Have you ever seen footage of a bridge swaying dangerously in the wind or felt a building vibrating unexpectedly during an earthquake? These are classic examples of structural resonance. If not properly addressed, this phenomenon can cause severe damage to structures, resulting in catastrophic failures and significant financial losses. Figure 1: Tacoma Narrows Bridge undergoing significant oscillations due to wind loads near the structure’s resonant frequency Structural resonance occurs when a structure’s natural frequency aligns with external vibration forces, leading to potentially dangerous ..read more

The industrial equipment industry is at a transformative crossroads. With a heightened focus on sustainability and the rapid shift to electrification and energy transition, companies face relentless pressure to innovate, cut costs, and improve efficiencies. And the stakes are high: they must deliver cutting-edge products faster, cheaper, and more sustainably without compromising quality or performance. Traditionally, this sector has relied on robust yet often rigid and demanding processes. One primary challenge is the small-batch design process that is highly customer-specific, making it diffi ..read more

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Continuing our employee spotlight series on our Life at SimScale blog, we would like to introduce you to Andrew Acuff who joined SimScale almost 2 years ago as an Account Executive in the United States. Keep reading as he shares great insights into what makes him proud to be a SimScaler and what driving on the autobahn in Germany has to do with it! Name: Andre Acuff From: United States Position: Account Executive Time at SimScale: 2 years Andrew, what made you join the team?  I had a colleague from a previous company reach out when the opportunity came up. Once ..read more

Engineering simulation tools have undergone significant transformations over recent decades. From the early days of locally installed, dedicated expert simulation tools to the integration of these tools within CAD systems, and now to the latest generation where online simulation platforms serve as the backbone of engineering operations, the evolution is marked by increased accessibility, efficiency, and strategic value. This development has occurred alongside advancements in the computer industry and the refinement of engineering processes. Traditionally associated with the manufacturing secto ..read more

Our international employees who are based in Munich often face challenging language barriers. Knowing German can make life in Germany so much easier, be it at a restaurant, kindergarten, post office, reading German letters, or making local friends. Learning German while working a full-time job can be a real challenge. Most employees have little time and energy left after a full workday and commuting to a private language school after work is exhausting. In addition, German takes several years to master — a real hustle while working full-time. In-House German Courses While SimScale is a fully E ..read more

Yet another Women’s Wednesday is upon us! In today’s edition, we would like to introduce Chandrika who is part of our Workbench Team. She joined SimScale in March of 2024 as a Senior Quality Assurance Engineer. Let’s delve deeper into her journey and learn more about her experiences and contributions at SimScale. Chandrika in Cuxhaven, GermanyWhat is your role? What do you do? I started at SimScale as a Senior QA Engineer on the Workbench Team. Along with my colleagues, we strive to deliver a bug-free user experience to our customers. What is your background? I was born and raised in the south ..read more

What is a Switched Reluctance Motor? Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) is a type of electric motor characterized by its simple and robust design. As its name suggests, it operates based on reluctance torque rather than electromagnetic torque. The term “switched” refers to the motor’s reliance on power-switching transistors for its operation. It consists of a stator with multiple salient poles equipped with coils and a rotor made of ferromagnetic material with no windings or permanent magnets. This offers several significant advantages, particularly in terms of mechanical simplicity, durability ..read more

As engineers and designers strive to develop simulation-driven structural designs efficiently and accurately, it is important to minimize the simulation setup complexity and requirements in the simulation tool. This, in turn, helps save time and computational resources. Bolt connectors are one aspect of structural design that engineers tend to struggle with, especially due to their usually large number and corresponding mesh requirements. Some would rather not include them in their CAD model but still need to consider them in their simulations. Accordingly, SimScale has introduced a new featur ..read more

Structural optimization is a design method that ensures designs are strong, efficient, and cost-effective early in their design cycle. Structures must be optimized for the best possible performance with the least material usage, reducing costs and environmental impact. In industries like aerospace, automotive, and civil engineering, optimizing structures ensures safety, reliability, and sustainability. Yet, traditional methods of structural optimization can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. With cloud-native simulation, engineers can perform complex simulations more quickly and accurat ..read more

Electric motors are vital electrical devices that power a wide range of applications by converting electrical energy into mechanical energy. From electric vehicles and industrial machinery to HVAC systems, robotics, and renewable energy systems, the versatility and energy efficiency of electric motors make them the preferred method of converting electrical energy into motion. To ensure the optimal design and performance of electric motors, engineers rely on simulation models that allow them to test, iterate, and optimize their design parameters under different conditions. Today, electric motor ..read more