Software Guide · March 2026

Autodesk Conformal Cooling: Fusion 360 & Netfabb Design Tools

By MouldNova Engineering Team · 13 min read · Capabilities, limitations, and how Autodesk tools compare to Moldex3D and Magics
Home › Blog › Autodesk Conformal Cooling
Software Guide Design Tools Fusion 360 March 19, 2026 · 13 min read · By MouldNova Engineering Team
What this guide covers — the honest breakdown of Autodesk tools for conformal cooling:

Table of Contents

  1. The Conformal Cooling Software Landscape
  2. Fusion 360: Capabilities for Conformal Cooling
  3. Autodesk Netfabb: The More Capable Tool
  4. Generative Design: What It Can and Cannot Do
  5. Software Comparison: Autodesk vs. Moldex3D vs. Magics vs. nTop
  6. Recommended Workflow: Combining Tools Effectively
  7. Autodesk Limitations for Production Tooling
  8. When to Use Software vs. Work With a Specialist Supplier
  9. FAQ

The Conformal Cooling Software Landscape

CAD design of conformal cooling channels in Autodesk software
CAD model showing optimized conformal cooling channel layout

Conformal cooling channel design sits at the intersection of three domains: injection mold design, additive manufacturing (SLM/DMLS), and thermal simulation. No single software package dominates all three. Understanding which tool excels at which task is the foundation for building an effective design workflow.

The main software categories in play:

Autodesk occupies several of these categories simultaneously — Fusion 360 (CAD), Netfabb (AM prep), and Moldflow (simulation) are all Autodesk products, which creates potential for a single-vendor workflow. This integration is one of Autodesk's main advantages, though each individual tool has specific limitations that are important to understand before committing to it.

Fusion 360: Capabilities for Conformal Cooling

Fusion 360 is a general-purpose parametric CAD and CAM platform. For conformal cooling specifically, its capabilities fall into two areas:

What Fusion 360 does well

Fusion 360 CAN do this
  • Create 3D sketch paths for conformal channel centerlines on any surface
  • Sweep circular, teardrop, or custom cross-sections along those paths
  • Boolean subtract channel bodies from an insert solid
  • Perform basic thermal simulation in the Simulation workspace (temperature distribution, heat flux)
  • Run a simple flow simulation to estimate pressure drop and flow rate through a channel network
  • Generate STEP or STL files for SLM printing preparation
  • Check wall thickness between channels and cavity surface using the Inspection tool
Fusion 360 CANNOT do this
  • Automatically generate an optimised conformal channel layout from a cavity surface — the designer must manually sketch every channel path
  • Simulate injection molding process (fill, pack, cool, warp) — this requires Moldflow or Moldex3D
  • Predict cycle time reduction from a given conformal design with injection molding resin data
  • Generate support structures for SLM printing of internal channel geometries
  • Evaluate residual stress or distortion from SLM printing (build simulation)
  • Handle multi-circuit flow balancing with back-pressure calculations across parallel branches

Fusion 360's simulation module uses a finite element thermal solver that can evaluate steady-state heat transfer — useful for identifying hotspots in a proposed channel layout. However, it does not model the cyclic thermal loading of injection molding (the alternating injection heat input and cooling phase) that Moldflow and Moldex3D simulate. The Fusion 360 thermal results are directionally useful but should not be used as a substitute for dedicated injection molding simulation before committing to manufacturing.

Fusion 360 Manufacturing Extension and Mold Design

The Manufacturing Extension (subscription add-on) includes mold design tools with parting line detection, draft analysis, and core/cavity splitting. These are genuinely useful for the mold base design around a conformal insert, but they do not add conformal channel-specific capabilities beyond what the base Fusion 360 solid modeling environment already provides.

Autodesk Netfabb: The More Capable Tool for Conformal Cooling

Multi-cavity mold with Autodesk-designed conformal cooling channels
Finished mold incorporating software-optimized conformal cooling design

Netfabb is Autodesk's dedicated additive manufacturing platform and has the most developed conformal cooling toolset in the Autodesk product family. It is a separate product from Fusion 360, licensed independently (typically $6,000–18,000/year depending on tier), and is aimed at AM engineers and production teams rather than general mechanical designers.

Netfabb's conformal cooling-specific capabilities

Channel Design

Automated conformal channel generation

Netfabb can generate conformal channel centerlines automatically from a reference surface at a user-specified offset distance (e.g., 10mm from the cavity face). The tool respects the surface geometry and outputs a 3D network of channel paths that maintain constant offset from the surface. The designer specifies pitch (channel-to-channel spacing), diameter, and start/end points for the circuit. This eliminates most of the manual 3D sketching work required in Fusion 360.

