🧭 CAE Compass

Edition # 28

Imagine you're trying to cook a big meal. If you have just one small pan and a single stove burner, it’s going to take ages.

But if you have a big kitchen with multiple burners, a large oven, and the right equipment, you can whip up a feast much faster.

The same logic applies to CAE!

The more powerful your computer, the faster and smoother your simulations will run. But does that mean you need a computer worth thousands of dollars? Not necessarily!

What Does CAE Need?

Let's get to the basics. CAE software, like FEA or CFD is hungry for 3 things: 👅

1. Processing Power (CPU) – The brain of your computer. More cores = faster calculations.
2. Memory (RAM) – Think of this as your workspace. Bigger RAM allows handling complex models.
3. Storage (SSD vs HDD) – SSDs load files faster and improve performance.

Budget-Friendly Setup

If you’re just starting and don’t want to burn your wallet, here’s what you can do:

• Go for a used or refurbished workstation – Older Intel Xeon or AMD Ryzen processors with at least 16GB RAM and an SSD work well for beginners.
• Cloud-Based CAE Tools – Use online platforms instead of buying expensive hardware.
• Reduce the number of elements in your model (smart meshing!) to make your computer handle it better.

How I Ran My First Crash Analysis Pilot Project?

When I was starting out in Crash Analysis, I didn’t have access to high-end workstations or expensive software. But that didn’t stop me!

Instead, I found budget-friendly way to run pilot projects and gain hands-on experience.

Here’s how I did it:

🚗 The Project: Simulating a Low-Speed Car Bumper Impact

💡 Goal: Analyze how a car bumper deforms in a low-speed crash (e.g., hitting a pole at 10 km/h).

🔧 What I Used:

• A basic laptop with 16GB RAM and an SSD.
• SimScale (Free Plan) for cloud-based FEA.
• A simple CAD bumper model (downloaded from GrabCAD).

If you prefer offline simulations, you can download the free student version of LS-DYNA and run it directly on your laptop.

Looking back, these pilot projects were invaluable for my career. 🤗

Remember, budget-friendly simulations start with smart choices and enthusiasm, not expensive hardware.

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Happy Analyzing! 🙂

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