MSC Actran 2025

Actran 2025 is the latest release of the leading acoustic simulation software developed by Hexagon (formerly Free Field Technologies). It is a powerful Finite Element Method (FEM) based tool used to predict, analyze, and reduce noise and vibrations across a wide range of industries.

Core Purpose & Value Proposition

Actran’s primary purpose is to solve complex acoustic problems virtually during the design phase. This enables engineers to:

• Identify and eliminate noise sources before building physical prototypes.

• Comply with noise regulations and standards (e.g., for vehicles, aircraft, and appliances).

• Enhance product comfort and quality by reducing unwanted sound and vibration.

• Accelerate time-to-market by reducing the need for costly physical testing and redesign cycles.

Key Features & Capabilities

1. Comprehensive Physics Coverage

• Vibro-Acoustics: Simulates noise radiation from vibrating structures (e.g., engine blocks, vehicle body panels).

• Aero-Acoustics: Predicts noise generated by turbulent fluid flow, a critical capability for industries like aerospace (e.g., landing gear, high-lift devices) and automotive (e.g., side-mirror noise, HVAC systems).

• Aero-Vibro-Acoustics: Combines both disciplines to model noise where fluid flow induces structural vibration that radiates sound.

• Boundary Element Method (BEM): Offers BEM solvers as an alternative to FEM for efficiently solving exterior radiation problems.

• Component-Based Transfer Path Analysis (TPA): Isolates and quantifies the contribution of different paths (structure-borne and air-borne) to the overall noise at a target location.

2. Advanced Solver Technology

• High-Performance Computing (HPC) Scalability: Efficiently leverages parallel computing on clusters to solve very large and complex models in a reasonable time.

• Frequency & Time Domain Analysis: Provides solvers for both steady-state and transient acoustic phenomena.

• Advanced Material Modeling: Includes models for poro-elastic materials (foams, felts) and composites, which are essential for accurately modeling sound-absorbing treatments.

3. Enhanced Integration & Workflow (Key in a 2025 Release)

• Seamless CAD/CAE Integration: Direct interfaces with all major CAD software (CATIA, NX, Creo) and CAE pre-processors (including Hexagon’s own).

• Tight Coupling with CFD: Directly imports unsteady flow data from leading Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software like STAR-CCM+, Fluent, and OpenFOAM to compute flow-induced noise.

• Multibody Dynamics (MBD) Integration: Imports loads and motions from tools like Adams and Simpack to simulate noise from mechanical systems (e.g., gearboxes, powertrains).

Product: MSC Actran 2025.1
Version: 2025.1
Supported Architectures: x64
Language: english
Supported Operating Systems: Windows 10 even or newer
Size: 1DVD