Top Free Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) Software
Check out our list of free Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) Software. Products featured on this list are the ones that offer a free trial version. As with most free versions, there are limitations, typically time or features.
If you'd like to see more products and to evaluate additional feature options, compare all Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) Software to ensure you get the right product.
Fusion 360 is for product designers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and machinists. It unifies design, engineering, PCB design, and manufacturing into a single platform. It allows you to connect your disconnected product development process to deliver high-quality products to market faster and positively impact your bottom line. Fusion 360 is a fully integrated CAD, CAM, PCB, and CAE software that includes generative design, 2.5, 3, 4, & 5 axis machining, and advanced simulatio
SimScale is a leading cloud-based CAE platform that provides access to CFD, FEA, and thermodynamics simulation capabilities 100% via a standard web browser. No hardware, installation or licenses required. Try the free Community plan or request a free trial for the Professional account at https://www.simscale.com/
AnyLogic is the standard in multimethod modeling technology, delivering increased efficiency and less risk when tackling complex business challenges. The unmatched flexibility found in AnyLogic allows users to capture the complexity of virtually any system, at any level of detail, and gain a deeper insight into the interdependent processes inside and around an organization.
Autodesk® Inventor® 2021 software provides engineers and designers professional grade design and engineering solution for 3D mechanical design, simulation, visualization, and documentation. With Inventor software, engineers can integrate 2D and 3D data into a single design environment, creating a virtual representation of the final product that enables them to validate the form, fit, and function of the product before it is ever built. Autodesk Inventor includes powerful parametric, direct edi
Solid Edge is a portfolio of affordable, easy to deploy, maintain, and use software tools that advance all aspects of the product development process – mechanical and electrical design, simulation, manufacturing, technical documentation, data management, and cloud-based collaboration. Developed on Siemens industry leading technologies, Solid Edge provides the most innovative and comprehensive approach to product development for the mainstream market.
ETAP® is a full spectrum analytical engineering software company specializing in the analysis, simulation, monitoring, control, optimization, and automation of electrical power systems. ETAP electrical engineering software offers the best and most comprehensive suite of integrated power system enterprise solution.
Ansys Sherlock is the only reliability physics-based electronics design tool that provides fast and accurate life predictions of electronic hardware at the component, board and system levels in early stage design. Using reliability physics, Sherlock reduces expensive build-and-test iterations by virtually running thermal cycling, power-temperature cycling, vibration, shock, bending, thermal derating, accelerated life, natural frequency, CAF and more so you can adjust designs in near real-time a
Adaptive Simulations offers a cloud-based service: Ingrid Cloud, a fully automated flow simulation experience. Ingrid Cloud increases accuracy, flexibility and cost efficiency when simulating flow. The accessibility and ease of use of the solution enables designers and architects without any prior knowledge of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) or simulations to accelerate and improve their design. Our unique automated solution makes the complex easy. Read more about Ingrid Cloud, and TRY FOR
Azore is a cutting edge CFD software tool for flow, heat transfer, and species mixing applications. It is a control volume solver that can use polyhedral, hex, or tetrahedral mesh topologies. Azore includes a pre/post processing GUI for model set up and results analysis.
SimPy is an open-source discrete-event simulation package based on Python.
Design and make your products with our best Inventor, including in-canvas workflows for design, advanced simulation, 5-axis CAM, nesting, and factory layout. You also get access to the full breadth of specialized toolsets available with AutoCAD, along with new cloud-based technologies like Fusion 360. Why a collection? Professional-grade design and manufacturing Design and make your products with the full collection of tools that work inside Inventor, including Inventor Nastran, Inventor CAM,
Electra E8: The Easiest to use Electrical CAD Software. Create circuits 300-500% faster, generate terminals and bills of materials in a blink!
As infrastructure assets are crucially linked to subsurface environments, they are vulnerable to geotechnical risk. Perform three-dimensional finite element analysis of deformation and stability in geotechnical engineering and rock mechanics with PLAXIS 3D. A comprehensive solution for design and analysis of soils, rocks, and associated structures, PLAXIS 3D allows you to make safe, cost-efficient decisions that offer fast, and reliable comprehensive analysis methods. The PLAXIS interface gu
Finite elements in the cloud A really-easy web-based platform for performing thermo-mechanical analysis right from your browser
SimFlow is a CFD software for Windows and Linux. Powerful and intuitive Computational Fluid Dynamics Software for your everyday engineering needs.
Top 10 Free Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) Software in 2021
- Fusion 360
- SimScale
- AnyLogic
- Inventor
- Solid Edge
- ETAP
- Ansys Sherlock
- Ingrid Cloud
- Azore CFD
- SimPy
Learn More About Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) Software
What is Computer-Aided Engineering Software?
