Engineering Reality - The Power of Simulation & Digital Prototyping
with Derik Cloete, Senior Engineering Solutions Manager at LEAP Australia
What if simulation wasn’t just about reducing prototypes, but about expanding how we think as engineers?
In this episode of The Structural Intelligence Podcast, Owen Keenan is joined by Derik Cloete to explore the creative and technical frontier of simulation. From digital twins to fluid-structure interaction, from CFD and FEA to the flow of blood through a virtual heart, this is a conversation about how physics, curiosity, and compute are changing the way we model, design, and decide.
You’ll hear how Derik and his team at LEAP Australia use multiphysics tools to support sectors from mining and defence to biomedical and optics, and how simulation is helping engineers ask better questions before anything gets built.
🔍 Topics include:
Why systems thinking is central to modern engineering
How simulation enables virtual testing at scale
The role of tools like CFD, DEM, and digital mission engineering
The shift from gut-feel to data-driven design intuition
What it means to “prototype reality”
📍 Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
00:57 Derek Cloete's Early Career and Passion for Engineering
03:28 Transition to a Soft Technical Role
04:23 Role at LEAP Australia and Customer Interactions
05:47 Exploring Simulation Technologies
06:32 Diving into Physics and Simulation Applications
10:48 Three-Letter Acronyms in Engineering
11:24 Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
14:04 Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) and Digital Mission Engineering (DME)
18:28 Electromagnetics and Real-World Applications
21:30 Simulation Technology Development and Industry Applications
23:07 Empirical Standards in Engineering
23:46 The Role of Communication in Engineering
24:03 Engineering Morality and Standards
26:07 Exploring Simulation in Engineering
28:50 Practical Applications of Simulation
34:21 Parameter Studies and Design Optimization
39:15 The Future of Simulation and AI
39:47 Building a Community of Engineers
45:16 Final Thoughts and Summary
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👤 Connect with Derik Cloete: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derikcloete/
🏢 Learn more about LEAP Australia: https://www.leapaust.com.au
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