A method comprising: determining, by a computing device, based on a finite element model, for each respective time of a plurality of times, a respective stress S t and a respective temperature T t at each respective element of a plurality of respective elements during a predetermined cooling operation modeled using the finite element model, wherein the finite element model represents a component comprising a metal or an alloy, wherein the finite element model comprises the plurality of respective elements, and wherein each respective element of the plurality of respective elements represents a respective geometric region of a plurality of respective geometric regions of the component; characterized in that the method further comprises: determining, by the computing device, a respective impact energy E T for each respective element at each respective time, based on the respective temperature T t associated with the respective element at the respective time and a predetermined cooling rate-dependent energy relationship that relates a temperature of the metal or the alloy to an impact energy of the metal or the alloy cooled by the predetermined cooling operation; determining, by the computing device, for each respective element at each time t, a respective weakness index W t = [A x E T / S t] n, wherein A is a predetermined constant and n is a predetermined real number greater than or equal to 1; determining, by the computing device, for each respective element of the plurality of respective elements, a minimum weakness index W m from the plurality of respective weakness indices associated with the respective element over the plurality of times; and identifying, by the computing device, the respective element as a cracking-prone element if W m < W threshold, wherein W threshold is a predetermined weakness index threshold. determining, by a computing device, based on a finite element model, for each respective time of a plurality of times, a respective stress S t and a respective temperature T t at each respective element of a plurality of respective elements during a predetermined cooling operation modeled using the finite element model, wherein the finite element model represents a component comprising a metal or an alloy, wherein the finite element model comprises the plurality of respective elements, and wherein each respective element of the plurality of respective elements represents a respective geometric region of a plurality of respective geometric regions of the component; characterized in that the method further comprises: determining, by the computing device, a respective impact energy E T for each respective element at each respective time, based on the respective temperature T t associated with the respective element at the respective time and a predetermined cooling rate-dependent energy relationship that relates a temperature of the metal or the alloy to an impact energy of the metal or the alloy cooled by the predetermined cooling operation; determining, by the computing device, for each respective element at each time t, a respective weakness index W t = [A x E T / S t] n, wherein A is a predetermined constant and n is a predetermined real number greater than or equal to 1; determining, by the computing device, for each respective element of the plurality of respective elements, a minimum weakness index W m from the plurality of respective weakness indices associated with the respective element over the plurality of times; and identifying, by the computing device, the respective element as a cracking-prone element if W m < W threshold, wherein W threshold is a predetermined weakness index threshold. determining, by the computing device, a respective impact energy E T for each respective element at each respective time, based on the respective temperature T t associated with the respective element at the respective time and a predetermined cooling rate-dependent energy relationship that relates a temperature of the metal or the alloy to an impact energy of the metal or the alloy cooled by the predetermined cooling operation; determining, by the computing device, for each respective element at each time t, a respective weakness index W t = [A x E T / S t] n, wherein A is a predetermined constant and n is a predetermined real number greater than or equal to 1; determining, by the computing device, for each respective element of the plurality of respective elements, a minimum weakness index W m from the plurality of respective weakness indices associated with the respective element over the plurality of times; and identifying, by the computing device, the respective element as a cracking-prone element if W m < W threshold, wherein W threshold is a predetermined weakness index threshold.