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Mechanical engineers will soon be able to access the latest simulation software on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Autodesk is to introduce Simulation 360 – a set of tools delivered in the cloud with a pay-as-you-go pricing model. The firms said that the move will enable smaller companies to make simulation part of their everyday design and engineering processes.
Potentially, use of the cloud offers virtually infinite computing power to drive complex engineering tests that were once limited to simulation specialists to be performed by mainstream designers and engineers, said Autodesk. For example: manufacturers will be able to understand the heat generated by electronics devices enabling them to design-in proper cooling, avoid overheating and help prevent costly consumer recalls.
Architects and engineers could also gain deeper insight into how buildings, including plants, will perform by simulating air flow to help ensure thermal comfort; analyse environmental effects on bridges and buildings; and test the behaviour of structural materials including concrete — all before anything is ever built.
Autodesk said that by performing computationally intensive simulation tasks in the cloud, engineers will be able to test multiple “what if?” design scenarios in parallel. It also eliminates the need for specialised hardware, thereby removing previous limitations and helping to increase productivity.
Matt Nowicki, senior product engineer at energy firm BioLite, has already used the new cloud-based software. “The ability to run multiple simulation studies in the cloud, in the same time as a typical singular simulation study with single variables, really opens up the game for us by helping us understand much more of the system in a shorter amount of time.
“Our customers can now visualise building comfort before the project is constructed. This enables them to make more informed decisions pertaining to project costs and lets them evaluate system and energy trade-offs as well.”
Simulation 360 software includes a range of cloud-based mechanical, fluid flow, thermal and plastic injection moulding tools. Additional benefits include direct geometry exchange; meshing tools and material libraries.