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Introduction
When it comes to validating designs, SOLIDWORKS Simulation provides an excellent starting point for engineers. But as designs become more complex and loading conditions more nonlinear, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform extends your capabilities far beyond desktop limits. In this blog, we’ll use a simple yet powerful demonstration, a can-crush simulation, to highlight how seamlessly SOLIDWORKS integrates with 3DEXPERIENCE and why this matters for advanced analysis.
From CAD to Simulation in One Flow
We start in SOLIDWORKS with a straightforward assembly: a can positioned between two rigid plates. With only a few clicks, you can save this model directly to the platform, keeping full associativity with the CAD design. The platform transfers your geometry, materials, and design intent seamlessly, without requiring file translations or rework.
Image 1: SOLIDWORKS can-crush model
Image 2: Model inside 3DEXPERIENCE Platform
Shell Definition with Variable Thickness
One of the most powerful integrations is the ability to define shell elements with variable thickness directly from the SOLIDWORKS model. The thin aluminum wall of the can is ideal for shell modeling, and thickness values can vary according to the CAD definition. This avoids manual data entry and ensures accuracy that reflects the design itself.
Image 3: Shell setup with variable thickness in 3DEXPERIENCE
Advanced Meshing with Bricks and Quads
In 3DEXPERIENCE, meshing tools go well beyond what is available in SOLIDWORKS Simulation. For the can crush, we leveraged a mixed mesh of brick and quadrilateral elements to capture both curvature and collapse behavior with high accuracy. Automated meshing rules accelerate setup, while mesh quality controls provide confidence in the results.
Image 4: Meshed model with brick and quad elements
Realistic Contact and Explicit Dynamics
Cans do not fail under simple, linear assumptions. They buckle, crumple, and fold in milliseconds. To capture this, the simulation uses two key capabilities. General Contact automatically detects all interactions with friction (here, a coefficient of 0.2), eliminating the need to define every surface-to-surface contact. The Explicit Dynamics solver is designed for highly nonlinear, transient events such as impacts, crashes, or forming processes, making it ideal for modeling the sudden collapse of thin-walled structures like our can.
Image 5: Physics Manager showing general contact and explicit step
Insightful Results
The results speak for themselves. As the top plate moves downward, the can walls buckle, redistribute stresses, and eventually collapse. By reviewing layer thickness, deformation, and stress distribution, engineers gain valuable insight into real-world structural performance.
Videos: Dynamic collapse of the can
Beyond Structural: Electromagnetics in Action
As powerful as the can-crush demo is, it is only the beginning. With the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, we can also solve electromagnetics problems and couple them with structural mechanics. In a fun project my colleague Dr. Hassan CHREIM and I worked on, we simulated a current passing through coils that generated such a strong force density it physically ripped the can apart. By coupling EMAG with structural simulation and applying advanced material models, we can move beyond buckling and capture damage and tearing. Consider this a teaser for how far multiphysics simulation can take us.
GIF: Magnetic Field
Why It Matters
This example highlights the strengths of 3DEXPERIENCE over desktop simulation. It provides the accuracy needed to capture nonlinear buckling, folding, and contact behavior. Automated meshing and general contact reduce setup time significantly, and cloud computing resources provide scalability to handle larger and more detailed models. Finally, its integration ensures that CAD-linked shells, materials, and geometry changes flow directly from SOLIDWORKS. The result is that engineers spend less time fighting software and more time making confident, simulation-driven design decisions.
Conclusion
The can-crush may be a simple demo, but it demonstrates the real power of 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation: seamless integration with SOLIDWORKS, advanced physics such as explicit dynamics, and scalable computing for tomorrow’s design challenges. And this is only scratching the surface. With the same platform you can explore electromagnetics to study how current creates forces strong enough to rip a can apart, or apply CFD to evaluate airflow, cooling, or thermal effects. Whether you are crushing cans, moving fluids, or simulating electromagnetic forces, the platform equips you to simulate reality with confidence.
Highlights and Challenges for SOLIDWORKS Users
For a SOLIDWORKS customer, the transition feels natural. Shell definitions remain tied to the CAD model, and even complex setups, such as variable thickness, are captured automatically. Once inside the platform, advanced solvers including explicit dynamics, general contact, electromagnetics, and CFD enable simulations beyond linear assumptions. Advanced meshing with bricks and quadrilaterals provides accuracy, even for highly nonlinear collapse cases like the can-crush demonstration.
As with any step up in capability, there is an adjustment period when moving from the familiar SOLIDWORKS Simulation interface to the broader 3DEXPERIENCE environment. Customers starting with quick static studies will find the platform introduces new tools and workflows that expand possibilities. A bit of training helps unlock its full potential. Because it is cloud-connected and offered through flexible subscription licensing, companies gain scalability and predictable budgeting. For most users, the transition is a natural progression toward greater accuracy, better collaboration, and a future-ready multiphysics simulation environment.
Get Started Today
Ready to take your simulations beyond the limits of desktop tools? Get started with 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation today: Getting Started with Simulation on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform Or reach out to your Value Added Reseller for more information and personalized guidance on how to begin your journey.
Senior Technical Manager at Dassault Systèmes
Dr. Omar Zohni is a Senior Technical Manager at Dassault Systèmes with over 7 years of experience. He works with global sales and technical teams to optimize the positioning and use of SOLIDWORKS simulation tools worldwide.
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