Nodes and Elements are the very backbones of Finite Element Analysis. You will use them in every analysis you will perform in FEA, so learning about them seems like a good idea! So, what are Nodes and Elements in Finite Element Analysis? In FEA, you divide your model into small pieces. Those are called Finite Elements [...]
To be honest I avoided this topic for quite some time. Every now and then someone asks me about it, so clearly I should write a post. But the fact that I do my own online FEA course means that this may be received as an advertisement rather than advice. To "deal with it" I [...]
Interpreting analysis outcomes is not simple. Even if you already have proper values from your FEA analysis, still you need to decide how to interpret FEA results. Let's take a closer look at how to approach this task! Firstly let's wonder how to interpret FEA results? In structural design, you have to perform several checks. Firstly, [...]
It's relatively easy to perform an FEA analysis, but it's definitely difficult to run an analysis that produces reasonable outcomes. During my Ph.D. research, I've learned that boundary conditions are often the issue. Seemingly simple they can cause a lot of trouble for you - so let's wonder what are the proper boundary conditions in [...]
I never hid with my beliefs about math in FEA. But I figured I will ask around, just to make sure I'm not missing something : ) So today you get a chance to learn more about the subject! And it won't be only about my opinion on the matter but also what Tony Abbey [...]
Some time ago I realized that I've got to know some amazing people in the last 2 years of blogging. Having so many great friends feels awesome, but I figured I will push it a bit further. This is the first interview I will post here, where I will discuss FEA related stuff with a [...]
This time I have something super special! We have been discussing different topics with Tony Abbey (FEtraining and Nafems) for quite some time. And now we decided to shoot a few videos about things that interest us in FEA. On today's video, we will talk about different approaches to snap-through as a difficult case of nonlinear [...]
This came out in one of the discussions in FEA guild, and I figured I will expand on this idea. This will also be useful for me later (and if I convince you, it may be useful for you as well). Instead of having this discussion with every Customer, I can simply direct them here [...]
Hey people! I continue the trend of inviting some of the FEA-finest to write on the blog! This week none other than Blas Molero Hidalgo joined us with his awesome work! If you use Femap and you ever searched for an answer in google you know who Blas is. He has this superpower I don't [...]
It's high time to make another one of those : ) I recently got caught up with some urgent designs, and those required revisiting some stuff I did several years ago... but I think I will feature this in future advice! Let's go with the tips! Pssst - there is also a video with those [...]
I've recently posted a tip about writing good FEA report... and I must admit that what followed surprised me! This is the most discussed topic to date. Naturally, I figured I will expand some of my ideas into a longer post. Let's give it a try : ) FEA report: business or tech? I strongly [...]
Ok, I'll admit it - I'm excited to host a post by one and only Angus Ramsay! Before we get to the post, let me just say that I actually have a chance to work with Angus on a book for Nafems (about FEA of course). So hopefully, you will see us (along with Nick [...]
Wow... it's the next week already O.o This means that it's another roundup post! I will always be a week behind on what we talk about in the Facebook group (even more reason to join it!). This is on purpose - I simply want to get all the insight and those awesome discussions that happen! This [...]
During last week I've posted a tip in the FEA Guild about using Benchmarks. Some great pointers were in the comments, but one got my attention the most: While there is no chance that I will build such database myself, I'm pretty sure we have a chance of making one together! I will try to [...]
Hey People! I've recently started posting FEA Design Insights on my LinkedIn profile as well as in the Facebook group (where some awesome discussions happen). I figured I will make a roundup with the best (and most interesting) tips here... just so they will be there where you need them! Let's start with a roundup [...]
I well remember when I started learning FEA. It was the beginning of my Ph.D. and no one told me that shell stability is highly nonlinear and that FEA will be difficult to do. I just assumed I was too stupid to understand this, and I was regularly hitting a wall with my head. Now, [...]
Hey you all! This is something special - first time on my blog I have a post done by someone else! Do you recall that Boris Jakimov made it to the hall of fame in the snap-through challenge? We talked a bit afterwards, and this is the result! I won't edit Boris work*... but I will [...]
Today's post is a video : ) In it, I will discuss various approaches to snap through problems with nonlinear FEA analysis. Understanding this was a stepping stone in my career. I really hope it will be just as useful for you! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA9MyT7ax_k Takeaway: Let's sum up what I talked about: What is steering? When you [...]
Finally comes the time when your analysis converges, and you have the outcomes. As great as it feels, especially if there were convergence issues, now you have to deal with results! However, this is not the end of fun! In the end, you need to see if your analysis results make any sense at all! [...]
It's time for the second part of the #FEAchecklist! Last time we were checking stuff before starting an analysis. Now, let's wonder what to check if you see analysis errors when your analysis fails to run. I can honestly say I'm kind of an expert here... I'm pretty certain I've made most of the possible [...]