Design tools for tenders in progress, and self-paced course modules that new hires can work through on their own, plus a straight answer on when simulation software is required.
TransformerPath engineering tools use analytical and closed-form methods for preliminary design, tender sizing and engineering checks. They are not a substitute for a general-purpose finite-element package — arbitrary 3D geometry, coupled electromagnetic–thermal–structural physics, local eddy and stray loss in tank and clamping steel, hot-spot prediction from a meshed model. Where that is required, a package such as Ansys or COMSOL is the right tool.
The calculator does solve one part of it properly. It carries a 2D axisymmetric magnetostatic solve of the leakage field in the core window. It needs no CAD import, because the winding geometry is already parametric — you get the flux plot, the leakage reactance computed from stored energy rather than from an empirical fringing factor, and the axial force distribution along the winding, which is the quantity closed-form methods handle worst and the one that governs winding collapse when ampere-turns are unbalanced by a tap.
Because the question comes up constantly, TransformerPath publishes a vendor-neutral directory of the tools that do solve it, grouped by the job they do rather than by vendor. It covers the commercial packages (Ansys Maxwell, COMSOL, Simcenter MAGNET and Flux, Opera/CST, JMAG, EMWorks) and the free and open-source options — for 2D axisymmetric work, which covers most leakage-field, short-circuit-force and electrostatic-stress problems, FEMM is genuinely capable. TransformerPath sells none of them and takes no commission.
TransformerPath engineering tools sit upstream of that, at the sizing and documentation stages where FEM is slow and overkill. Classical closed-form methods give useful preliminary estimates for tender sizing and costing; accuracy depends materially on transformer type, geometry, design assumptions and the quantity being calculated. They are not a substitute for FEM where the failure mode is local rather than average. TransformerPath explains exactly where that boundary sits →
Engineering Tools · Technical Learning · Industry Intelligence — useful in a different order depending on whether your bottleneck is design capacity, engineer ramp-up, or market visibility.
Rating, voltages, vector group and target impedance in; a first-cut design out, in seconds. Distribution (oil), power (oil) and cast-resin (dry) modes.
The fastest practical win for a factory: standardise what your test bay hands a customer, with no new hardware.
Design and test engineers follow one written methodology in the browser.
Track tenders, prices (copper, CRGO, esters), new factories and the grid build-out that decides where your capacity sells next — region-filterable, with an RSS feed.
The full comparison, with the reasoning behind each column, is in the table below.
| What you need to do | Right tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Size a unit for a tender, fast | TransformerPath calculator | Seconds per iteration — a useful preliminary estimate; accuracy depends on type, geometry and assumptions. FEM is far too slow at this stage. |
| Sanity-check a supplier's or a junior engineer's numbers | TransformerPath calculator | Independent closed-form second opinion on losses, impedance and regulation. |
| Produce a buyer-ready routine test report | Test report generator | Formatting and consistency problem, not a physics problem. |
| Train new design or test engineers | design course + Design Engineer Track | One methodology and published model answers. Capstones are not personally reviewed. |
| Spec a test bay, write a test procedure, or review a design package | Not offered | TransformerPath does not take design-office work, calls, or live teaching. The test-report generator is software the factory runs itself. |
| Map leakage flux in concentric windings; get axial force per section | TransformerPath field solve | 2D axisymmetric, built from the design you just entered. Runs in about a second. |
| Local stray loss in tank, clamps or flitch plates | 3D FEM — outside this scope | Genuinely 3D and outside an axisymmetric model. See the software directory. |
| Predict a winding hot spot from geometry | Coupled FEM/CFD — outside this scope | The tool's thermal output is a sizing estimate, not a local hot-spot solve. |
| Prove short-circuit withstand for a type test | FEM + physical test — outside this scope | The force and thermal figures are analytical estimates, not certification evidence. |
Learning, Engineering Pro and Engineering Team are each a single payment for 12 months of access — not a recurring subscription. No per-seat setup on any of them.
| Plan | Price (USD) | Seats | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning | $199 | 1 | One engineer building their foundation |
| Engineering Pro | $599 | 1 | Engineering workspace and early access to new tools |
| Engineering Team | $1,999 | up to 10 | An engineering department on one shared access link — the usual starting point for a manufacturer |
Engineering Team is the self-serve plan for up to 10 people. There is no custom training, no call, and no invoice service. Access is stored in the browser it was purchased from, so a team plan is a shared link rather than individual logins. Full detail on pricing.
The design calculator, the test-report generator, and the self-paced courses run in the browser. TransformerPath does not take a design, a test procedure, a design package, or a sales call.