SOLIDWORKS Simulation vs. SIMULIA on 3DEXPERIENCE

Simulation, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), regardless of what you call it, the software opens a whole new world of product design. In the past, many SOLIDWORKS users defaulted to SOLIDWORKS Simulation, which is a great set of offerings, but now you can extend your capabilities further with SIMULIA on 3DEXPERIENCE.

SIMULIA uses the robust Abaqus solver, bringing your results faster and with more confidence than ever before. This blog will be taking a quick look at the two sets of offerings to help you get an idea of which one is best for you! Each of these offers feature CAD associativity, allowing you to easily propagate design changes to your simulations, saving you valuable time.

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Topics covered in this post:

1. Feature Comparison

2. SOLIDWORKS Simulation Overview

3. SIMULIA on 3DEXPERIENCE Overview

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Feature Comparison

Both SOLIDWORKS Simulation and SIMULIA provide powerful solutions for those looking to reduce product failure and accelerate time to market. The following table gives a quick overview on some of the main functionality available through each solution.

	SOLIDWORKS Simulation	SIMULIA on 3DEXPERIENCE
CAD Associativity	✓	✓
Static and Dynamic Simulation	✓	✓
Linear and Nonlinear Simulation	✓	✓
Frequency/Thermal Simulation	✓	✓
Advanced Non-Linear Simulation		✓
General Contact		✓
Cloud Computing		✓
Collaboration Platform		✓

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SOLIDWORKS Simulation

SOLIDWORKS Simulation is a desktop solution that is built into the SOLIDWORKS interface. It provides users with a wide array of capabilities. There are three offerings available; SOLIDWORKS Simulation Standard, Professional, and Premium (not including the basic simulation capabilities included with SOLIDWORKS Premium). Some of the main functionalities of each of these offerings are listed below.

1. SOLIDWORKS Simulation Standard

   1. Linear Static Simulation

   2. Time-Based Motion Analysis

   3. Fatigue Simulation

2. SOLIDWORKS Simulation Professional

   1. Frequency Simulation

   2. Thermal Simulation

   3. Buckling Simulation

3. SOLIDWORKS Simulation Premium

   1. Linear Dynamic Simulation

   2. Nonlinear Simulation

   3. Composite Material Simulation

And there’s much more where that came from. As great as that is, some people will need additional capabilities. Enter SIMULIA.

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SIMULIA on 3DEXPERIENCE

SIMULIA brings to light some unique benefits over the traditional SOLIDWORKS Simulation offerings.

1. Faster Solves
   SIMULIA uses the advanced Abaqus FEA solver. This can solve problems with higher complexity at a faster rate than SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

2. General Contact
   SIMULIA allows you to specify general contact, which will allow the solver to determine which faces may come into contact with each other and account for that automatically, saving you valuable time. This would be a manual process within SOLIDWORKS Simulation.

3. Cloud Computing
   Each of the SIMULIA offerings come with cloud computing capabilities included. This allows you to save the simulation and run the calculations on the cloud while keeping your hardware free to complete other work. In addition to the included cloud cores, you can choose to pay for additional cloud computing power to accelerate your simulations with up to 144 cloud computing cores.

4. Extended Capabilities
   SOLIDWORKS Simulation can carry out non-linear problems, however, SIMULIA is able to handle non-linear problems with much higher complexity. These problems can involve factors such as hyper-elastics, friction, and extreme strain. SIMULIA’s explicit dynamic solving capabilities allow you to carry out advanced simulations including drop tests, crash analysis, deep drawing, blow molding, and more!

5. Access to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform
   The 3DEXPERIENCE platform brings both secure cloud storage and collaboration. Now you can securely access your data and results from anywhere on various devices. In addition to that, you can streamline your collaboration with tools included with the offerings to connect all your teams, whether it be design, simulation, manufacturing, or even sales and marketing.

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Summary

Without simulation software, your projects can run into costly and time-consuming rework. Now, with the SIMULIA roles added to the 3DEXPERIENCE Works portfolio, SOLIDWORKS users have access to anything from linear static analysis to Explicit Nonlinear Dynamic analysis with nonlinear material properties.

Contact us today to see what solution is right for you!