7/16/2015

Mechanical Design Forum - 10 ways you can make your CAD models more FEA-friendly
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10 ways you can make your CAD models more FEA-friendly

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10 ways you can make your CAD models more FEAfriendly

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Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a key step in the design process. In fact, industry now
commonly requires a calculation analysis sheet from design departments to approve the
final virtual product. Moreover, FEA is an essential tool for developing a mechanism,
calculating its lifecycle, and improving it in a number of ways. To speak of its importance
would take pages by itself. In this article, we will focus on how to make FEA easier and
faster by improving CAD practices.

I'm Dave. I'm currently finishing

a CAD course at college, just
my final project to do. Then i'll
be out in the job hunting
world,
DVF Yesterday, 22:53

Needle Grinding
Hi Sha,

Although FEA can pretty much handle any shape you throw at it, it will still compute false
alarms and/or require a lot of time and attempts if the CAD model is complex. Therefore,
below are 10 tips to help you make your CAD models more FEA friendly:

There are a few different

methods this could be
completed. What kind of
tolerance/accuracy do you
need? How many parts are
going

1) Symmetry helps

CPPMable Yesterday, 17:58

Make a part symmetrical or mirror its features where possible. This will make
reproducing the FE model much easier. Besides, symmetry gives an optimal balance for
inertia, and this is always better for a mechanical system.

2) Rotational symmetry helps too!

There is a reason why critical parts in aeronautics and military applications are often
axisymmetric. Besides the aerodynamics calculations that favor such shapes, the
complexity of creating them and setting them as load cases leads designers to look for
shortcuts within the FE model creation. We are not talking about shapes that are easy to
mesh, but rather shapes that are modeled in such a way that you will be able to get
results on any node of the structure and yet not take weeks to compute the results. In
this way, rotational symmetry in CAD allows a beautifully efficient, simple way to create
the FE model. One well-drawn section on a 2D plain will generate the whole part.

3) Make space among critical zones

Sometimes you have to crowd together shapes that will each bear a decent amount of
stress. Remember to leave space between them to make it possible to mesh and apply
nodal connections between them. This can be an intuitive approach as theoretical studies
and experience have taught many designers that critical zones shouldnt be too close
together, or it will inhibit the failure of that parts structure.

4) Make shapes less prismatic

Radical change of slope in surfaces causes useless stress concentrations. To prevent
misleading calculations in FE Analysis, shapes and features should be as round as
possible. Whenever you see a fillet or a linkage zone, consider using a radius instead of a
sharp edge. Sharp edges can fool calculations and are normally useless. However, in
some companies engineers clean the geometry after the CAD delivery before moving to
FE modelling by actually take off the round shapes, holes and tiny edges. So, how do you
know whether to use round shapes or clean sharp edges? The key difference lies in the
role that the zone or feature will play; we clean them when they do not represent a case
study of stress and strain, and we prefer rounder shapes for them when they do present
a support to the stress within the model. This brings us to the fifth point

5) Ensure easy modification

We have mentioned this point in other articles and it plays a major role in FEA as well. If
you want to suppress features or clean geometry, nothing is worse than going back to the
initial sketch and modifying it, then dealing with the cascade of resultant changes that it
causes. Besides, once the first calculation iteration is over and analysis delivers results,
designers will most likely have to modify the CAD model to improve the lifecycle or
resistance of the part. Therefore, making an easy-to-edit CAD model is a time-saver for
FEA. Direct modeling has been gaining in popularity thanks to big companies such as
Siemens promoting it; with this type of CAD tool, there is no reason to worry about the
CAD history/tree, and changes will be quick and efficient. However, this technology is still
in its infancy.

6) Prevent unnecessary contacts

http://www.mechanicaldesignforum.com/content.php?176-10-ways-you-can-make-your-CAD-models-more-FEA-friendly

Come join Victoria Plumb

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Victoria Plumb are the UK's No
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Dovile Yesterday, 12:10

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7/16/2015

Mechanical Design Forum - 10 ways you can make your CAD models more FEA-friendly
Have a knowledge
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JackYan01 24th May
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Have a
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Have a knowledge
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The size of mold

base series list
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This is a classic rookie mistake. Designers often crowd their parts in a way that wont
prevent motion or cause vibration or loads, but which will nevertheless require attention
during the meshing phase. During FEA, contacts are given special attention, so
unnecessary contacts require unnecessary calculations.

employability!
Welding is a hard work; it
requires the
vnmanpower 13th Jul '15, 09:25

7) Detail the joints between parts

Joining parts within an assembly can be done in different ways. Sometimes, the elements
linking the different parts might be neglected. This can cause problems. Designers should
model joints in the most accurate way possible. Modeling a screw is not the same as
modeling a bolting screw. Mechanically speaking, MIGs are different from punctual welds.
Therefore, the links in any assembly should be as detailed as possible, either by providing
quantitative descriptions at welds or by putting the convenient MXX screw in its hole with
the reference typed on it.

Hello Everyone!

8) Hide construction elements

How to model this vent in

instrument?

This is a common procedure among CAD designers but sometimes, after modifying a
feature and sending it back, a random surface might be left out. If this happens, the FE
designer might not be aware that its merely a construction element and actually include
it in the FE modeling. This is one of the reasons why designers are more and more
becoming multitasking engineers. Such people can prevent these kinds of mistakes.

9) Be a multi-tasker (or at least be aware of everything that

needs to be done)
Depending on design departments, tasks might be divided in several ways. Most of the
time, you either have a group of designers who will handle only CAD and another group
who will handle CAE (Computer Aided Engineering), or you will have a group of multitaskers that will work on the same project and perform the whole process. In either case,
its crucial that the designer is aware of the CAE/CAD dynamics. A designer who is versed
in all of the design steps will be able to prevent technical problems, understand and
answer requests quickly, and bring his own insight into the design.

10) Take manufacturing into account

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Jnewstrom 13th Jul '15, 09:24

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RMD 11th Jul '15, 20:23

Looking for ideas to design

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Hi, Dear Mr. Auto Engineer.

This is a tricky point since it requires designers to have a consistent knowledge of

manufacturing processes and capability. We often find that models that go through the
CAD and CAE phases get sent back to the initial step because of the complexity or high
costs of manufacturing. Often the designer will have to redo the whole model over again.
To prevent this problem, the manufacturing budget and processes should be wellunderstood before the FEA is completed.

Very interesting topic, but i

think it would better if you
could post some detailed pics
of the zone
Raulmxz 11th Jul '15, 17:27

Piping
Hi all,
I have just started to work in
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In my MTOs, I have submitted
simplified definition of the
material. Unfortunately

Attached Files
FEA.jpg (34.2 KB, 667 views)

JackYan01 10th May

'15 05:39

francesco.ciani88 11th Jul '15,

14:40

The detail
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Thanks
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