Physical Sciences & Engineering

News Sep 5, 2026

Simcenter FLOEFD 2606: Smart Die Modeling, FEM-Based PCB Thermal Analysis, and Headless EDA Automation

Siemens releases Simcenter FLOEFD 2606 with major advances in electronics cooling simulation, including Smart Die technology for modeling thousands of IC power sources, FEM prism mesh-based Smart PCB thermal analysis, and fully automated headless EDA Bridge workflows. The update delivers up to 2x faster solve times for large PCB assemblies and introduces a new library ecosystem for validated component reuse.

By Jeff 42 views

News Sep 3, 2026

Moldex3D 2026: Hot Runner Speed Gains, AI-Driven Defect Prediction, and Advanced IC Packaging Simulation

CoreTech System has released Moldex3D 2026, delivering a 4x or greater speed improvement for multi-cavity hot runner analysis, a fully upgraded crystallization solver using the Dual Nakamura Model, and new Hybrid Zone and EBG technologies that cut semiconductor packaging simulation times by up to 15x. The release also deepens AI integration through the iSLM Discovery series, AI Chat diagnostics, and an expanded Moldibot with 'Deep Thinking' capabilities.

By Jeff 65 views

News Sep 1, 2026

MSC Nastran 2026.1: HPC Scaling, SOL 200 NEO Topology Optimization, and Nonlinear Contact Improvements

Hexagon releases MSC Nastran 2026.1 with enhanced DMP/GPU HPC capabilities, manufacturing-ready topology optimization via SOL 200 NEO, and improved nonlinear contact robustness for aerospace and automotive FEA workflows.

By Jeff 126 views

Article Aug 31, 2026

Altair OptiStruct Topology Optimization: Generating Manufacturable Lightweight Structures

Altair OptiStruct uses the SIMP method to discover optimal material distributions within a design space, minimizing compliance while respecting a target volume fraction. Built-in manufacturing constraints—draw direction, minimum member size, and additive overhang limits—ensure the optimized topology is directly producible without manual redesign.

By Jeff 69 views

News Aug 29, 2026

OpenFOAM v2606: GPU Offloading, GEKO Turbulence Model, and Python Bindings Advance Open-Source CFD

OpenCFD's June 2026 release of OpenFOAM v2606 delivers landmark GPU offloading infrastructure, the versatile GEKO two-equation RANS turbulence model, and native Python bindings via pybFoam — collectively lowering the barrier to high-performance CFD while expanding physics fidelity for industrial users.

By Jeff 149 views

News Aug 27, 2026

Scia Engineer 2026: Mobile Loads, 7-DOF Warping Beams, and Eurocode 2nd Generation Support

SCIA Engineer 2026 delivers a major structural analysis upgrade with automated mobile load systems using influence lines, a new 7th-degree-of-freedom beam element for warping and torsion, integrated footfall vibration analysis, and full compliance with the 2nd generation of Eurocodes. The release also adds a 3D wind load engine for ASCE 7-22 and enhanced punching shear checks for non-standard geometries.

By Jeff 119 views

News Aug 11, 2026

SIMULIA Abaqus R2026x: GPU-Accelerated Explicit Solver, Butler-Volmer Battery Modeling, and Next-Gen Meshing

Dassault Systèmes' R2026x release marks a landmark update for Abaqus, introducing native GPU acceleration for the Explicit solver on NVIDIA hardware, electrochemical Butler-Volmer kinetics for lithium battery simulation, and a suite of advanced meshing and composite modeling capabilities. The release positions Abaqus as one of the first commercial FEA codes to leverage GPU compute for explicit dynamics.

By Jeff 195 views

News Aug 8, 2026

OpenFOAM 14: Rewritten Combustion Solver, Modular Lagrangian, and Units as a Standard Feature

The OpenFOAM Foundation released version 14 on July 14, 2026, delivering a ground-up rewrite of the XiFluid combustion solver using a MULES-based multiphase approach, an 80%-complete modular Lagrangian framework, and native unit support throughout the case configuration system. With ~938 commits and 130 resolved issues, this release advances open-source CFD for engine combustion, multiphase flows, and complex particle simulations.

By Jeff 215 views

News Aug 6, 2026

Siemens Simcenter Summer 2026: PhysicsAI Generate, Unified Altair Portfolio, and Meshless Structural Simulation

Siemens has released its Summer 2026 Simcenter update, unifying Siemens and Altair simulation technologies for the first time while introducing Simcenter PhysicsAI Generate — a physics-aware generative AI engine — and expanding geometric deep learning across STAR-CCM+, Inspire, and HyperMesh. The release also integrates Simcenter Simsolid with Designcenter for meshless structural analysis and strengthens multiphysics workflows for electric powertrain development.

By Jeff 491 views

News Jul 28, 2026

GT-SUITE 2026: AI.advisor, Hydrogen Ecosystem Simulation, and GT-FEMAG Designer Headline Major Release

Gamma Technologies has released GT-SUITE v2026, introducing AI.advisor — a generative AI assistant embedded in the simulation environment — alongside expanded hydrogen and fuel cell modeling capabilities, 3D battery swelling analysis, and the new GT-FEMAG Designer for electric motor topology iteration. RAM usage for large models is reduced by up to 4x, and parallel metamodel training with FMU export accelerates AI-driven design workflows.

