Fusion 360 simulation FEA solver compared to inventor

[mufadal89]

Hello,

Regarding the FEA solver being used in Fusion 360 . Is it the same solver which is also being used in Inventor ? 

Would I get the exact same results in static stress analysis in Fusion as compared to Inventor if I use the same boundary conditions, loading and mesh size?

Please let me know. I am in doubt whether the solver has been downgraded and made less precise and accurate?

I am looking to do experiments and get meaningful results for static analysis out of Fusion 360 but I need to make sure the simulation is on par with the other commercial software as they are already proven. Please help me .

Regards,

Mufaddal

[John_Holtz · Accepted solution]

Hi Mufaddal,

The results from Fusion will be just as accurate as from any other FEA software when using identical models.

Here is a little background information. The solver in Fusion is the Autodesk Nastran solver. Nastran started in the late 1960's, and Autodesk's version of Nastran started in the 1990's (as NEi Nastran). From this perspective, the solver is well established.

Inventor has two stress analysis programs:

• "Environment > Begin > Autodesk Nastran In-CAD" uses the same Nastran solver as Fusion. If you could build the same model, you would get the same result as in Fusion.
• "Environment > Begin > Stress Analysis" uses a different mesher and different solver. Because of these differences, the results would be close to each other but not identical to X decimal places. If you could build the same mesh, the results would be almost identical because solving the same or similar set of equations will give the same or similar answer regardless of what solver is used.

Inventor Stress Analysis does have some capabilities to create higher order elements that Fusion/In-CAD does not have. But with a proper mesh created in either of the three packages, you will get the same result.

[mufadal89]

Thank you @John_Holtz . Solves my problem