Engineering Design Graphics: Sketching, Modeling, and Visualization, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 10

DIGITAL SIMULATION TOOLS

UPFRONT ANALYSIS

In the past decade, simulation software has improved dramatically. Known also as computer-aided engineering (CAE) software, simulation software includes finite element analysis (FEA), dynamics simulation, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and manufacturing analysis, including plastic injection molding simulation. Improvements to simulation software include (1) CAD integration, (2) a modern user interface, (3) automated functions, and (4) a robust underlying technology. Simulation software is now embedded within all of the mid-range parametric modeling packages, allowing designers to use these powerful analysis tools in a familiar environment. Even standalone analysis programs now leverage, and are associatively linked with, the CAD environment. The modern simulation software interface guides the user, anticipating the next steps and providing feedback on the status of the analysis. Critical and/or labor-intensive tasks are now automated—for example, automatic meshing in FEA. Well-documented benchmark problems allow comparison of FEA results with known results based on first principles and have consistently verified the reliability of the software. Many simulation software packages have been under development for almost 40 years now, allowing their developers to continuously improve upon and demonstrate the reliability of their ...