Predicting cracking in cooled metal or alloy components

An example system may include a computing device including a finite element analysis module solving for a finite element model representing a component including a metal or an alloy and including a plurality of respective elements. The finite element analysis module may solve a respective stress St and a respective temperature Tt at each respective element during the predetermined cooling operating. The finite element analysis module may determine a respective impact energy ET based on the temperature Tt and cooling rate, using a predetermined cooling rate-dependent energy relationship that relates a temperature of the metal or the alloy to an impact energy, determine a respective weakness index Wt=[A×ET/St]n (A being a predetermined constant, n being a predetermined real number greater than or equal to 1), and identify a respective element having a minimum weakness index less than a predetermined weakness index threshold as a cracking-prone element.