White Paper

Simulation-Driven Design

Faster, Easier Simulation Helps

You Create Better Products

Summary
Analysis and simulation technologies have advanced dramatically in recent years on both the hardware
and software sides of the equation. Finite element analysis (FEA) is no longer the resource-intensive,
esoteric discipline of the past and has become a viable, strategic tool for driving product development
efforts for manufacturers large and small. The combination of easy-to-use SolidWorks Simulation
software and powerful Intel Xeon processor-based workstations allows you to save time, control
costs, and improve quality. No matter what types of products you develop, these simulation technologies can help you shorten time-to-market, increase profitability, and minimize returns and warranty
claims. Heres how.

Engineers have a new workbench

Just as the workbench in your basement or garage evolves to
provide you with access to the best tool for a particular task, the
workbench of the design engineer his or her design workstation is changing as well. Product designers and engineers have
seen their inventory of hardware and software tools mature over
the years: from 2D to 3D CAD design software and from single
32-bit CPUs to multi-core 64-bit processor-based systems. These
advances have made additional space on the engineers workbench for a tool once relegated to specialized analysts.

processing technology to split and run multiple simultaneous

processes on multiple cores during both meshing and solving
computations SolidWorks Simulation provides dramatic
improvements in analysis run times. These performance gains
make SolidWorks Simulation software and multi-core Intel Xeon
processor-based workstations the perfect combination for driving
simulation-based design.

Faster Solve Times with Multi-Core Processors

Traditionally, simulation technology assumed the role of the final

design checker in product development. Analysis was performed
at the end of the process prior to physical testing to validate
design performance. Yet, todays lightening fast workstations and
fully integrated simulation software packages enable engineers to
leverage analysis in an entirely new way: to drive design optimization and innovation upfront rather than just checking design
performance at the end.

SolidWorks Flow Simulation

Number of Cores
% Solve Time
64 bit

100%

66%

50%

44%

% Solve Time
100%
80%

New processors, software turn

desktop into supercomputer

60%
40%

Whats changed that makes simulation tools more accessible to

design engineers? Simply put, faster computers combined with
more finely tuned and easier-to-use software have truly brought
analysis capabilities to the desktop. You used to need a supercomputer and the time to wait for days or even weeks for a solution
to the more complex types of simulations, such as computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) and nonlinear structural analyses to run
FEA programs.

20%
0%

Number of Cores

Faster Mesh Times with Multi-Core Processors

SolidWorks Simulation

With the development of Intel Xeon processors with multi-threaded,

multi-core capabilities and CAD-integrated SolidWorks Simulation
software, which is optimized to take advantage of multi-core
processing during both the meshing and solution steps, analysis
problems that used to run for hours can now be done in minutes,
and those that used to run for days finish in hours.

Number of Cores
% Mesh Time
64 bit

100%

64%

52%

47%

% Mesh Time
100%

SolidWorks Simulation was designed to make analysis faster and

easier. For example, to make nonlinear studies run faster, the
software reduces the number of equations used for the system
stiffness matrix, providing an accurate, reliable solution in a
fraction of the time.

80%
60%
40%
20%

The largest performance boosts in SolidWorks Simulation relate

to multi-core processing. The more processing cores that you
have available, the faster your model will mesh and solve with
SolidWorks Simulation. By taking advantage of Intel multi-core

0%

2
Number of Cores

Fast-running simulations
for design, not just validation
The ability to run even the more sophisticated types of analysis
in the time it takes to attend a meeting really opens the door to
utilizing simulation to move beyond functional design into optimal
design. At the root level, simulation technology answers questions
and provides information, opening a window through which
designers can peer to predict how a design will perform within
the confines of its operating environment. Analysis results are
the closest thing an engineer has to a crystal ball in terms of
understanding product behavior.

Such insight can help designers go beyond a design that is merely

adequate to a concept that performs optimally. This process
of optimizing designs not only leads to innovations, but also
produces a range of productivity benefits, including time savings,
cost reductions, and higher quality. In todays competitive global
market, designers can take advantage of easy-to-use SolidWorks
Simulation software and fast-running Intel Xeon processors to
work smarter by creating optimal designs that contribute to their
companys bottom line in a big way.

