SOLIDWORKS Simulation or 3DEXPERIENCE Works Simulation SIMULIA?

Which one do you choose, SOLIDWORKS Simulation or 3DEXPERIENCE Works Simulation SIMULIA? This is quite a common question when solutions overlap with each other a little bit. But a true answer to this question arises not only from the kind of studies we are able to perform but also from what happens upstream and downstream of the design process.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation

SOLIDWORKS Simulation is a powerful and intuitive solution for designers and engineers to quickly evaluate and validate their product performance as well as improve product quality and obtain insight into the design and innovation process.

Built within the SOLIDWORKS user interface, its power lies in the tight integration to the design space. Any design change is instantly picked up by the simulations associated with the product in question, making sure that the user is looking at the latest and greatest when it comes to the design.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation offers a variety of packages (Standard, Professional and Premium), covering the bandwidth of simulation studies required by designers today.

3DEXPERIENCE Works Simulation SIMULIA

So now that we understand what SOLIDWORKS Simulation is all about, let’s talk a bit about SIMULIA.

SIMULIA offerings as part of the 3DEXPERIENCE Works Simulation portfolio caters to solutions driven by Powerful ABAQUS technology enabling engineers to push their design limits further and model complex structural simulations with high accuracy.

As with SOLIDWORKS offerings, there are four SIMULIA roles:

• Structural Designer
• Structural Engineer
• Structural Performance Engineer
• Structural Mechanics Engineer

What is unique about this solution is that it comes as part of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform which enables users to do more than just run simulations. We’ll look into that in just a minute.

Great! Now, which one do you choose?

Here are some things to consider when choosing your path:

1. Model simulations that are Challenging and Interesting (Like a crush test!)

SOLIDWORKS Simulation excels in running efficient studies for linear statics, frequency, thermal and many more! They’re proven to provide quick and accurate results when simulations are simple enough that designers can accurately model them to drive their product optimization process.

But…what if the study is hard to model to begin with? Maybe your study has complex rubbery materials that require to be calibrated properly? Maybe you need to model a lot of frictional contacts, or your study simply isn’t solving using SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

When such a situation is encountered, the roles offered on the platform can be leveraged to provide you with results in a short amount of time, with great accuracy and ease of use.

Structural Mechanics Engineer

2. Waiting for Simulation Results is Hard!

While we’re very happy that SOLIDWORKS Simulation helps you achieve what you want in your design, it might be good to ask the question, “How long do I have to wait to get my results?” and “Is there a faster way to solve it?”

With the SIMULIA roles on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, compute power is available for simulations that can be solved on as many as 144 cores! Don’t worry…you don’t need to invest in them; with cloud computing, you can leverage Dassault’s hardware to run your studies and get quick results.

Bonus point – SIMILIA lets you model simulations that mimic reality without the need to approximate simulations to just solve them!

3. Process Changes can Streamline Your Workflow

A typical day for the life of an engineer includes running studies, downloading them in a document and sending it off in an email or having a meeting about it. It’s a few steps to work through, but many are fine with it, so why change?

We are almost tuned to work in this fashion, which is great. However, there are powerful tools available at your fingertips by leveraging the added capabilities of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Collaboration and communication are streamlined by the platform adoption process, giving you the ability to virtually share anything from design sketches, manufacturing data, to simulation results from within the platform experience.

4. Connectivity for Seamless Transfers

If you need to make a design change or use the platform, would I be able to do that from SOLIDWORKS? Is the platform connected?

A common theme presented between all SOLIDWORKS solutions is to provide connectivity. Every user would like to work from within the SOLIDWORKS user interface.

If you are designing your product in SOLIDWORKS and would like to leverage the platform for its advanced simulation capabilities, we have connectors that can seamlessly transfer existing SOLIDWORKS designs (and some SOLIDWORKS Simulations) to the platform.

How to Transfer Designs

With guided virtual assistants, simulations can be set up on the platform with ease by following just a few steps.

Connected Workflow – SOLIDWORKS and SIMULIA

Analysts can take it a step further by creating and capturing complex simulation workflows, thereby keeping the technical aspects under the hood and enabling the end-designer to perform studies, evaluate results and optimize their products.

Simulation users and skills

Hopefully, that provides a deeper insight into choosing the right solution that works for you and your engineering team(s). By asking yourself the questions of simulation limitations, hurdles of collaboration and communication, you are almost certain to make the right choice. Contact us to engage in a discussion to help you find the right FEA solution.