Cross-Section

Multiple channel cross-section options

Netfabb supports round, teardrop, and diamond channel cross-sections natively. Teardrop channels (round bottom, pointed top) are the preferred profile for SLM printing because the pointed crown is self-supporting without requiring support structures inside the channel — a critical advantage that avoids the powder removal nightmare of collapsed internal supports. See our article on cleaning powder from conformal cooling channels.

Print Prep

Build orientation and support generation

Netfabb evaluates build orientation options for the conformal insert and generates support structures for overhanging external features. Internal channels (if designed as teardrop cross-sections at correct print angle) typically require no internal supports. The orientation optimizer minimizes total support volume while keeping internal channels in a self-supporting orientation.

Simulation

Build process simulation (Netfabb Local Simulation add-on)

The Local Simulation add-on (separate license) predicts thermal gradients, residual stress, and part distortion during SLM printing. For large conformal inserts where print distortion could affect fit tolerances, this pre-print simulation can identify high-stress zones and guide support placement or part orientation adjustments before the actual print.

Generative Design: What It Can and Cannot Do for Conformal Cooling

Autodesk's generative design feature (available in Fusion 360 and as a cloud-based tool) is frequently cited in marketing material as a tool for conformal cooling. The reality is more nuanced — generative design can be useful but is not a primary conformal cooling design tool.

Generative design optimises the distribution of material in a component given structural load cases and manufacturing constraints. When applied to a conformal cooling insert, it can:

However, generative design does not:

Honest assessment: Generative design is most useful for optimising the structural geometry of an insert body after the conformal channels have already been designed. It can remove unnecessary material mass from the insert — reducing print time and cost — while the cooling channels themselves are still designed by a thermal engineer following the principles described in our channel design guide.

Software Comparison: Autodesk vs. Moldex3D vs. Magics vs. nTop

CapabilityFusion 360NetfabbMoldex3DMaterialise MagicsnTop
Manual channel path creation✓ Good✓ Good✗✗✓ Good
Automated conformal channel generation✗✓ Yes✗✗✓ Best-in-class
Injection molding simulation (fill/pack/cool)✗✗✓ Best-in-class✗✗
Cooling uniformity / ΔT predictionBasic FEA only✗✓ Full✗✗
Cycle time prediction✗✗✓ Full✗✗
SLM print preparation & supports✗✓ Full✗✓ FullPartial
Build process simulation✗✓ Add-on✗✓ Add-on✗
Lattice / triply periodic channel structures✗Limited✗✗✓ Full
Approximate annual license cost$545–$1,680$6,000–18,000$8,000–25,000$5,000–12,000$15,000–30,000

nTop (formerly nTopology) deserves special mention. It is the most capable tool specifically for conformal cooling channel geometry generation — it can create channels that follow any surface at constant offset, with full parametric control over diameter, pitch, circuit layout, and cross-section. For companies investing seriously in in-house conformal cooling design capability, nTop is the state-of-the-art design tool, though at a significant license cost. See also our article on conformal cooling design software for a broader platform comparison.

Recommended Workflow: Combining Autodesk Tools with Dedicated Simulation

The most effective in-house workflow using Autodesk tools integrates their respective strengths across the design-to-manufacture process:

Step 1

Part and insert geometry in Fusion 360

Create the part model and design the insert envelope (the block from which the cavity and conformal channels will be subtracted). Define ejector pin positions, parting line, and water port exit locations in Fusion 360. Export insert envelope as STEP.

Step 2

Baseline simulation in Moldflow (Autodesk)

Run a baseline cooling-only Moldflow analysis to identify hotspots and quantify where conformal cooling is needed. Moldflow is an Autodesk product (Autodesk Moldflow Insight or Synergy), so data exchange with Fusion 360 is relatively streamlined via Fusion 360 Manage or direct STEP import. This step defines the target zones for conformal channels.

Step 3

Conformal channel design in Netfabb

Import the insert STEP into Netfabb. Use the conformal channel generation tool to create channel networks at the target offset (8–12mm from cavity surface) in the hotspot zones identified in Step 2. Select teardrop cross-section at the appropriate print angle to avoid internal supports. Export as body solid or STEP.

