Simulation overview

Welcome to the Simulation overview. Fusion Simulation is a validation tool that uses finite element analysis (FEA) to help you understand how a design performs under certain conditions. FEA is a computerized method for predicting how a real world object reacts to forces, heat, vibration, and so on. It shows whether an object will break, wear out, or work the way it was designed. It is called analysis, but in the product design cycle it is used to predict what is going to happen when the product is used. You can use FEA to reduce the need to create physical prototypes and perform destructive tests. For this reason, FEA is considered as a digital prototyping method.

Save time-to-manufacture, in the Simulation workspace, as you experiment with virtual design variations or adapt your model to changing design requirements. Use the tools in the Simulation workspace to minimize physical prototyping and destructive testing requirements. The tools in the Fusion Simulation workspace help you to:

• Evaluate the effects of structural or thermal loads.

  • Is my design strong enough to withstand the expected loads or vibrations?
  • Can it withstand stresses induced by temperature gradients in addition to stresses associated with static or transient mechanical loads?
  • Does it fail under heavy load?
  • Does it overheat?
  • Is it prone to resonance?
  • Is the operating temperature acceptable?
  • Will long and slender structures fail due to geometric instability (buckling) when subjected to compressive loads?
  • Can it survive being dropped onto a hard object or the impact from a projectile?

• Compare the effects of different materials and different conditions (such as loads and constraints).

• Analyze the behavior of design variations.

• Optimize the geometry of your parts to minimize their weight.

  • Does it use too much material, or can I substitute a different material?

• Ensure that you are not overdesigning or underdesigning your parts.

  • If the design works correctly, is it overdesigned? Can I better achieve the design goal by changing the geometry?

• Gain valuable insight at an early stage when the cost of redesign is small.

• Alter the mass and geometry of an object to change its natural vibration frequencies, avoiding the frequencies of operating loads to prevent resonance.