Advantages and disadvantages of simulation
Simulation is a computer program to check the performance of a system in defined conditions to accelerate the product design process. As a result, products can be launched to the market faster at a low development cost. This article covers the advantages and disadvantages of simulation studies in engineering.
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Advantages of Simulation
Simulation software has various advantages compared to manual calculation. They have applications in almost every engineering field (mechanical, electronics, architectural, or software).
Following are the advantages of simulation studies in engineering.
- System behavior analysis before building the actual prototype.
- Optimize part design to reduce product manufacturing costs.
- Faster products to the market.
- Solving complex engineering problems quickly
- Value engineering etc.
Let’s discuss the above advantages of simulation software in detail.
1. System Behavior Analysis
Simulation software analyzes the behavior of a system without building actual prototypes. Engineers can work on alternative solutions and simulate various designs.
Therefore simulation during product design has the advantage of finalizing the best solution for prototyping before actually building it. It helps in reducing the number of design iterations.
2. Reduces Manufacturing Cost
Simulation software helps engineers in iterating and testing designs very quickly. As a result, you can design first time right products. In this way, manufacturing and testing cost reduces significantly.
3. Faster Products to Market
Advantages of simulation studies include a reduced number of design iterations. As a result, product design cycle time reduces significantly. It gives companies the advantage of launching products faster in the market.
4. Design Analysis : Visual Output
You can export Simulation results in graphical representation. It helps engineers in analyzing system behavior and product performance more effectively.
5. Problem Solving
Simulation software is used to analyze a problem at various levels. This leads to faster and effective problem-solving.
6. Value Engineering
Simulation studies can help in reducing the existing and new product manufacturing time. That results in increased productivity and reduced manufacturing costs. For example, mold-flow analysis can reduce the injection molding cycle time.
Disadvantages of Simulation Studies
Along with so many advantages, simulation studies also have some disadvantages. But the fact is simulation studies give valuable inputs during product design. Following are the disadvantages of simulation studies in product design:
- Higher initial investment cost. We recommend you use cloud-based simulation software (SimScale) to reduce initial investment costs.
- The simulation tool requires accurate boundary conditions and input data for accurate results.
- Results are not 100% accurate.
1. Higher Initial Investment
The disadvantages of simulation software are high initial investment cost in software license and computing power requirements. Therefore small companies can not afford them.
But you can overcome these limitations by using cloud-based simulation software such as SimScale.
2. Accurate Boundary conditions and input Data
Simulation results accuracy depends on input data and boundary conditions. System boundary conditions include environmental temperature, pressure, and material. Therefore boundary conditions need to be defined accurately to achieve accurate results.
To overcome this problem industry needs to hire experts who can define more accurate boundary conditions. For continuous improvements, You should compare the simulation and field results.
3. Not 100% Accurate
Simulation software is not 100% accurate. You should expect some discrepancies in simulation results and tested products. But with experience, engineers can refine their simulation results.
Simulation software is not 100% accurate. But still, add some value to product design. Something is better than nothing.
To sum up, simulation helps in reducing and eliminating design and manufacturing risks. Simulation software has so many advantages along with some limitations as well. But they add value in new product development by identifying grey areas in the design.
We will keep updating various advantages and disadvantages of simulation during product design. Add your comments, suggestions, or questions on the advantages and disadvantages of simulation software in the comment box. We suggest you also read this article on the difference between CAD CAM and CAE.
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