Does it make sense to stuff more power into your existing CAD tool? Most people will answer yes if it will make their design life easier.
Take Autodesk’s Nastran Simulation software that runs inside Inventor and SolidWorks. You get the most trusted industry simulation brain right inside two of the most powerful CAD packages. If your designs live outside a box of bubble wrap, Nastran can save you from re-designs caused by product failure in the field. You can, with a few mouse clicks, get a picture of how your designs react to things like temperature, loads, twisting and everyday usage. It’s much better than the old trick of over-designing: beef up material, and then take a hit on cost and weight.
The fear most people have is learning a new piece of software. I have to admit that I was a little scared when asked to learn simulation. You are not going to find any Ph.Ds in my family tree. Lucky for me and other former C-grade students, the simulation software is in many ways easier than CAD software you are using today. You are really just following the same dance steps every time. Pick material, how everything is being assembled, and where the forces are applied.
Check out this great video where my friend, Jim Byrne, gives an excellent example of the power of Nastran In-CAD.