Ansys Sherlock is the only reliability physics-based electronics design tool that provides fast and accurate life predictions for electronic hardware at the component, board and system levels in early stage design.
Ansys Sherlock provides fast and accurate life predictions for electronic hardware at the component, board and system levels in early design stages. Sherlock bypasses the ‘test-fail-fix-repeat’ cycle by empowering designers to accurately model silicon–metal layers, semiconductor packaging, printed circuit boards (PCBs) and assemblies to predict failure risks due to thermal, mechanical and manufacturing stressors--all before prototype.
With embedded libraries containing over one million parts, Sherlock rapidly converts electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) files into computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA) models. Each model contains accurate geometries and material properties and translates stress information into validated time-to-failure predictions. Sherlock parts databases also include a link to Ansys Granta Materials Selector.
July 2024
In 2024 R2, Ansys Sherlock and Electronics Reliability Updates include automated processes, workflow enhancements and exciting new features for lead meshing.
Sherlock now automates the process of taking a BGA component from the parts list and modelling it in greater detail for a streamlined export to Ansys Mechanical. Previously, this had to be done manually.
State Awareness: When making certain model updates in Sherlock, Ansys Workbench will update the state of affected downstream systems to reflect that they are now out-of-date.
Additionally, PCB transformations performed in Ansys Mechanical can now be automatically tracked and leveraged by the Workbench Sherlock (Post) system.
This new ALM feature allows users to mesh leads through their thickness and further improves lead bend meshing through new parameters exposed in the user interface. This helps to improve the stiffness representation of the leads, as well as help refine stress and strain results for reliability predictions.
The Sanden Group is a Tier 1 automotive supplier of air conditioning compressors based in Japan and has locations worldwide. In 2020, Sanden Manufacturing Europe decided to test Ansys Sherlock automated design analysis software to analyze printed circuit boards (PCBs) for its electrical compressors. Using Ansys Sherlock, Sanden cut model creation time from 7 days to 1.
Electrical, mechanical, and reliability engineers can work in tandem to implement design best practices, predict product lifetimes and reduce failure risks.
Sherlock reduces expensive build-and-test iterations by virtually running thermal cycling, power-temperature cycling, vibration, shock, bending, thermal derating, accelerated life, natural frequency, and CAF to adjust designs in near real-time and achieve qualification in one round. In post-processing simulation results from Icepak and Mechanical, and LS-DYNA, Sherlock can predict test success and estimate warranty return rates. Icepak, Mechanical, and LS-DYNA users are more efficient by directly connecting simulation to material and manufacturing costs.
Unlike any other tool on the market, Sherlock uses files created by your design team to build 3D models of electronic assemblies for trace modeling, post-processing, and reliability predictions. This early insight immediately identifies areas of concern and allows you to adjust and retest designs quickly.
Pre- and Post-Processor for Ansys Mechanical, Icepak & LS-DYNA
The over one-million-part material library in Sherlock allows the creation of accurate and complex FEA and CFD models.
SHERLOCK RESOURCES & EVENTS
Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are the backbone of almost all electronic devices--making PCB reliability critical for the electronics industry. In this webinar, we'll discuss how engineers can use Ansys Sherlock to predict PCB reliability, including solder fatigue, temperature cycling, random and harmonic vibration and more.
In this short video, you will learn the basics of Ansys Sherlock, our printed circuit board (PCB) reliability prediction tool. Ansys Sherlock software is meant to be used early in the design stage to analyze for possible failure risk before prototype. This short video includes Sherlock capabilities, use cases and a live demo.