Ratcheting up radar
systems development
Simulation Types:

A worldwide leader in radar technology including the development of radar systems for the Norwegian Navy, the World Cup
Soccer Final, and several open-pit mining operations Reutech
Radar Systems (RRS) believed that using integrated simulation
tools would enable it to better predict system performance,
accelerate development, and control costs.

Nonlinear Structural/Dynamics
Dynamics
Kinematics
Shock
Vibration
Structural

We need to be able to simulate shock, vibration, stress, thermal,

and aerodynamic phenomena with a high degree of accuracy and
confidence, notes Chief Mechanical Engineer Carel Kriek. I have
been exposed to other finite element analysis (FEA) packages and
find SolidWorks Simulation to be the best fit for us. It allows us to
stay within the same environment, can handle anything we need to
do, and eliminates the potential for model translation problems.

Thermal
CFD

Hardware Specs:
Dell Precision* T5400 Workstation
Dual Intel Xeon processor E5420 (Quad-Core, 2.50 GHz)
8 GB RAM

Routine simulations at South Africa-based RRS take 25 to 40 minutes.

Run times for more complex analyses average as follows: structural,
one hour; fluid flow, two hours; and thermal with fluid flow, four hours.

Results:
Reduced time-to-completion by 50 percent
Saved 30 to 60 percent in prototyping/testing costs
Expanded product offering into new markets
Increased profit margins

Image courtesy of Reutech Radar Systems

Perform multi-physics simulations

inside your CAD system
Although structural analysis represents the yeomans share of
simulation needs, development of a growing number of products
can benefit from simulation of other physical aspects of a design
better known as multi-physics analysis. In addition to structural
stress and strain, designers need to know about the effects of
motion, temperature, pressure, and even electromagnetics. With
SolidWorks Simulation Premium and SolidWorks Flow Simulation
software, designers can access multi-physics analysis capabilities
from directly within the CAD modeling environment.

Engineers can use simulation results to make design modifications

and rerun analysis inside SolidWorks CAD software, which makes it
easier to use iterative simulations to optimize designs. Using workstations powered by Intel Xeon processors, you can run simulations
without slowing down your other interactive tasks. Providing efficient
multi-tasking, this combination of solutions increases your capacity
to design, simulate, and optimize in a multi-physics, CAD-integrated
environment without compromising your ability to do routine work.

This complete integration of CAD and simulation capabilities

eliminates the potential for data conversion and model translation
problems and makes it easier to use analysis as a design tool.

Positive change is a good thing

Tiras adds. The cost of the SolidWorks Simulation package is
insignificant compared to the savings we realized on that very first
use. Since then, we have been able to optimize designs and reduce
material costs overall by 75 percent.

Gaumer Process helped to develop the electric process heater

technology that is used by process industries including oil,
gas, food processing, wastewater treatment, and petrochemical
companies. The Houston-based company holds several patents
for its electric process heaters, systems, and controls, and looked
to integrated simulation technology to meet market demands for
accelerated system delivery, cost containment, reduced energy
consumption, and optimized material usage.

Simulation Types:
Nonlinear Structural

Our initial interest in simulation involved flange thicknesses, which

we had traditionally made thicker than necessary, explains Craig
Tiras, P.E., vice president of Engineering and Design. Cutting our
flange thicknesses in half really helped to change our company.
By simulating the thermal, structural, and fluid flow behavior in
and around a flange, we saw that we had been wasting material,

Vibration
Structural
Thermal
CFD

Hardware Specs:
HP Z600* Workstation
Dual Intel Xeon processor x5570 (Quad-Core, 2.50 GHz)
18 GB RAM

Results:
Cut development time from three years to three months
Saved $100,000 in prototyping costs
Reduced material costs by 75 percent
Enhanced visualization of system performance

Image courtesy of Gaumer Process

Simulation increases profitability

Using integrated SolidWorks Simulation software on an Intel Xeon
processor-based workstation during conceptual design can help
your company increase profitability in several ways. First, the
technology allows you to shorten time-to-market by optimizing
your designs. Leveraging simulation technology to drive your
design process ensures that designs are validated, free of errors,
and ready for production. This allows you to compress and shorten
your prototyping and testing cycles, providing additional time and
cost savings.

