Desktop Simulation: SOLIDWORKS Premium vs. Simulation Standard

When being introduced to finite element simulation, you are typically shown a linear static study. SOLIDWORKS can provide those linear static tools from two different software licenses. One way is from the SOLIDWORKS CAD Premium license and the other is from the SOLIDWORKS Simulation license. The Simulation packages like the CAD packages are similar with respect to tiers (Standard, Professional, and Premium). If you do not know which package you have, look under Help, My Products. Let’s compare the differences of SOLIDWORKS Premium vs Simulation Standard.

For the purposes of simulation, there are similarities and differences between the SOLIDWORKS CAD Premium and Simulation Standard licenses.

The two distinct differences come in the addition of the trend tracker and the fatigue study in the Simulation Standard package.

The Trend Tracker category provides tools to help you detect trends in results from different iterations of a static study. The trend tracker is a separate branch in the simulation tree and is only shown once the tool is used. Once the tool is turned on it uses previously defined sensors to record results from previous runs and let you see trends that are introduced through changes or return to a previous iteration if the results are trending in an undesired manner.

The Fatigue category provides tools for defining and changing events and plotting and listing fatigue results. With SolidWorks Simulation Standard license, you have access to two of the four types of fatigue analysis (Constant Amplitude events with defined cycles and Variable Amplitude history). The other types of fatigue study will require the Simulation Premium license and is driven by a linear dynamics study. The fatigue study uses S-N curves either from experimental data or can be derived from the elastic modulus. After the user defines the events based on a loading from a previously defined static studies, the simulation models the fatigue damage and life of a part.

The above-mentioned differences compares SOLIDWORKS Premium vs Simulation Standard. If there are additional questions, please reach out to a TriMech representative.