According to the survey, which spoke with 150 professional thermal engineers and included users of every major simulation platform, 54% agreed that thermal simulation is too time-consuming. The survey found that a disconcerting majority (53%) of simulations taking more than 24 hours to complete, while two in five engineers (39%) said that delays in their design process are usually, or always, due to solve speeds.
With more engineers than ever before using thermal simulation software - 96% of those surveyed in 2022 compared to 63% in 2018 - simulation is now a key part of the design process. Given this prominence alongside the increasing complexity of the designs being tested by today’s thermal engineers, it’s no surprise that reducing the time spent on the design process where possible is a priority.
The survey found that faster solve speeds ranked ahead of design complexity and late-stage complications as motivators to switch simulation platform. Despite the widespread use of thermal simulation tools that are easy-to-use and convenient, most thermal engineers are still at the mercy of their software’s performance when it comes to the design process.
Commenting on the findings, Tom Gregory, Principal Product Marketing Manager at 6SigmaET by Cadence said, “Given the fast pace of innovation in today’s electronics industry, it’s no surprise that engineers are looking to accelerate their designs without sacrificing quality. Thermal simulation is a key part of that; software that can solve complex designs in hours instead of days frees up thermal engineers to work at their best and focus their attentions on other challenges. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever for engineers to find software alternatives that can match the pace of innovation.”
According to Gregory, a side-by-side comparison conducted by Rohde & Schwartz of 6SigmaET by Cadence found that it provided faster preparation, pre-processing, and solve times boosting design efficiency by as much as 35%.
Some 78% of engineers were able to complete solves for their products in under a day, making the thermal simulation part of the design process much easier to conduct.
To download a copy of 6SigmaET’s State of Thermal report follow the link below.
