Ansys Sherlock
Simulation & CAE software
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What is Ansys Sherlock
Ansys Sherlock is a reliability physics and electronics failure analysis application used to predict the life and failure risk of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and electronic assemblies. It supports use cases such as design validation, qualification planning, and field reliability investigations for electronics hardware teams. The product focuses on combining design/manufacturing data with mission profiles (thermal, vibration, mechanical shock) to estimate component- and board-level reliability and identify high-risk failure mechanisms.
Electronics reliability focus
The product is purpose-built for PCB and electronics assembly reliability rather than general-purpose mechanical CAD or broad multiphysics simulation. It models common electronics failure mechanisms (for example, solder joint fatigue and component/package-related risks) using mission profiles and material/assembly assumptions. This specialization can reduce the amount of custom scripting and manual interpretation typically needed when using more general simulation environments.
Data-driven model setup
Sherlock is designed to ingest electronics design and manufacturing artifacts (such as PCB layout and bill of materials information) to build analysis-ready representations of assemblies. This approach helps teams connect reliability analysis to the actual as-designed/as-built configuration rather than simplified geometry alone. It is particularly useful when many components and variants make manual model creation time-consuming.
Lifecycle and qualification support
The tool supports workflows for comparing design alternatives, identifying high-risk components/locations, and documenting reliability assumptions for reviews. It is commonly used to inform test planning by mapping mission profiles to expected damage accumulation and likely failure sites. These outputs help reliability engineers communicate risk and mitigation actions to design and manufacturing stakeholders.
Narrower scope than CAE suites
Sherlock is centered on electronics reliability and does not replace broader structural, CFD, or general multiphysics solvers. Organizations often still need other CAE tools for detailed stress/thermal field solutions, complex geometry preparation, or non-electronics domains. This can increase toolchain complexity when teams expect a single end-to-end simulation environment.
Results depend on input quality
Predictions rely heavily on the completeness and accuracy of BOM, layout, material properties, assembly details, and mission profiles. Missing manufacturing parameters (for example, solder alloy, board stack-up details, or component package data) can force assumptions that affect confidence in outputs. Teams typically need disciplined data governance and review processes to keep analyses consistent across programs.
Learning curve for reliability methods
Effective use requires familiarity with electronics reliability concepts, failure mechanisms, and how to interpret life predictions and risk rankings. Cross-functional alignment is often needed to translate outputs into design changes, supplier actions, or qualification plans. For teams coming from general CAD-centric workflows, initial setup and interpretation can take time.
Plan & Pricing
Official vendor site (ansys.com) does not publish list prices or public tiered pricing for Ansys Sherlock. Pricing is not shown on the product pages; prospective buyers are directed to contact Ansys Sales for quotes. Trial availability (30-day) is published on the official site.
Seller details
ANSYS, Inc.
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
1970
Public
https://www.ansys.com/
https://x.com/ansys
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ansys-inc/