Secondly, simulation tools streamline manufacturing processes,

resulting in more efficient material usage, lower levels of scrap and
rework, and reduced manufacturing costs. Instead of producing an
adequate design, you can produce optimal designs that decrease
costs related to both time and production.
Lastly, designs that you create using integrated simulation tools
result in fewer field failures, returns, and warranty claims. Because
validation is performed as part of design, the accuracy of your
designs, the quality of your products, and the size of your profit
margins go up, while your costs go down.

Cycling through
a virtual test bench
As the top producer of bicycles in Canada and a worldwide leader
in the manufacturing of high-end mountain and road bikes, Cycles
Devinci, Inc. invested in integrated SolidWorks Simulation
software on the Intel Xeon processor-based systems to create
its own virtual test bench. Using simulation to drive design, the
company has accelerated time-to-market, reduced the weight of
its bikes, improved the performance of its bicycle frames, and cut
the number or physical prototypes required.

SolidWorks-enabled virtual test bench, Cycles Devinci has realized

significant productivity gains, while simultaneously increasing the
number of innovative concepts it develops. Dynamic and kinematic
motion analyses take between 5 and 15 minutes to run, while
static stress simulations complete in one to five minutes.

Simulation Types:
Dynamics

We have deployed the SolidWorks virtual test bench on all four of

our product lines, which include road, mountain, and hybrid bikes,
as well as the new BIXI Public Bike System in Montral, notes
Bruno Gauthier, R&D Department director. Our product development process has become faster and more cost-effective, and the
quality of our bikes continues to improve. Since implementing its

Kinematics
Vibration
Structural

Hardware Specs:
Dell Precision* T5400 Workstation
Intel Xeon processor 5260 (Dual-Core, 3.33 GHz)
3.25 GB RAM

Results:
Shortened time-to-market from 18 to 10 months (44 percent)
Decreased number of prototypes from three to one
Reduced frame weight by 25 percent
Increased frame stiffness by an average of 30 percent

Image courtesy of Cycles Devinci, Inc

Optimize manufacturing processes

In addition to helping engineers create better-performing designs,
integrated SolidWorks Simulation tools enable you to investigate,
optimize, and streamline your manufacturing processes. Product
design and manufacturing are no longer separate, autonomous
functions. By using simulation capabilities on faster Intel Xeon
processor-based workstations, you can analyze and address
manufacturing issues during conceptual design.

subassemblies analysis can help you to pinpoint and resolve

otherwise unforeseen manufacturing issues. With this information,
you can avoid potential production pitfalls, such as manufacturing
delays, cost overruns, and shop-floor retrofits, which detract from
your companys success and competitiveness.
With integrated simulation technology, you can examine the
physics surrounding your manufacturing processes and avoid
production surprises. Simulation-driven design provides benefits
at every phase of product development, from conceptual design
through manufacturing.

It doesnt matter which production processes you use whether

you are machining parts, shooting molds, fabricating sheet-metal,
forging or casting metal components, or assembling pieces or

Cooking up better bakeware

Manufacturer of many well-known brands of dinnerware, cookware,
cutlery, and household tools, World Kitchen LLC used integrated
SolidWorks Flow Simulation software to streamline production of
its Pyrex* bakeware products.

now finish in 15 minutes or less, and larger, more complex thermal/

fluid-flow simulations that processed for as long as 11 hours
while consuming all computing resources now complete in one
hour while the designer continues designing other parts, managing
e-mail, and performing routine tasks.

If the forming equipment is too cool, the glass will have a wrinkled
appearance. If the forming equipment is too hot, the glass will
fuse itself to the metal, making it impossible to remove from the
mold, explains Senior Mold Designer Mark Cooley. SolidWorks
Flow Simulation allows us to identify cold and hot spots ahead of
time. With SolidWorks Flow Simulation, we can create high-heat
components and quality products without thermal issues, down
time, or additional costs.

