Is ʼSimulationXpressʼ a free tool included for basic stress tests in SolidWorks?

ByCADbrief Staff

Short Answer

Yes — SimulationXpress is a free SolidWorks tool included with most SolidWorks licenses for basic static stress tests on single solid parts. The most common professional method is to launch it from the Evaluate tab and run the guided wizard. Limitation: it does not handle assemblies, motion, or advanced nonlinear studies.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: SimulationXpress only works reliably on clean, fully defined single-part geometry with realistic fixtures and loads. A very common failure is getting misleading stress hotspots from sharp edges, tiny fillets, or incorrect fixed faces rather than a real design problem.

How-to

  • Command: SimulationXpress

  • Shortcut: No default keyboard shortcut

  • Quick Steps:

    1. Open a single part file, then go to the Evaluate tab on the CommandManager and click SimulationXpress Analysis Wizard.
    2. In the wizard, assign a real material, then define restraints and loads using the face selection tools.
    3. Run the study and review Factor of Safety, displacement, and von Mises stress results; use the mesh refinement option if needed.

Variables & Settings

  • Key Setting: Mesh Control / Automatic Mesh

    • Expert Setting: mesh density strongly affects stress accuracy. A coarse automatic mesh is faster, but it can miss peak stress areas around holes, fillets, and small loaded faces. Refine the mesh before trusting a borderline pass/fail result.

Why it Fails

  • Cause 1 (Geometry): The part contains invalid geometry, zero-thickness features, or tiny details that create poor mesh quality or false stress concentrations.

  • Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The SimulationXpress add-in is not loaded or licensed in the current SolidWorks session, so the command appears missing.

  • Cause 3 (Command/Logic): The workflow is limited to linear static analysis on a single solid part, so assemblies, multiple bodies in some cases, contacts, or thermal effects cannot be solved correctly.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

  • Quick Fix: Go to Tools > Add-Ins and enable SOLIDWORKS SimulationXpress, then simplify small cosmetic features and rerun the wizard with a finer mesh.
  • Manager’s Verdict: Use SimulationXpress for early part-level stress screening and quick design checks. Avoid using it as final signoff for assemblies, contact-heavy designs, fatigue, or complex load cases.

FAQ

Is SimulationXpress included in all SolidWorks packages?
It is included with many standard SolidWorks installations, but availability can depend on version and add-in setup.

Can SimulationXpress analyze assemblies?
No, it is intended for single-part static studies only.

Does SimulationXpress calculate factor of safety?
Yes, it can report factor of safety based on the assigned material and study results.

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