Computer-aided engineering leverages a wide range of tools to test how a product will perform in the real world. With tools such as stress analysis, thermal and fluid flow analysis, and mechanical event simulation, engineers are able to simulate a product’s durability and performance. Generally, computer-aided engineering software will aid an engineer in the three phases of computer-aided engineering. The first phase is preprocessing, which allows users to simulate the environment that a product will be placed into. This can be something like creating a construction site or a shipping dock (any virtual environment the product will be placed in). The second phase is called analysis, in which engineers can analyze how the product is affected by its environment. This can show how the product becomes deformed or stressed by pressure and outside forces. The last step is called visualization, in which actual data is produced that communicates to the engineers which outside forces caused the most stress on the product. After testing and analysis, the engineers can make the necessary changes in order to improve the overall design of the product. The result of conducting this thorough testing is what allows engineers to manufacture products that are both durable and safe.
Key Benefits of Computer-Aided Engineering Software
- Save money and time by speeding up the physical prototyping process
- Help manage risk by performing mechanical event simulations
- Improve collaboration by having each team pitch in on the design of a product within the software
Why Use Computer-Aided Engineering Software?
Computer-aided engineering software speeds up the time it takes engineers to prototype and test how objects will perform in the real world. This allows product engineers to improve design performance well before a product is manufactured. A major example of this is how airplane engineers manufacture an airplane that can withhold the stress of landing on a runway. Within this process there are so many variables to take into account, including the material, size, and speed of the airplane. Given the perspective of how many factors go into the safety and performance design of an airplane, one would think it would take countless days of manipulating the design to create a reliable product. However, computer-aided engineering allows engineers to speed up this process by running simulations of plane landings and detailing exact ways in which the engineer can improve the design. By making these changes in a virtual environment, companies save plenty of money by not having to manufacture countless designs before getting the final product correct.
Who Uses Computer-Aided Engineering Software?
CAE software is used across a variety of industries in the manufacturing and engineering world. Its main functions include simulation, validation, and optimization of products, which can be broadly applied to any business trying to test and improve a manufactured product. With this in mind, here are a couple of industries that use CAE software.
Automotive industry — Historically, automakers spent plenty of time producing physical vehicle models and then testing them for safety by actually crashing them into physical barriers. With advancements in CAE software, however, design and safety testing is all done using computer simulations. Within the virtual simulation, a car can be tested to improve safety, comfort, and vehicle durability. This has saved the automotive industry both time and money by eliminating the need to produce countless physical prototypes.
Manufacturers — CAE software can produce simulations of manufacturing assembly lines. This helps manufacturers identify any inefficiencies or issues before they begin construction on expensive production assemblies. By identifying these issues, they can save money and increase the efficiency of their manufacturing systems.
Kinds of Computer-Aided Engineering Software
On-premises CAE software — On-premises CAE software refers to software that is installed on a local computer. While on-premises software tend to run at a higher price, they generally offer more functionality then cloud-based CAE software.
Cloud-based CAE software — Cloud-based CAE software refers to software that can be accessed via the internet and is usually paid on a subscription-based model. While cloud-based CAE software is generally cheaper, it usually offers less functionality, and requires the user have access to the internet.
Computer-Aided Engineering Software Features
Computational fluid dynamics — One of the main forms of engineering analysis that CAE software performs is computational fluid dynamics (CFD). CFD is a way to model the behavior of both fluids and gases. This includes modeling the way they interact with one another as well as surfaces that they come in contact with. This feature can solve problems such as identifying incompressible and compressible fluids, laminar and turbulent flows, as well as multiphase flow problems.
Finite element analysis — Finite element analysis is a numerical method used to solve engineering problems. This process is used to break down one large problem into a handful of smaller ones, called finite elements. Using this method, engineers can break down complex engineering problems into manageable pieces. One of the main ways engineers use finite element analysis is to make model representations in which they can test how objects interact with another, which provides an understanding of how an actual object would be affected by other physical forces. Examples are bridge modeling, car crash testing, and testing the structural integrity of any given object.
Manufacturing process simulation — Manufacturing simulation is the computer-based modeling of an actual production system. This can be a simulation of something such as an assembly line or an inventory management system. Simulating how a manufacturing system will perform can help identify problems with production lines or deficiencies within the system. Manufacturing simulation will also give statistical reporting analysis in order to relate how efficient a particular production model is.
Mechanical event simulation — Mechanical event simulation enables engineers to simulate how objects will react to certain events in real life. A good example of this is a simulation of how a mobile phone will interact with a cement floor in the event that it is accidentally dropped. Within the simulation, the software can indicate if the phone screen will crack or if any other permanent issues will be caused. The software can then suggest changes to be made to the phone to make it more durable and protected in the event of a dropped phone; when considering these changes, users can test the simulation until the product is adjusted to their liking.
Potential Issues with Computer-Aided Engineering Software
Learning curve — Computer-aided engineering software comes with a steep learning curve. While there are more products and resources that can help beginners, it will still take a significant amount of time to master all the nuances of the software.
High price — Another major concern for small businesses is the high price of computer-aided engineering software. Some commercial CAE software can range anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 per person, which is a hefty price tag for a single user in a company.
