Third of automotive engineers are dissatisfied with their thermal modelling capabilities

Nearly a third (30%) of automotive thermal engineers are dissatisfied with the current modelling capabilities of their thermal simulation platforms. That’s according to a new survey conducted by Future Facilities, exploring the thermal challenges of the automotive industry.

Polling 50 thermal engineers, including users from the top 5 ranked simulation providers, the study found that almost two thirds (60%) of those working on automotive designs have been prevented from optimizing user safety due to inadequate simulation software. 

40% of automotive engineers surveyed also agreed that they are unable to perform simulation to the level they’re looking to achieve due to hardware limitations. The same percentage stated that they’re limited due to poor access to manufacturer models for thermal simulation.

6SigmaET’s research has also explored the key thermal challenges facing the automotive industry, identifying consolidation, automation and electric vehicles as posing the biggest challenges for thermal engineers. 

Drawbacks like these are severely impacting pivotal parts of the design process, such as graphics and model creation – leading to slower solve speeds and ultimately slower time-to-market. 

Chris Aldham, product manager at 6SigmaET, commented: “The automotive industry is one of the most interesting battlegrounds for thermal engineers. As automotive engineers are asked to squeeze increasingly sophisticated technologies into smaller and smaller spaces, we need to experiment with solutions for tackling increased heat output without compromising performance or aesthetics. 

“With that in mind, such widespread dissatisfaction for engineers’ current modelling capabilities is concerning. Companies need to find more efficient, accessible ways of modeling, whether that’s features like photorealistic graphics that improve the clarity of design, or automating model creation and post processing to speed up the process. Engineers require support in building the best electronics for the automotive industry, allowing them to focus upon CFD simulation and thermal design. This means providing simulation packages that incorporate the very latest modelling technology, capable of catering to these evolving industry trends.”