Open source FEA (finite element analysis) software have traditionally been associated with academic and research environments. However, recent trends demonstrate significant adoption across a wide spectrum of industries, including energy, aerospace, electronics, and construction, where organizations are leveraging open source FEA to address complex engineering challenges while avoiding the costs and restrictions of proprietary licensing of Ansys and other commercial FEA systems.
This material continues my previous article Open Source FEA Software as an Accessible Alternative to Ansys and Nastran (Linkedin Pulse copy ) and highlights notable examples of open source FEA industrial implementation, its expanding influence, and strategic advantages for businesses of all sizes.
Simvia (EDF): Salome, Code_Aster, Code_Saturne, Telemac
Électricité de France (EDF) has played a pivotal role in advancing open source FEA tools, releasing its platforms under open source licenses since 2005. In 2024, EDF established Simvia as a separate business unit to further develop and commercialize these solutions. Simvia's Code_Aster members community now includes not only similar energy companies from other countries (such as Hydro Quebec and Andritz Hydro) but also leading companies from other sectors, including Airbus Group, Rolex, Valeo, Egis Group, and Holcim Group.
When restructuring Simvia into a separate business unit, they published a collection of case studies that illustrate the breadth of industrial applications of their software.
Holcim Group (LafargeHolcim), a multinational company manufacturing building materials, leverages Code_Aster to predict early-age concrete temperatures in massive structures , ensuring compliance with thermal criteria for durability.
YuanSuan, a Chinese company affiliated with EDF, utilizes Telemac module for multi-scale simulations of offshore wind farm stability, particularly assessing typhoon-induced scouring around pile foundations and validation of storm surge impacts on seabed erosion and deposition patterns.
Phimeca (France) uses Salome for optimizing the geometry of industrial equipment parts, such as valve mass minimization while maintaining structural integrity.
Blast Solutions et Associés (France) uses Salome for mid-surface generation and seismic design of structural doors, integrating advanced numerical modeling to address extreme dynamic loads like explosions and earthquakes.
Simvia's following three use cases represent very small businesses, sometimes of just a couple of experts, performing FEA for their clients - open-source free licensing is especially transformative for small enterprises.
Scope Ingenieria (Argentina) performed thermoelastic analysis of rocket engine injector heads using Code_Aster, addressing thermal and mechanical stresses under extreme operating conditions.
Elastic-Simulations (Austria) used Code_Aster to simulate the dynamic response of an electronic component (including printed circuit board assemblies) under a mechanical shock.
Open Visions (Germany) used Code_Aster for tolerance checks on a laptop SDR module simulating insertion forces in a magnesium alloy chassis to make sure swapping the module will be smooth and prevent damage during misaligned assembly.
OpenFOAM
OpenFOAM has significantly expanded its capabilities and adoption since its release in 2004 and now enjoys robust support from several multinational corporations, especially in process and chemical engineering from such industry leaders as BASF SE and Bayer AG. Мany of these corporations also participate in OpenFOAM steering committee. Notable examples include:
General Motors has described its entire OpenFOAM adoption process in a half-hour presentation of their CAE development manager "OpenFOAM Adoption by General Motors" (the GM's presentation starts at 1:05:00 of "Part 2" video on this page - it explains their challenges, activities and diverse use cases for OpenFOAM integration into analysis workflows.
Volkswagen Group extensively applies OpenFOAM simulations in a wide range of engineering applications across all its brands - Volkswagen, Audi, Scania, Porsche, and others. For example, Audi and Scania use OpenFOAM to analyze and refine the aerodynamic performance of vehicles. OpenFOAM also helps them simulate aerodynamic noise, under-hood airflow, and climate control systems.
Evonik Industries AG uses OpenFOAM to validate CFD for simulations of liquid behavior in shake flasks, predicting engineering parameters for optimizing geometry of bioreactors.
Orion Engineered Carbons deploys OpenFOAM for chemical reaction simulations to optimize production processes in flow reactors and leverages cloud computing for high-performance workloads.
