Evaluation of Design by Finite Element Analysis

Evaluation of Design by Finite Element Analysis

ABSTRACT

After eras of stone, copper, brass, iron, now it’s an epoch for Computers. Engineering has no escape from it. Today, right from the conceptualization of a product, until the inspection of finished product, every aspect is governed and processed on computers. Design is obviously an integral aspect of this. The design procedure starts from conceptualization and consist of numerous operations like modeling, kinematic analysis, strength analysis, design approval and final drafting. A time was there, when all these operations were carried out manually and was used to take large deal of time. But today, designer has to just indulge his mind, rest of all tedious, lengthy calculations are performed by various computer softwares.

In technocrat world, various modeling softwares not only permits user to generate 3-dimensional models, but also avails databank of various material along with their properties. Advanced softwares also perform complicated functions like static analysis, dynamic analysis, interference checking and a lot more. Emerging technologies of CIM encodes the tool path co-ordinates from the final 3-D model generated.

These all is sufficient to illustrate how firmly recent technologies have captured process of Product Development!

The treatise seek to highlight application of an upcoming technology, FEA (Finite Element Analysis) for efficient evaluation of designs. The principle aim of this treatise is not to enumerate the technical and operating details of an FEA system, rather it is to focus on the efficient applications and future prospects of an FEA system on the basis of some particular examples worked out on a FEA system by us. The presentation mainly focuses the recent case study that we are working on.

INTRODUCTION TO FEA

Finite element analysis is now an important and frequently indispensable part of engineering analysis and design. Finite element computer programs are now widely used in practically all branches of engineering for the analysis of structure, solids and fluids.

In the simplest words, FEA can be defined as the program making the stress analysis. This analysis made is very much efficient, accurate and faster. The calculations of FEA are based upon numerous Finite Element Methods and their respective procedures. But now a ssday’s ready software are available which does all the complicated calculations and displays the actual stress analysis.

In general, a Finite Element Analysis system is a computer aided mathematical technique to obtain accurate numerical solutions to abstract of equations that predict the response of physical system under external influence.

As illustrated in sketch, in a FEA a domain is divided into sub-regions. The unknown continuous quantity e.g. fields of displacement, temperature, pressure, fluid flow, magnetic potential is analyzed by the designer in a set of piecewise continuous functions patched over such sub-regions at the selected points known as nodes. Each sub region is termed as Finite Element and the process of division is referred as Finite Element Discretization. The computer software calculates the behavior of each node on the specified conditions and displays numerically and graphically. The designer interprets the performance of product on basis of computer response for each node behavior.

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