Download the printer-friendly version here, and read the user guide below! I've already written a post on ignoring nonlinear geometry. This time I want to go way deeper into the subject. In the end, I want to create for you a simple Nonlinear Flow Chart that will help you to decide whether you need any [...]
https://youtu.be/inVGiGzmii0 As promised in the video, you can get my free FEA essentials course. and free nonlinear FEA introductory course! Different types of analysis in FEA (text) Just so you know: this will take around 15 min to read. As I wrote recently this year I want to help you gain confidence in the FEA [...]
Arjen asked me recently about stress singularity. There are quite a few articles about this issue already (it is a common problem I think). But I want to bring something to the discussion as well : ) Stress singularity basics I'm sure you have heard about it, so I will be brief. Stress singularity is [...]
Recently I asked a lot of my subscribers what they think is the most difficult thing in FEA. While "interpreting results" or "too much theory in materials" appeared quite often, I also got several answers like: My biggest obstacle is actually understanding the mathematical concept behind it. Although I am really interested in the application [...]
This topic was on my mind (and on my to-write list) for a very long time. Finally, I had the time to organize what I want to write about it in my head. I wonder what is your take on this matter - be sure to leave a comment below! What does it mean to [...]
This is a very special day for me, as I just launched a first paid online course on Enterfea. It took me more than half a year to make it, so naturally, I started reflecting on that process. I realized that there are a LOT of similarities between making something like an online course and an [...]
Recently I've checked what topics are the most popular on my blog and it seems meshing is in high demand ( : I also figured I will try something different as a style of writing. This post will be a list of few short ideas instead of a long article about something. Let me know [...]
Last time I described 5 steps to FEA results verification. Among those steps were FEA results verification with hand calculations. I figured it makes sense to expand on this idea. Especially since Luke asked me about something on this topic via email. Luke asks: How is the eigenvalue calculated, can this be done longhand? Can [...]
Whatever we design life will verify it at the end... but I would rather know if my design has a fighting chance before any major collapse occurs! This is why FEA results verification is a very important thing. When you are solving a known problem (i.e. as a benchmark) this is easy to do. You [...]
Recently I got a great question from Ardalan (thanks for writing mate!) about defining nonlinear supports in FEA. I think he does a better job of defining the problem: First how to constraint an entity with in tolerance rather than completely fixing it? i.e. how to define a certain range of motion for an entity [...]
One of the few difficult things about buckling lengths is, that you need to know if your structure is a "sway" structure or a "non-sway" structure. Commonly the simple check is made with displacements, but unfortunately, it may lead to serious mistakes! Why should you care about sway and non-sway system Firstly, I want to [...]
Symmetry in FEA is great, as it reduces the size of the task. This, in turn, shortens the computing time. Computing time is still a big issue, especially when you run complex models. Without a doubt, this is why using symmetry in FEA is so popular. There is a catch to this, however, as you [...]
Linear FEA calculations are the most common type of static analysis done with finite elements. So far we have discussed when it is safe to ignore material nonlinearity and when to ignore geometric nonlinearity. Ignoring those aspects allow you to use linear analysis which is a simple yet robust tool. There is another thing we should [...]
Linear FEA calculations are the most common type of static analysis done with finite elements. Last week we have discussed when it is safe to ignore material nonlinearity to use this simple yet robust tool. Today I will describe when we can safely ignore material nonlinearity. A short remainder There are several things you should [...]
Linear FEA calculations are the most common type of static analysis done with finite elements. There are a lot of benefits to the method itself, but of course, there are risks involved as well. Today you will learn when it is safe to ignore material nonlinearity. I will also tell you what things you should [...]
If you are starting with nonlinear FEA you most likely heard the term load multiplier. Usually, people associate this with some sort of "safety factor" but frankly this has nothing to do with safety. In fact, this is the only way you can get an outcome out of nonlinear analysis and today I will explain [...]
I have seen many mistakes where people wrongly changed enforced deformations with active forces. In some cases, this is a simple task, which gives beginners the feeling that they can always do it easily. This, in turn, leads to various mistakes in analysis. I think it is worth discussing this, to point out common mistakes [...]
Lately, I got several emails with questions about nonlinear analysis convergence. There are a lot of reasons why your analysis could not converge. One of them is a wrong loads/increment strategy which I call "steering". Take a look at what are the possible options and what are the positive/negative aspects of each approach. Steering have [...]
When people think about nonlinear analysis usually what first comes to mind is material nonlinearity. This is the most “visible” aspect of nonlinearity in calculations. I won’t dare to say that materially nonlinear analysis is the most important one (I think that there is not such thing), but without a doubt, this is an important [...]
Geometric nonlinearity is incredibly useful in structural analysis. It can help you check if your model is correct, or allow for a great structural optimization. Today I will discuss the basics of what does geometrically nonlinear analysis do using not the theory but real-life examples! […]