Merkle & Partner calculate the transient temperature fields by means of CFD analysis (calculation of the heat transmission coefficients) or FEM analysis (use of averaged heat transmission coefficients e.g. from the VDI Association of German Engineers heating atlas) and defines the transient stress curves with a following, thermo-mechanical analysis TMA (thermoelastic or thermoplastic).

Any non-linear behaviour (e.g. temperature dependency of material parameters, contact, radiation) can be taken into account here.