FEA in design process

Implementing FEA in the design process

CAD & FEA model

CAD geometry contains all necessary details for parts or assemblies to be fabricated. It’s the starting point for in the FE model preparation phase. It has to undergo modification before it’s used in the FE analysis.

 

  • Defeaturing

Defeaturing imply removing of unnecessary features from the CAD model which is not required from the point of FE analysis. This would simply the mesh and reduce computation time.

Keeping engineering judgement small fillets around corners should be retained if stresses around that corner is required from the analysis. However it can be defeatured if the FE analysis is required for displacement or modes of vibration.

FEA geometry is created from the defeatured CAD model CAD model for analysis.

It should be meshable for reliable FE analysis and solvable within reasonable time.

  • Idealization

Idealizaition works different than defeaturing where 3D solid CAD data is converted to surface geometry to be meshed with shell elements. At times idealization leads analysis of reduced dimentionality where the geometry is simplified to facilitate meshing e.g. 3D solid to 2D plate element mesh.

  • Cleanup

Geometry clean up to remove geometry quality issues is recommended practice as there are features on the CAD model which are not required on the FE analysis. Mesh creation at these features may lead to creation of too many mesh divisions, failure to mesh multiple entities etc.

Geometry cleanup for meshing often also results is better manufacturing geometry.

Geometry clean up may be combined with defaturing or may be done after geometry idealization.