Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE)
Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) is software used to analyze, simulate, and validate product designs before physical prototypes are built. Finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), thermal analysis, and multi-body dynamics are all CAE disciplines. Products like ANSYS, Nastran, Abaqus, and Siemens Simcenter are the dominant tools. CAE consumes geometry from CAD and returns simulation results that inform design decisions — increasingly, these results are managed as first-class artifacts in PLM alongside the geometry.
Why it matters
Without CAE, design validation is a physical trial-and-error process: build a prototype, test it, break it, learn what failed, and redesign. That's slow and expensive. CAE lets you validate designs digitally, before committing to manufacturing. A design that will fail under load gets caught during simulation, not after the first prototype shatters in the test lab. CAE also enables design optimization: you can run dozens of simulation scenarios quickly to find the lightest, strongest, or most efficient design without building physical prototypes.
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External References
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Cite this definition
Finocchiaro, Michael. “Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE).” DemystifyingPLM PLM Glossary, 2026, https://www.demystifyingplm.com/glossary/cae-computer-aided-engineering