CAE simulation and test advance together

With increasing pressures on companies to develop products faster with less cost, CAE simulation and physical test forge stronger ties.

With the growing power of computers and sophistication of CAE software, is it getting harder to decide when to use CAE simulation vs. physical testing? For certain applications, such as bearings, Timken uses CAE throughout the product development process. Its engineers use the company's Syber Bearing Program, according to Matthew Eckels, Chief Engineer for Applications Engineering for Timken. He believes using it early in the development process is most effective, to quickly evaluate design alternatives and weed out unlikely candidates.

“With CAE, the accuracy of analysis has dramatically improved,” he said. It provides the means to efficiently analyze and understand multiple variables simultaneously. Prior to CAE, engineers calculated by hand, limiting the ability to analyze key factors like misalignment, load zone, lubrication, and debris.