Engineering | Finite Element Analysis | Stress
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Finite Element Analysis Tips - Browse this finite element analysis e-book.
1) Think carefully about boundary constraints! Over constrained models tend to be quicker and easier to set up but can lead to poor results. Flanges and fixings that come into contact with other components do not always suit standard constraint options in FEA software. Sometimes contact analysis may be required or balancing the model with reaction forces.
2) Check for adequate mesh density! With tight time scales and budgets, this is often overlooked and can lead to poor accuracy of results. A coarsely meshed model may easily lead the novice into a false sense of security. When the mesh is refined the stress could be much higher than originally thought.
3) Double check with hand calculations! The FEA software does what it is told, if you accidentally type in the wrong data then the results will also be wrong. Hand calculations are a good sanity check!
4) Check mesh quality! Poorly shaped elements must be identified during post processing or fixed during meshing. There is no such thing as a perfect mesh, you just need to be aware of any elements that may have poor accuracy when reporting results.
5) Upgrade your hardware! Cheap workstations really are false economy when running anything but the smallest models. Look into possible hardware upgrades every year.
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