Finite element analysis allows organizations to simulate how materials, products, and systems are likely to perform under a wide range of conditions. Before investing in FEA services, though, you should make sure you have an appropriate project for testing. An FEA consulting firm will encourage its clients to look at these three aspects of their projects.
Well-Defined Physical Issues
Ultimately, FEA is about drawing conclusions regarding the probable performance of real-world systems by using statistical methods. Generally, FEA methods work best when you're talking about well-defined physical issues.
For example, a car company might want to know how well a redesigned automotive frame will perform in a crash. This is a good problem to assess with finite element analysis because engineers understand how common materials in car frames perform. You can make reasoned and quite precise assumptions about how well aluminum or steel will react to tons of force from an impact and fire from burning fuel. People understand tensile strengths, compaction issues, and melt points for common automotive materials well thanks to more than a century of motor vehicles operating in the real world.
Repetition under Varying Conditions
FEA services also work well for projects where clients need to repeatedly test performance under varying conditions. Suppose a civil engineer needs to determine how likely a bridge in a hurricane zone will hold up to high winds. They can look at the FEA of the bridge at different wind speeds. Likewise, they can simulate the performance of the bridge after decades of corrosion from exposure to salty air and pollution.
By examining how the analysis shows the performance of the bridge in many scenarios, the engineer can determine whether the design and materials are right for the job. Also, they can set dates for inspections to verify the finished bridge's performance. Similarly, they can compare the bride's real-world performance to simulations to see how well their assumptions are holding up. If there's a noticeable deviation, they might bump up the timelines for inspections and repairs.
Safety or Cost Concerns
Many FEA consulting clients will want to know they're getting a good return on every dollar they spend on analysis. Typically, clients get the most return when they're trying to avoid safety or cost problems. If you're selling a tool with a sharp point, you probably will want to know how often the tool might fail catastrophically and injure a user. The FEA results will affect decisions tied to insurance, liability, potential litigation, recalls, and safety instructions.
Share28 January 2022
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