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  • How to Calculate Wind Load on a Building

    A building design project is a complicated endeavor with high stakes. Design aspects like wind load prediction, thermal occupant comfort, ventilation strategies, among others, are critical to get right the first time. In this challenging environment, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become an effective tool that helps architects and civil engineers reduce uncertainty and make…

  • Stress Analysis of a Vacuum Chamber: Meccanica’s FEA Story

    Robert Boz founded his company eight years ago in Australia, with an initial focus on the optical industry. Today, Meccanica is a joint venture with Marco Engineering, which has 50 years of experience in engineering. This collaboration merges the unique strengths of each entity to provide a unified solution partner with capabilities in engineering design and analysis,…

  • Introducing the SimScale SimWiki!

    Today we are excited to announce the launch of SimWiki—your new go-to CAE encyclopedia! What is SimWiki? SimScale’s SimWiki is a collection of learning resources designed to give you a general introduction into the field of computer-aided engineering (CAE) as well as various aspects of simulation processes. Within this Wiki, you will find explanations of…

  • Pump Design Optimization with Computational Fluid Dynamics

    Pumps are used in many applications and industries, being a vital piece of equipment for any system that deals with water, from heating circulating flows, to consumer or industrial water supply, fountains, fire protection systems, and washing machines. [two_tier_heading top_line=”Pump Design” heading=”Main Pump Types”] Simply classified, pumps fall into 2 major categories: centrifugal pumps (or rotodynamic…

  • How to Calculate Stress and Strain with FEM Software?

    FEM software users often wonder how stress and strain are calculated, and how these quantities are related to the nodes. Which of these are calculated first? An ad-hoc answer to the question is strain. However, the real answer is neither. Confused? In short, a FEM software calculates the displacements and reaction forces at the nodes. This…

  • Industrial Design: Common Mistakes and Best Practices

    IoT, design thinking, Industry 4.0—with an ever-increasing vocabulary of buzzwords being thrown around and the meaning behind them becoming more and more diluted, it is often overlooked how those concepts should be applied when it comes to engineering and industrial design. At the same time, outdated practices and judgment errors persist. The reality is that, despite all…

  • What Is the Meaning of the Von Mises Stress and the Yield Criterion?

    The idea of von Mises stress was first proposed by Maksymilian Huber in 1904. However, it only received real attention in 1913 when Richard von Mises proposed it again. While both only proposed a math equation, it was Heinrich Hencky who developed the idea of “von Mises stress” as a reasonable physical interpretation. Let’s start by considering…

  • 5 Reasons to Optimize Your Designs with CFD Simulation Software

    In any industry, performance optimization is an integral part of the product design process. With the current trends towards sustainability and efficiency, performance optimization is becoming increasingly critical; the traditional trial and error strategies no longer meet industry standards. It is necessary to consider the many factors and scenarios that require state-of-the-art simulation techniques to…

  • What is the Difference Between CAD and CAE?

    This article focuses on explaining the difference between CAD and CAE. But let’s first explain what exactly CAD is. Not too long ago, before CAD was introduced, engineers made their drawings and calculations by hand. Today, that would be considered a struggle. Engineers only drew three different views on their sheet of paper, and they had to…

  • Buckling Analysis of an RTG Crane

    The RTG Crane (Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane, pictured in Figure 1) is a fundamental piece of equipment in any cargo port company. These cranes allow fast stacking, unstacking and movement of containers and similar objects in the port yard. As such, the efficiency and reliability of the RTG crane are critical to meet the port’s performance goals.…

  • Paving the Way towards CAE Democratization

    Consider for a moment all the technology people use on a daily basis without giving it much thought. Imagine that in order to extract any value from it, it is necessary to be an expert in all the physics behind it. This has been true for most products and solutions early in their development lifecycle…

  • Radial Fan Design Optimization with CFD: Dr. Heiser’s Story

    Designers of fans and other turbomachinery need to perform both CFD and FEA simulations to test their products early in the design stage, long before creating a physical prototype. At SimScale, we have customers focused on ensuring the performance, durability, and energy efficiency of their fan designs. To achieve their goals, they use simulation to calculate flow…