Case Study: Trenitalia achieves 5× larger models and 8× faster simulations with ANSYS for Windows x64

Solving Large Models Faster Using ANSYS for Windows XP x64

Trenitalia, the Italian national railway operator, needed to run much larger, more realistic finite-element models and cut long solver times for design optimization, structural strength checks and maintenance planning. Their Technical and Research Department used ANSYS Mechanical and evaluated ANSYS for Windows x64 to overcome limits of 32‑bit platforms, single‑processor bottlenecks, and memory/storage constraints that prevented production‑size analyses.

Trenitalia moved to x86‑64 SMP workstations (AMD 64/EM64T) running Windows x64 and a native 64‑bit ANSYS for Windows x64 build, using the ANSYS parallel high‑performance sparse solver and improved Workbench meshing. The solution supports ≥16 GB memory and multi‑million DOF models, enabling models five times larger and about eight times faster response: tasks that used to take ~1 hour now take ~2 minutes, and a full day’s workflow shrank to ~2 hours, all on economical hardware (example systems under $10,000). ANSYS delivered the software and solver capabilities that made these gains possible.

Trenitalia

Antonio Ghelardini

Technical and Research Department