CAD software application just to get a simulation software to open a file.From a user experience perspective, the software should “just work.”Given that this issue has been solved in the SIMSOLID Professional edition, some Standard edition users might feel cheated.
In speaking with Ken Welch, CEO of SIMSOLID, about this issue, he explained that this decision was made as the Standard edition is intended to be sold with CAD software. He added that the Professional edition is targeted more toward larger organizations, and therefore the software needed to be more of a stand-alone product.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see this feature added to SIMSOLID Standard in the near future.
Automation of Weld Connections Simplifies Preprocessing of Large Assemblies
Automating the weld connections of this massive assembly will certainly simplify the preprocessing experience. (Image courtesy of SIMSOLID.)
The tool takes the welds from a CAD file and automatically assigns them within a simulation. This save a lot of preprocessing time for large assemblies.
The tool has also been extended to support advanced physical situations such as weld shrinkage.
It is somewhat odd to see such a useful tool stripped out of one product only to be placed into the Professional edition. This might also make some users unhappy.
However, it is less likely that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will be working with large assemblies, so this feature does appear to be a better fit for the Professional edition than it is for the Power edition. Still, some consultants working with large companies might not be happy with this move.
For more on how SIMSOLID achieves blink-and-you-miss-them simulations, read: Meshless Simulations Offer Lightening Fast Results for Large Assemblies.