Wärtsilä implemented OpenFOAM-based AATE framework (Advanced Analysis Tool for Engines) designed for conducting industrial-scale engine CFD simulations of internal combustion engines with tailored workflows and simulation applications.
I would also highlight TotalSim (UK, US) not only because of the extensive collection of OpenFOAM adoption examples on their web resources but also as an example of implementation of its user support and industry-specific simulation apps (such a role in the OpenFOAM ecosystem somewhat reminds Cadfem's role in the Ansys ecosystem).
Elmer
Elmer industrial adoption is exemplified by collaborations with major technology companies, which are also contributed significantly to its development.
Nokia partnered with Elmer team to research and design mobile phone parts. The partnership contributed acoustic modules that were subsequently released as open source: Elmer in Acoustics
ABB Group integrated Elmer for electromagnetic and multiphysical simulation of rotating electrical machines, presented electrical machine test cases with Elmer, as well as incorporated Elmerit into their design and analysis workflow.
Radwag (Poland) utilized Elmer’s microwave module to optimize geometry of laboratory microwave moisture analyzers for assessments of humidity levels in materials. The presentation also demonstrates how open source tools like Elmer enable such small and medium businesses to participate in the global market of high-tech products.
FreeFEM
Airthium SAS (France) uses FreeFEM in analysis for its energy storage system, including mechanical contact simulations for both linear elastic and finite deformation scenarios.
DENSO (Japan), the second largest auto parts supplier in the world, uses FreeFEM for thermal systems simulation, particularly in electric vehicle heat exchanger development, as well as for improving the brazing process to ensure that parts are joined together for better reliability. DENSO also collaborated on cloud deployment of FreeFEM as well as its usability by developing an intuitive based on Tanatloc GUI for FreeFEM and GMSH.
CalculiX
MTU Aero Engines (Germany) - CalculiX was specifically created to help MTU engineers model and simulate jet engine components, such as compressors and turbines, enabling detailed structural integrity and performance assessments.
CalculiX’s compatibility with Abaqus data formats facilitates industrial adoption, with positive feedback from the engineering community regarding its usability for commercial projects. Code_Aster forum also has good reviews about the relative ease of using Calculix. Also, in a CalculiX forum discussion Would you use CalculiX for commercial work? many users mentioned using it for commercial projects, but only one provided sufficient details about their use case - on how EXDIN Solutions (Poland) applies CalculiX for structural analysis of high-pressure equipment and frame structures.
Open Source FEA for Remote and Hybrid Work Models
Open-source tools not only make FEA more accessible for small companies and individual experts but also open up new opportunities for implementing hybrid work models in CAD/CAE workflows while not being limited by licensing barriers. In this regard, I would also like to highlight such an approach to implementing CAD/CAE workflows, the potential of which seems not yet fully realized for open source FEA.
As an experienced freelancer (I worked more than 10,000 workhours on Upwork projects) I periodically monitor new FEA projects, and it seems that in recent years, despite the growing volume of FEA projects on Upwork, the amount of projects related to open source FEA tools is still seems too modest as compared to Upwork projects related to Ansys - at the same time, budgets of such projects often seems insufficient to compensate Ansys hefty licensing costs. This suggests significant untapped potential for broader adoption open source FEA tools, especially in this area.
Thus, the above examples show that open source FEA tools have evolved from academic curiosities to essential components of industrial engineering workflows across a diverse range of sectors, driven by their proven capabilities and advantages:
- Cost Efficiency: Open source FEA eliminates the financial barriers associated with proprietary software licenses, enabling small businesses and individual experts to access advanced simulation capabilities.
- Customization and Flexibility: Open source FEA provides deep customization, enabling organizations to tailor simulation workflows to specific engineering requirements and integrate with other digital tools.
- Community and Collaboration: Active user and developer communities drive continuous improvement, knowledge sharing, and rapid adaptation to emerging challenges.
- Vendor Independence: Users retain full control over their simulation environments, reducing reliance on single vendors and fostering long-term sustainability.
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