Simulation Types:
Thermal
CFD

Hardware Specs:
Dell Precision* T7400 Workstation

Reaching this thermal balance faster has saved the company time
and money, and the move to a computer powered by two quadcore Intel Xeon processors is producing additional dividends.
Routine thermal/fluid-flow analyses that used to take three hours

Dual Intel Xeon processor E5405 (Quad-Core, 2.00 GHz)

8 GB RAM

Results:
Reduced design times by 40 percent
Cut annual development costs by over $230,000
Improved product quality
Accelerated thermal balancing of bakeware products

Image courtesy of World Kitchen LLC

Demonstrate feasibility of new technology

The fact that integrated SolidWorks Simulation software is easier
to use and takes advantage of multi-threaded processing on the
multi-core Intel Xeon processor-based systems, resulting in much
faster run times, makes simulation technology more accessible,
viable, and practical for use by a wider group of engineers. As
already noted, simulation-driven design can provide substantial
productivity benefits in terms of both optimizing product designs
and manufacturing processes. And the potential power of simulation design doesnt stop there.

the time and cost required for building and testing something
it can literally open the floodgates to unbridled creativity and
unbounded innovation. In addition to helping you make better
products more efficiently, simulation technology enables you to
study, innovate, and demonstrate new technologies in an efficient,
cost-effective manner.
Of course, turning new technology into a reality requires building
a physical prototype, but simulation technology can help you to
unleash your creativity weeding out the bad ideas from those
with promise without breaking the bank.

Because analysis technology allows engineers to observe and

study physical behavior in a virtual environment without incurring

Simulating the next-generation

superconductor
The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) will accelerate elements
from hydrogen to uranium to 40 percent of the speed of light and
prepare rare isotope beams short-lived nuclei not normally found
on Earth to advance research into the origin of elements, the
birth of stars, and the evolution of the cosmos.

Using SolidWorks allowed us to prepare a strong proposal. The ability

to virtually test the accelerating cryomodules was an important
factor in substantially improving our credibility, says Dr. John Oliva,
Mechanical Analysis and Simulation Group leader. Having integrated
design and analysis software like SolidWorks has enabled us to
cut time and expense in creating prototypes. By running hundreds
of virtual simulations, we avoid repetitive prototyping, which we
anticipate will result in huge cost savings.

To win the U.S. Department of Energy award to design and establish FRIB a $550 million facility that will take about a decade to
build Michigan State University had to propose a pre-conceptual
design for the FRIB accelerator and demonstrate how the system
would work. SolidWorks Simulation softwares thermal analysis
capabilities helped the team analyze the performance of the FRIB
systems graphite target wheel, which operates in a temperature
range of 1600 to 1630 K, and the aluminum beam dump system,
which requires its own cooling system.

Simulation Types:
Nonlinear Structural/Dynamics
Dynamics
Kinematics
Shock
Vibration
Structural
Thermal

Hardware Specs:
Dell PowerEdge* R410 Server
Dual Intel Xeon processor 5600 (Quad-Core, 2.53 GHz)
32 GB RAM

Results:
Won $550 million award to design and build FRIB
Proved concept validity with virtual simulations
Cut time and expense of creating prototypes
Demonstrated accelerator concept with 3D animations
Image courtesy of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

Let integrated SolidWorks

Simulation drive your designs

Run simulations faster on

the Intel Expert Workbench

Analysis and simulation technologies have come a long way since

their introduction a couple decades ago and barely resemble
the FEA packages used by the previous generation. Integrated
SolidWorks Simulation software is much more accessible, viable,
and practical for use by a wider set of engineers. Its easier to use,
takes advantage of multi-threaded processing, and provides fast
answers within the SolidWorks 3D design environment.

Not all workstations are created equal, and when it comes to running
fast simulations for optimizing designs, the Intel Expert Workbench
is the king of the hill. Powered by two Intel Xeon processor 5600
series CPUs with up to 12 computational cores, 24 Hyperthreads,
and memory configurations up to 192 GB these powerful systems
provide supercomputing-like performance on the desktop and
provide the perfect platform for simulation-based design.

To learn more about how SolidWorks Simulation software can

help you reap the benefits of simulation-driven design including
faster time-to-market, reduced costs, and improved quality
visit www.solidworks.com or call 1-800-693-9000.

To learn more about how powerful Intel Xeon processor-based

workstations can help you take advantage or simulation-based
design to work smarter, more efficiently, and more productively,
visit www.intel.com/go/workstation.

Copyright 2010 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States or other countries.
Copyright 2010 Dassault Systmes SolidWorks Corp. All right reserved. SolidWorks and the SolidWorks logo are trademarks of Dassault Systmes SolidWorks Corporation.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
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