1. A finite element simulation method for an industrial system using a data processing system, the method comprising: providing a computer-evaluatable design model of the system, the model defining a plurality of finite elements; computing a respective stress occurring in each of the finite elements according to a finite element analysis; identifying each two-dimensional finite element having a stress that exceeds a predefined stress limiting value as an identified finite element; determining an element limiting value for each of the identified finite elements having at least four sides and four grid points; and classifying each of identified finite elements as critical if the respective stress of the identified finite element is greater than the element limiting value for the identified finite element, wherein the determining of the element limiting value includes the following steps: assigning a predefined stress limiting value as a starting value for the element limiting value; increasing the element limiting value if a side or a grid point of the identified finite element is adjacent to one of a triangle and a rigid object element; increasing the element limiting value if a grid point of the identified finite element is located at a rounded corner of the model; and increasing the element limiting value if no side of the identified finite element is located at an edge delimiting the model and if no side of the identified finite element is adjacent to a side of another identified finite element.