Best Free Mechanical Engineering Software

Designcenter Solid Edge is a Siemens product development portfolio that provides tools for mechanical design, electrical design, simulation, manufacturing, technical publications, data management, and collaboration. It combines the speed of direct modeling with the control of parametric design through synchronous technology. The software helps teams create 2D drawings, 3D models, electrical systems, simulations, manufacturing outputs, 3D printing workflows, and technical documentation. Designcenter Solid Edge is designed to be affordable, easy to learn, and scalable for different product development needs. It supports faster design changes, reuse of supplier CAD parts, realistic 3D modeling, and collaboration across engineering and manufacturing teams. With its complete portfolio of connected tools, Designcenter Solid Edge helps companies bring better products to market more efficiently.

Onshape is a cloud-native CAD and PDM system designed to help product development teams design, collaborate, and manage data from any device. It runs in a browser or mobile app, eliminating the need for installations, upgrades, or local hardware requirements. The platform includes professional CAD tools, built-in product data management, real-time collaboration, branching and merging, version control, and a complete audit trail. Onshape helps teams avoid common desktop CAD issues such as crashes, corrupted files, file syncing problems, and outdated software versions. It supports distributed engineering teams by allowing users to work securely from different locations without emailing files or managing duplicate copies. With frequent updates, education options, startup programs, and integrations such as the Onshape Altium Connector, Onshape gives designers and manufacturers a modern way to build products faster.

MechaniCalc, developed by MechaniCalc, Inc., is a suite of web-based calculators focused on machine design and structural analysis. These calculators perform analysis with a level of detail and comprehensiveness that would be expected in industry while also being intuitive and accessible. Use these calculators to move through design and analysis cycles more quickly and with greater confidence. We provide a comprehensive suite of calculators designed to automate mechanical engineering design and analysis. Each calculator comes with thorough documentation giving instructions on use as well as validation cases to show how the results of the calculators stack up against textbook solutions to example problems. We provide detailed reference material on mechanical engineering subjects as well as the methodology behind the calculators. Unrestricted access to all calculators and other content on the site. Ability to create new materials and cross-sections for use in the calculators.

More than a Spring Calculator. ODOP:Spring is a spring design application of the problem-independent Open Design Optimization Platform (ODOP) software. It finds solutions for demanding spring application requirements in mechanical engineering and machine design. Most coil spring calculators require users to manually input values – such as wire diameter, coil diameter, free length and number of coils – and then repeatedly re-analyze until an acceptable solution is reached. ODOP’s ability to invert formula relationships removes that guesswork. Spring design equations are backsolved to meet constraints placed on the problem variables. Need to identify the lightest-possible material weight? Ensure a long spring life and low risk of failure? Our helical coil spring design software can find the constrained extreme of any variable, whether independent or dependent.

Dymola, dynamic modeling laboratory, is a complete tool for modeling and simulation of integrated and complex systems for use within automotive, aerospace, robotics, process and other applications. Rapidly solve complex multi-disciplinary systems modeling and analysis problems, using Dymola's best-in-class Modelica and simulation technology. Dymola is a complete environment for model creation, testing, simulation and post-processing. Dymola, Dynamic Modeling Laboratory, is a complete tool for modeling and simulation of integrated and complex systems for use within automotive, aerospace, robotics, process and other applications. Developed by domain specialists, these libraries are used in conjunction with Dymola or 3DEXPERIENCE Dymola Behavior Modeling to quickly and easily model and simulate the behavior of complex systems that span multiple engineering disciplines. FMI allows any modeling tool to generate C code or binaries representing a dynamic system model.

SOLVESPACE is a free (GPLv3) parametric 3d CAD tool. Modeling 3d parts, drawing with extrudes, revolves, helixes and Boolean (union/difference/intersection) operations. Modeling 2d parts, draw the part as a single section, and export DXF, PDF, SVG; use 3d assembly to verify fit. 3D-printed parts, export the STL or other triangle mesh expected by most 3d printers. Preparing CAM data, export 2d vector art for a waterjet machine or laser cutter; or generate STEP or STL, for import into third-party CAM software for machining. Mechanism design, use the constraint solver to simulate planar or spatial linkages, with pin, ball, or slide joints. Plane and solid geometry, replace hand-solved trigonometry and spreadsheets with a live dimensioned drawing. Sketch sections using lines, rectangles, datum lines and points. Sketch circles, arcs of a circle, datum circles, cubic Bezier segments, C2 interpolating splines, and more.

OpenFOAM is the free, open-source CFD software developed primarily by OpenCFD Ltd since 2004. It has a large user base across most areas of engineering and science, from both commercial and academic organizations. OpenFOAM has an extensive range of features to solve anything from complex fluid flows involving chemical reactions, turbulence and heat transfer, to acoustics, solid mechanics and electromagnetics. OpenFOAM is professionally released every six months to include customer-sponsored developments and contributions from the community. It is independently tested by ESI-OpenCFD's application specialists, development partners and selected customers, and supported by ESI's worldwide infrastructure, values and commitment. Quality assurance is based on rigorous testing. The process of code evaluation, verification and validation includes several hundred daily unit tests, a medium-sized test battery run on a weekly basis, and a large industry-based test battery-run.

Bolt Analytics is an intuitive and easy to use Windows software for engineers and technicians able to run a very detailed bolted joint analysis in seconds with the goal to assist users in dimensioning safe and reliable bolted joints.

Imagine, design, create, and innovate your products better with Creo, 3D CAD/CAM/CAE software, and solutions for product design and development. Now, more than ever, product design and manufacturing teams are expected to create products more efficiently and cost effectively, without sacrificing innovation or quality. Fortunately, Creo delivers the most scalable range of 3D CAD product development packages and tools in today’s market. Creo 7.0 has breakthrough innovations in the areas of generative design, real-time simulation, multibody design, additive manufacturing, and others! Take your products from concept to digital prototype efficiently, precisely, and intuitively with Creo—on the cutting edge of CAD for more than 30 years. With Creo 7.0, PTC amply demonstrates its skill at adding compelling new features to an already robust tool-set using smart partnerships to extend its capabilities even further.