By Jeff 292 views

Article Jul 14, 2026

Siemens STAR-CCM+ Overset Mesh: Simulating Moving Bodies in Complex Flow Environments

Siemens STAR-CCM+ Overset Mesh (Chimera) superimposes an independently meshed donor region onto a fixed background mesh, enabling large-displacement moving-body CFD without remeshing. This article covers the hole-cutting algorithm, overlap zone sizing rules, DFBI six-DOF coupling, and best practices for store separation and rotating machinery simulations.

By Jeff 537 views

News Jul 14, 2026

SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2026: Fill Thin Slot, Angular Displacement Plots, and Pin Connector Force Extraction

SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2026 delivers targeted enhancements across structural, thermal, vibration, and plastics analysis workflows. Key additions include the Fill Thin Slot feature for accurate heat transfer modeling in compact assemblies, angular displacement plotting in degrees or radians, pin connector force extraction in random vibration studies, and a 30% speed boost for injection molding simulations.

By Jeff 160 views

Article Jun 25, 2026

ANSYS MAPDL Parametric Scripting: Automating Structural Simulations with APDL

ANSYS Mechanical APDL (MAPDL) parametric scripting enables engineers to automate design sweeps, batch processing, and optimization workflows that GUI-based tools cannot match. This reference covers core APDL patterns — parameterized geometry, *DO loops, conditional logic, and result extraction — along with PyMAPDL integration for Python-driven simulation pipelines.

By Jeff 438 views

News Jun 20, 2026

Realis Simulation 2025.2: 50% Faster Combustion CFD, Dual-Fuel H₂/NH₃ Support, and Tighter CFD-FEA Coupling

Realis Simulation 2025.2 delivers a 50% reduction in VECTIS R2DK combustion run times, new dual-fuel auto-ignition capabilities for hydrogen and ammonia blends, and a validated FEARCE-Vulcan thermal model for hydrogen direct-injection engines. The release also adds direct modeFRONTIER coupling for automated DOE workflows and builds on the 95%-faster CFD-FEA heat transfer mapping introduced in 2025.1.

By Jeff 451 views

News Jun 13, 2026

Abaqus 2025: Multi-GPU Acceleration, Advanced Wear Modeling, and Expanded Multiphysics Capabilities

Dassault Systèmes SIMULIA has released Abaqus 2025, delivering significant advances in solver performance, contact wear simulation, and multiphysics workflows. Key highlights include multi-GPU acceleration for the iterative sparse solver, DMP scalable eigensolvers for frequency and buckling analysis, and new surface tension modeling capabilities that open the door to solder reflow and microfluidics applications.

By Jeff 1232 views

News Jun 9, 2026

OpenFOAM v2512: GAMG Reproducibility, AMI Caching Speedups, and a New Immersed Boundary Method

The December 2025 release of OpenFOAM v2512 delivers targeted improvements to the GAMG solver, introduces AMI stencil caching for 10–30% speedups in moving-mesh simulations, adds a two-layer k-ε wall treatment, and brings a new finite-area Immersed Boundary Method for thin-film modeling. The release also completes the project's migration to GitLab.

By Jeff 540 views

News Jun 6, 2026

MathWorks R2026a: Simulink Copilot, Agentic Toolkits, and FMU Builder Transform Model-Based Design

MathWorks has released MATLAB and Simulink R2026a, introducing Simulink Copilot for AI-grounded model assistance, the MATLAB and Simulink Agentic Toolkits for autonomous agent-driven workflows via MCP, and the new Simulink FMU Builder for streamlined model exchange. The release marks a significant step toward AI-native simulation environments for embedded systems and control design.

By Jeff 1135 views

News Jun 4, 2026

SimScale Launches Engineering AI Agents and Open Workflows Platform for Autonomous Simulation Orchestration

SimScale has opened its Engineering AI agents to all enterprise teams and launched SimScale Workflows, an open platform architecture enabling any solver or custom method to be integrated natively. Together, these releases enable fully autonomous, end-to-end simulation pipelines where AI agents manage the entire engineering process — from CAD preparation to validated reporting — without human handoffs.

By Jeff 1273 views

News May 30, 2026

AVL Simulation Suite 2025 R2 Test

Test article with image.

By Jeff 221 views

News May 30, 2026

AVL Simulation Suite 2025 R2: GPU-Accelerated Battery Safety, Hydrogen Electrolyzer Modeling, and AI-Driven Design Exploration

AVL has released its Simulation Suite 2025 R2, introducing GPU-accelerated battery thermal runaway simulation in FIRE M, a new PEM electrolyzer generator in CRUISE M for hydrogen system modeling, and AI-driven design exploration tools. The update targets electrification and sustainable propulsion development with enhanced fidelity and workflow automation.

By Jeff 498 views