Finite element analysis software (FEA software)

FEA software takes your 3D design file and tests its performance against the fluid dynamics, heat transfer, mechanical stress, and other factors it will be exposed to when it exists in the real world.

Finite element method (FEM) is the solving of equations generated by the mathematical modeling of engineering projects.

Finite element analysis (FEA) is the application of finite element method (FEM) data, which interprets its mathematical values and analyzes how you can improve the performance of your model when exposed to various physical forces.

You absolutely can do FEA by hand. Finite element analysis (FEA) is just math. In the pre-digital age, performance calculations were done on paper using a physical prototype during testing.

The difference today is that the algorithms driving simulation software can perform FEA calculations much faster and can test for multiple force effects simultaneously.

It also means you don’t need to build a physical model to apply calculations—the system can apply them to your 3D design without leaving your desktop.

While FEA by hand is still feasible for simple geometries or when a prototype already exists, FEA simulation software can test the performance of ever-more complicated geometries, so the design process isn’t constrained by what you can measure by hand.

Simulation software is quite workstation intensive. A general rule of thumb is that you need around 16 GB of RAM per million degrees of freedom in a standalone system, but this can vary greatly based on model complexity.

The ability to solve many simulations using secured cloud solving does free up personal system resources such as RAM, however, for the software that also has the ability to solve simulations locally (such as Moldflow and CFD), the installation guides provide test cases to recommended RAM and other resources for the installation to run efficiently. Here is a breakdown for the current releases of Autodesk simulation software:

• Fusion 360:
  • 4 GB of RAM (integrated graphics recommend 6 GB or more) (See details)
  • Simulations are performed on cloud solvers, thus the recommended RAM pertains to general needs by Fusion 360 software to operate efficiently.
  • The Fusion 360 Simulation Extension, Fusion 360 Generative Design Extension, and the Fusion 360 Additive Build Extension both require the minimum recommended RAM as shown within the Fusion 360 system requirements.
• Inventor Nastran 2024:
  • 8 GB or higher of RAM (See details)
• Moldflow Insight/Synergy 2023:
  • 8 GB or higher of RAM (See details)
  • Increased RAM improves system performance when setting up very large models (especially meshing), and enables more efficient local solving. 
  • Cloud solving is available with Insight for a token cost. When solving simulations on the cloud, local resources would just require the minimum recommended RAM to operate Moldflow Insight efficiently.
• Moldflow Adviser 2023:
  • 8 GB or higher of RAM (See details)
  • Increased RAM improves system performance when setting up very large models. 
• CFD 2023:
  • 16 GB or higher of RAM (laptop); 32 GB or higher of RAM (desktop) (See details)
  • Cloud solving is available with CFD for a token cost. When solving simulations on the cloud, local resources would just require the minimum recommended RAM to operate CFD efficiently. Local solves will likely run more efficiently with higher RAM. 
• Netfabb 2023:
  • 16 GB of RAM; 64 GB of RAM recommended for local simulation (See details)

Inventor Nastran, Autodesk’s dedicated CAD-integrated simulation product, costs as little as per month, but like other Autodesk products, if purchased annually users can save over 30% of the total price (/year). The base-level Fusion 360 (/month) has static stress simulation included for free. Other Fusion 360 simulations require a subscription to the Simulation Extension, Flex, or pay-per-solution. The Fusion 360 Simulation Extension (/month) includes a wide range of advanced simulation.