Step 4

Validation in Moldflow or Moldex3D

Return to simulation with the conformal channel geometry to validate: temperature distribution (target ΔT <5°C), cooling time map, pressure drop per circuit (target <0.5 bar), and warpage prediction. This step is non-negotiable before manufacturing. If Moldflow Insight is not available, this validation step is where working with a specialist supplier (who provides free simulation as part of the quote) becomes attractive.

Step 5

Print preparation in Netfabb

Finalise build orientation, generate supports for external overhangs, nest with other builds if multiple inserts are printing simultaneously, and export the build file for your SLM machine. Netfabb supports most major SLM machine formats (EOS, SLM Solutions, Renishaw, 3D Systems).

Autodesk Tool Limitations for Production Tooling

Several limitations of Autodesk tools are important to understand before relying on them for production conformal cooling design:

When to Use Autodesk Software vs. Work With a Specialist Supplier

The decision is primarily about in-house capability, IP ownership, and project volume:

ConsiderationUse Autodesk In-HouseWork With Specialist Supplier
Team AM/simulation experienceExperienced team with dedicated AM engineerNo in-house AM expertise
IP ownership requirementMust own channel design IPDesign IP can reside with supplier
Project frequency>10 conformal projects per year justifies software investment<5 projects/year; fixed cost amortisation unfavourable
Simulation requirementHave Moldflow Insight license and expertise to run cooling analysisNeed Moldflow results but don't have the license or skill
Time to first partSlower (learning curve, software setup, internal validation)Faster (supplier runs established process, provides validated design)
Print executionIn-house SLM machine or outsourced print serviceSupplier handles print, post-process, QC, and delivery

For most injection mold shops and OEM tooling departments, working with a specialist supplier for the conformal cooling design and manufacturing — while using Fusion 360 for the surrounding mold base design — is the most practical and cost-effective arrangement. The supplier brings Moldflow simulation, SLM printing, post-processing, and QC as an integrated service, removing the need to invest in Netfabb, print-capable SLM machines, and specialist operators internally.

Get a Free Moldflow Simulation With Every Quote

MouldNova includes a validated Moldflow cooling analysis — temperature map, ΔT table, pressure drop, cycle time prediction — with every conformal cooling insert quote. No software investment required on your side.

Request Quote + Simulation WhatsApp Us Directly

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Fusion 360 design conformal cooling channels?
Yes. Fusion 360 allows users to create 3D sketch paths for conformal channel centerlines on any surface and sweep channel cross-sections along those paths. It also supports basic thermal simulation. However, it does not automatically generate optimised conformal channel layouts, cannot simulate injection molding process (fill, pack, cool, warp), and cannot predict cycle time reduction. For basic channel geometry creation, Fusion 360 works well. For performance validation, a dedicated injection molding simulation platform (Moldflow or Moldex3D) is required.
How does Autodesk's generative design compare to Moldex3D for conformal cooling?
They serve fundamentally different functions. Autodesk generative design optimises structural topology (material distribution under load) and is not specifically a cooling channel design tool. Moldex3D is a dedicated injection molding simulation platform that evaluates cooling performance: flow rate, pressure drop, temperature distribution, cycle time, and warpage prediction. Moldex3D provides the quantitative cooling metrics that generative design cannot. For best results: use Netfabb or Fusion 360 to design channel geometry, then validate in Moldflow or Moldex3D before manufacturing.
What is Autodesk Netfabb used for in conformal cooling?
Netfabb is Autodesk's additive manufacturing preparation platform with the most developed conformal cooling channel design capabilities in the Autodesk ecosystem. Key features include: automated conformal channel generation from a reference surface at a specified offset; support for teardrop and diamond cross-sections (self-supporting for SLM); lattice structure generation; build orientation analysis; and support structure generation for SLM printing. Netfabb is well suited for users designing their own inserts and preparing them for SLM print. It does not provide injection molding-specific process simulation — that still requires Moldflow or Moldex3D.
When should I use Autodesk tools vs. working directly with a conformal cooling specialist supplier?
Use Autodesk tools in-house when your team has AM and simulation skills, you need to own the channel design IP, and your project volume (>10 per year) justifies the software investment. Work directly with a specialist supplier like MouldNova when you need validated Moldflow simulation with guaranteed performance, lack SLM-specific design rules, or want print-ready manufacturing with QC included. Most industrial buyers find the specialist route faster and lower-risk for production tooling, while in-house tools suit early-stage design exploration and IP-sensitive development programs.

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