Autodesk Inventor

[#1]

Does anyone out there know of a good FEA software package for use with
Inventor? I am looking for something to use for a small business. Nothing
really expensive like Algor. I just need something simple to use that is
sort of cheap but a good package.

Thanks,

Jason

[#2]

We use COSMOS/DesignStar 3.X. The Inventor integration often causes it to crash so you are better of exporting the file and importing it. It is pretty easy to use, but can be VERY slow. I suspect it isn't the most sophisticated FEA package on the market. To be honest I don't use it much, I never have the time to learn it real well and have found that if you don't know it real well your results are suspect. I don't have any experience with other packages to compare. Well OK we had Algor for DOS long ago, complete with CGA graphics ....
Rich Thomas

[#3]

DesignSpace from Ansys. Easy to use and it interfaces directly with
Inventor.

http://www.ansys.com/ansys/designspace.htm

you can get a 30 day trial from this page as well. Not sure if the R6
update is out yet but at the least you can save as SAT and import from
there.

--
Sean Dotson, PE
http://www.sdotson.com
Check the Inventor FAQ for most common questions
http://www.sdotson.com/faq.html
-----------------------------------------
"Jason Bryan" wrote in message
news:B1CA35F3D4A68E931A706DB9B43322B8@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Does anyone out there know of a good FEA software package for use with
> Inventor? I am looking for something to use for a small business.
Nothing
> really expensive like Algor. I just need something simple to use that is
> sort of cheap but a good package.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jason
>
>

[#4]

Hi Rich,

Take a look on the Inventor Certified Partner
Applications.

href="http://www.autodesk.com/inventor">www.autodesk.com/inventor

All the best,

jeferson.stutz
color=#006699>@autodesk.com

face=Verdana>

Manufacturing
Application Engineer

Southern Latin America
face=Verdana>

Rua Florida, 1758 - Andar
7
Sao Paulo, SP 04565-001

color=#006699>Brasil

Direct phone: 55
11-5505-0275
Fax : 55 11-5505-0232


autodesk
color=#006699>®

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"rllthomas" <
href="mailto:rllthomas@attbi.com">rllthomas@attbi.com> wrote in message

href="news:f12d975.1@WebX.maYIadrTaRb">news:f12d975.1@WebX.maYIadrTaRb...

We
use COSMOS/DesignStar 3.X. The Inventor integration often causes it to crash
so you are better of exporting the file and importing it. It is pretty easy to
use, but can be VERY slow. I suspect it isn't the most sophisticated FEA
package on the market. To be honest I don't use it much, I never have the time
to learn it real well and have found that if you don't know it real well your
results are suspect. I don't have any experience with other packages to
compare. Well OK we had Algor for DOS long ago, complete with CGA graphics
....
Rich Thomas

[#5]

Has anyone used Lisa with Inventor?
http://www.lisa-fet.com/index1024.htm

"Jason Bryan" wrote in message
news:B1CA35F3D4A68E931A706DB9B43322B8@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Does anyone out there know of a good FEA software package for use with
> Inventor? I am looking for something to use for a small business.
Nothing
> really expensive like Algor. I just need something simple to use that is
> sort of cheap but a good package.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jason
>
>

[#6]

I used a trial of designspace about a month ago. It's pretty cool. Easy to learn and fairly quick to run solutions. Thats about all I did for a month. I got decent on it. Picked it up with a little help from the "help" lines at ansys in no time. I advise no one to buy FEA programs that can't calculate at least the most basic stress analysis problems by hand though. I have done quite a bit by hand, and I still almost let some screwed up solutions slide by. There are infinite ways to get bad results.

[#7]

"I advise no
one to buy FEA programs that can't calculate at least the most basic stress
analysis problems by hand though. I have done quite a bit by hand, and I still
almost let some screwed up solutions slide by. There are infinite ways to get
bad results."

This is so true.  One of the things I was
taught in college is that you had better know the approx solution before running
an FEA.  It's basic function is to "back up" your theory.  I've lived
by that rule to this day.

--
Sean Dotson, PE

href="http://www.sdotson.com">http://www.sdotson.com
Check the Inventor
FAQ for most common questions

href="http://www.sdotson.com/faq.html">http://www.sdotson.com/faq.html
-----------------------------------------

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"boilerchip" <
href="mailto:chip@liftaloft.com">chip@liftaloft.com> wrote in message

href="news:f12d975.4@WebX.maYIadrTaRb">news:f12d975.4@WebX.maYIadrTaRb...

I
used a trial of designspace about a month ago. It's pretty cool. Easy to learn
and fairly quick to run solutions. Thats about all I did for a month. I got
decent on it. Picked it up with a little help from the "help" lines at ansys
in no time. I advise no one to buy FEA programs that can't calculate at least
the most basic stress analysis problems by hand though. I have done quite a
bit by hand, and I still almost let some screwed up solutions slide by. There
are infinite ways to get bad results.

[#8]

I was actually opposed to us purchasing an FEA package with a floating license and rolling it out to anybody and their brother for just that reason. I lot the argument - Rich Thomas