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Editor's Pick: STAR-Works V4.14 Simulates Flow Inside of SolidWorks
Embedded CFD tool for SolidWorks lets you update flow analysis and meshing with the click of a button.
by Anthony J. Lockwood | Published January 30, 2008
Dear Desktop Engineering Reader:
 I’m in the doghouse at home again because, in a jolt of health consciousness, I bought the low-sodium version of a family favorite junk food. It’s useless beyond compute. It reminded me of a time I wasted money on some software for work that functioned just enough so that it became abundantly clear that it wasn’t up to snuff. I’ve heard similar gripes from engineers about those MCAD-embeddable analysis applications. But I’ve only heard good things about STAR-Works CFD software from CD-adapco.
Which makes sense, of course. There’s CFD software, and then there’s CD-adapco’s CFD software. These guys have been at the forefront of CFD development for more than 25 years now. They know their salt.
STAR-Works 4.14 integrates directly into SolidWorks, becoming a natural, nudge-free part of your SolidWorks design cycle. Since STAR-Works 4.14 is powered by CD-adapco’s world-class STAR-CCM+ solver technology, it is industrial strength. Only it does not make you suffer trying to use out-of-your class power. In spite of its power, STAR-Works is for designers and project engineers who need to ensure that they are on the right track, not analysis Ph.D.s, although the high priests can certainly leverage it.
In practice this means you can use simple menus or a simulation wizard within SolidWorks to quickly set up and run such simulations as laminar and turbulent flow, thermal load, conjugate heat transfer, rotating machinery, compressible and incompressible flow, and even porous materials. Meshing is a one-button affair and, since STAR-Works 4.14 creates meshes directly from your SolidWorks model, you don’t have to fuss with exporting the file and cleaning it up.
STAR-Works 4.14 maintains full associativity with the model throughout the simulation process, so any change your simulation inspires you to make to your design becomes a part of the solution as fast your workstation can process it. STAR-Works even stores boundary conditions and meshes within the model.
The net gain is that STAR-Works 4.14 lets you start optimizing your design as soon as practical and when you feel like it. Think of that a minute. You can shorten your product development cycle with CFD optimization that does not dominate your concentration or waste time. And you’re using a top-shelf CFD system, not some useless, low-powered software that leaves you feeling as if you’re in the doghouse again.
STAR-Works 4.14 is part of the STAR-CAD Series, which also includes versions for CATIA, NX, and Pro/ENGINEER. Read more about STAR-Works 4.14 in today’s Pick of the Week write-up and hit the links to sign up for more stuff like a free webinar, Best Practices, or a demo CD.
Thanks, Pal. – Lockwood
Anthony J. Lockwood
Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering magazine
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