Editor's Pick: Groundbreaking Solutions for the Most Demanding Simulation Tasks

Dear DE Reader, 

Unlike CAD, where there are only a few key brands and products, CAE remains a dizzying market with a wide variety of companies and products. The reason for the difference is fairly simple. All CAD tools can be used to design the same product geometry, but in CAE each company offers different algorithms to analyze and simulate how products respond to physical forces. It is not uncommon for an engineering team to standardize on one CAD program but use a variety of CAE tools. 

BETA CAE Systems has been making simulation and analysis tools for more than 25 years. Each release of their product line, as a complementary suite of products, is designed to maximize problem-solving while minimizing tedious details. Their v20 release continues to set an industry standard for offering a wide product line and a deep understanding of simulation complexity, which is why we have selected it as our Editor’s Pick of the Week. 

There are now six tools in the BETA CAE suite, each with new features and improvements. ANSA is a pre-processor that maintains an association between CAD geometry and the Finite Element mesh. EPILYSIS is an FEA solver for linear and non-linear behavior. META is a post-processor for both 3D field and 2D plot results. KOMVOS is a model and data management platform for interactive browsing, visualizing and handling simulation data. RETOMO processes CT data in correlation with CAE and CAD data and applying high-end methods visualizes the CT for the analysts/engineers. SPDRM (Simulation, Process, Data & Resource Management) is a unique solution for CAE workflow management. 

Each product in the suite has a large list of new features and improvements in the V20.0 release. Here are a few choice examples: 

ANSA now offers new potential with its Modular Run Management solutions. An abundance of new developments, such as extracting middle surfaces of geometries, or a more reliable path from PDM to CAE, now offer a significant boost to the operations of the CAE modeling process as a whole. The extended capabilities of ANSA via the implementation of virtual reality in pre-processing captivates the perception and cognition of any given FEA workflow from a closer and more realistic perspective.

EPILYSIS expands further its functionality and performance. There is also new support for the SOL200 standard for multidisciplinary optimization of stress constraints. 

META expands its multi-thriving post-processing capabilities. The new graphics kernel has been enriched with new toolbars, functions refactoring, and redesigned tools, all offering a boost in every simulation area. 

KOMVOS is now a stand-alone application, small in size, easy-to-install and launch, with extended Product Tree supported formats, as well as significant improvements for optimum User Experience. 

RETOMO adds new Machine Learning algorithms, developed specifically by BETA CAE Systems, offering an intelligent alternative to segmenting challenging scans.

This is a CAE suite used by a wide segment of manufacturing companies. BETA CAE Systems maintains good working relationships not only with all leading CAD products but also with other CAE products. This gives the BETA CAE user the best of both worlds: world-class analysis and wide industry interoperability. 

There is so much more to share; be sure to read our Product Brief for more details.

Thanks for reading, we’ll be back next week with another Editor’s Pick of the Week. 

—The DE Editors