Hexagon MSC Cradle CFD is a powerful, comprehensive computational fluid dynamics platform that enables engineers to model, simulate, and analyze complex fluid flow, heat transfer, and multi-physics phenomena. Unlike fragmented solutions requiring multiple tools, Cradle CFD provides a complete, integrated environment—from geometry import and meshing to solver execution and post-processing—streamlining the entire simulation workflow. Version 2025.2 continues Hexagon’s commitment to engineering excellence, offering enhanced solver performance, improved multi-physics capabilities, and deeper integration with the broader MSC software ecosystem. Whether optimizing automotive aerodynamics, designing electronics cooling systems, or analyzing industrial process flows, Cradle CFD delivers the accuracy, scalability, and efficiency that demanding engineering applications require.

🏭 Primary Users

This professional CFD simulation platform is designed for:

• CFD Engineers & Simulation Specialists analyzing complex fluid flow and heat transfer phenomena.

• Automotive Engineers optimizing aerodynamics, thermal management, and underhood cooling.

• Aerospace Engineers simulating external aerodynamics and environmental control systems.

• Electronics Cooling Engineers designing thermal management solutions for components and enclosures.

• Energy & Process Engineers analyzing fluid systems in power generation, HVAC, and industrial processes.

 

 

⚡ Integrated Modules

Cradle CFD comprises five specialized modules that work together to provide a complete simulation environment:

🌊 scFLOW: Core CFD Solver

Primary Solver Engine:

• Solves Navier-Stokes equations for fluid flow

• Steady-state and transient analysis capabilities

• Incompressible and compressible flow modeling

• Laminar and turbulent flow simulation

• Multi-physics coupling support

Turbulence Modeling:

• RANS models (k-ε, k-ω, SST)

• LES and DES for advanced turbulence resolution

• Transition modeling

• Wall treatment options

Multi-Phase Flow:

• Gas-liquid flows

• Particle-laden flows

• Free surface tracking

• Phase change modeling

Heat Transfer:

• Conduction, convection, and radiation

• Conjugate heat transfer (fluid-solid coupling)

• Thermal radiation models

• Natural and forced convection

🔥 scSTREAM & Heat Designer: Thermal Analysis

Specialized Thermal Simulation:

• Electronics cooling analysis

• Heat sink and enclosure design

• PCB-level thermal management

• Natural and forced convection in enclosures

User-Friendly Interface:

• Intuitive tools for thermal designers

• Streamlined workflow for non-CFD specialists

• Template-based analysis setup

• Quick design iteration capabilities

Applications:

• Consumer electronics thermal management

• Data center cooling analysis

• Automotive electronics cooling

• Industrial equipment thermal design

📐 SC/Tetra: Meshing & Pre-Processing

Advanced Mesh Generation:

• Unstructured tetrahedral meshing

• High-quality boundary layer meshes

• Local mesh refinement

• Hybrid mesh support (tetrahedral, hexahedral, prism)

Automated Features:

• Automatic mesh generation from CAD

• Mesh quality optimization

• Surface and volume mesh controls

• Adaptive mesh refinement

Complex Geometry Handling:

• Industrial-scale model meshing

• Detailed feature resolution

• Boundary layer resolution for near-wall flows

📊 scPOST: Post-Processing & Visualization

Result Visualization:

• Contour plots (pressure, velocity, temperature)

• Vector plots and streamlines

• Surface and volume rendering

• Transient animation generation

Data Analysis:

• Quantitative data extraction (forces, heat flux, flow rates)

• Probe and section tools

• Integration with spreadsheets and analysis tools

• Customizable reporting

Multi-Physics Visualization:

• Coupled field display

• Time-varying result animation

• Comparative analysis of design variants

🔧 CADthru: Geometry Processing

CAD Integration:

• Direct import from major CAD formats

• Geometry repair and cleanup

• Feature suppression and defeaturing

• Model simplification for simulation

Seamless Workflow:

• Maintain associativity with CAD models

• Update meshes when design changes

• Reduce manual geometry preparation time

• Integrate with PLM systems

⚡ Key Capabilities

🌀 Fluid Flow Simulation

Flow Regimes:

• Laminar and turbulent flows

• Incompressible and compressible flows

• Subsonic, transonic, supersonic flows

• Internal and external flow applications

Moving Boundaries:

• Rotating machinery (fans, pumps, turbines)

• Sliding mesh interfaces

• Moving and deforming domains

• Piston and valve motion

🌡️ Heat Transfer Analysis

Modes of Heat Transfer:

• Conduction in solids

• Convection (forced, natural, mixed)

• Radiation (surface-to-surface, participating media)

Thermal Management:

• Electronics cooling optimization

• Heat exchanger design

• Thermal stress prediction (via coupling)

• Temperature distribution analysis

🔄 Multi-Physics Capabilities

Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI):

• Coupled fluid and structural analysis

• One-way and two-way coupling options

• Deformation and stress prediction

• Integration with MSC Nastran

Thermal-Stress Coupling:

• Temperature fields to structural analysis

• Thermal expansion and stress

• Fatigue and failure prediction

Combustion Modeling:

• Species transport

• Chemical reactions

• Heat release and pollutant formation

🚀 High-Performance Computing

Parallel Processing:

• Distributed memory parallel (MPI)

• Shared memory parallel (OpenMP)

• Hybrid parallel approaches

• Scalable to hundreds of cores

Optimized Solvers:

• Fast linear equation solvers

• Matrix preconditioning

• GPU acceleration support

• Reduced time-to-solution

🔗 Industry-Specific Applications

Automotive:

• External aerodynamics (drag reduction)

• Underhood thermal management

• Cabin climate control

• Brake cooling

• Powertrain and exhaust systems

Aerospace:

• Airframe aerodynamics

• Engine and nacelle flows

• Environmental control systems

• Anti-icing and de-icing analysis

Electronics:

• Component-level thermal management

• Enclosure cooling design

• PCB and heat sink optimization

• Data center airflow analysis

Energy & Power:

• Turbomachinery design

• Combustion and emission analysis

• Heat exchanger optimization

• Renewable energy systems (wind, solar thermal)

💻 System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)

• CPU: Intel Core i5 or equivalent

• RAM: 8 GB

• Storage: 50 GB free space

• Graphics: OpenGL-compatible GPU

• Display: 1280 × 1024 resolution

Recommended Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)

• CPU: Intel Core i7/i9 or AMD Ryzen 7/9

• RAM: 16–32 GB (64 GB+ for large simulations)

• Storage: 100 GB SSD or larger

• Graphics: Dedicated GPU with OpenGL support (NVIDIA Quadro/GeForce or AMD Radeon Pro)

• Display: 1920 × 1080 resolution or higher (dual monitors recommended)