What software counts as computer-aided engineering, and why are these tools useful?
Computer-aided engineering, or CAE, can describe any virtual process an engineer might use to predict the real-world performance of a system, solve a problem or influence decisions about processes or designs. Common examples include multibody dynamics (MBD), finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Typically, when someone refers to CAE, they are talking about a digital engineering simulation or calculation.
Traditionally, CAE has been used at the end of development to verify that a final, or near final, design is meeting expectations. However, modern product development processes have started to use CAE early in development via iterative design processes such as simulation-driven design or design for manufacturing. The aim of these processes is to find design flaws and manufacturing issues early in development when they can be easily and affordably fixed. In doing so, engineers can avoid problems before manufacturing or final testing when solving issues is more time consuming and expensive.
Engineering simulations have also started to enter engineering workflows after a product is in the field. At this point, data from the real-world asset can be collected using sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT) to be assessed by CAE tools. These assessments can help predict issues, schedule preventative maintenance and optimize performance. When this setup is created, the simulation is often referred to as a digital twin of the real-world asset it is assessing.
CAE tools have also become more of a necessity in recent years as product development has become more complex. Rarely do new products perform only one task; now they are often smart, connected to the IoT, collaborative, automated and more. This has forced engineers to simultaneously assess, test and verify more physical phenomena, to ensure interactions do not affect performance, via multiphysics simulations.
In the past, simulations of a product’s structure, heat transfer and electromagnetics would have been assessed by separate models. Multiphysics models combine these assessments into a single simulation. This has forced many CAE users to expand their areas of expertise to other physical phenomena, as well as work together to ensure the physics of a system is optimally captured.
The challenge of added complexity in products is further compounded by the fact that development times are shrinking as consumers want newer technologies. As a result, simulation has become a popular tool to reduce, or even eliminate, the need for physical testing. This enables products to launch faster and at a lower cost.
Suppliers of CAE software include Ansys, Altair, Autodesk, COMSOL, Dassault Systèmes, Hexagon, Maplesoft, MathWorks, PTC, Siemens Digital Industries Software and more. CAE is often associated with computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) as there is a lot of overlap and communications between these technologies. For instance, the geometry made in CAD software is a popular starting point for 3D engineering simulations. As such, the suppliers of CAD and CAM tools also include many of the organizations listed above.
