Predictive Engineering tapped Autodesk Simulation to conduct FEA and CFD analysis to simulate air flows on a firefighter respirator mask project, as part of an effort mandated by the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST).
Image courtesy of Predictive Engineering Inc.
FEA capabiliteis are definitely more common and more likely to be integrated with the core CAD platform. While we're starting to see more CFD integration, it definitely seems to be more specialized and tuned for specific industries while the need for FEA appears to be more universal.
Simulation software, including FEA, CFD, and solidification codes, among others, can be a tremendous resource. For example, if you are designing a cast piston for an engine, you can simulate everything from how the mold will fill and how the metal will solidify, to the stresses and strains the part will experience in service and how the dome shape will interact with the spray pattern. This allows you to refine the part for both manufacturability and performance long before it is even made.
That being said, in order to make good use of these tools, it's absolutely essential to have a solid engineering understanding of the physical situation. The increased user friendliness of software is a double edged sword. It's easy enough to set up a simulation and get numbers out - but knowing how to set the simulation up to accurately reflect the parameters of the physical situation, how to interpret and use the results, and how to tell whether the results make sense, are another matter.
One mistake I've often seen from engineers (who should know better!) is to use FEA to find the maximum stress in a part, and then compare this maximum stress to the "fatigue strength" of the material. Among other things, these engineers must have been sleeping in class when their professors were talking about the Goodman diagram. (Actually, the Goodman diagram itself is a highly inaccurate way of taking mean stress effects into account, as this paper shows).
Of course, there are fatigue codes like feSafe which apply very sophisticated approaches to fatigue. But even still, there is no substitute for physical insight into the problem.
Dave: You aptly point out one of the dangers of making simulation tools more accessible to mainstream folks. If you don't know the physics of what you're trying to simulate or set up the simulation model correctly, there is opportunity for making assumptions that lead you down a problematic design path.
Laura Sapiens' Ego! Smartmouse offers users a unique interactive experience by providing 2D and 3D connectivity, hardware identity authentication, data storage, and more.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
