Too often, finite element analysis (FEA) appears to be a magical tool. Many believe it requires little experience to produce detailed and refined results. This mindset can lead to serious issues.
Recently, I spoke with another engineering analyst about design work done overseas. They mentioned that the team neglected design for assembly and design for manufacturing. This cheap design provided solutions that we couldn’t build on a budget. As a result, everyone’s efforts went to waste.
Cheap Analysis is Out There. Run From It!
One company considered hiring analysts in Africa with limited FEA experience. They hadn’t built any hardware yet. The company aimed to save money by choosing low hourly rates abroad. Instead, they ended up with a design that was inefficient and hard to build.
If someone had made prototypes from this design, they likely would have failed. This was for an engine product. It needed thermal, stress, and vibration tests, among others. The company might even create factory tooling without testing a prototype first!
FEA is a great tool to cut down development cycles for manufacturable products. But, it cannot replace the need for prototype creation and testing.
Managerial Bullying
I had a different experience with another firm. They wanted to save money on FEA by outsourcing it. After reviewing the analysis, an employee noted its poor quality and said it needed to be redone. His supervisor insisted he accept the analysis as is. The employee refused and then departed from the company.
What if he had complied? A poor analysis leads to a poor design. Prototype testing should reveal issues before manufacturing begins. Building and testing a prototype, knowing it won’t work, is frustrating. I support lowering development costs. But cutting corners in analysis is a bad idea. It saves a little now but costs more later.
Inexperienced Analyst
In another case, a company hired a recent college graduate for structural FEA. Once the analysis was complete, they built a prototype that failed during testing. An experienced analyst looked over the work. They found many mistakes that even a veteran wouldn’t make. But hey, the analysis was cheap!
FEA is Not a Magic Tool
FEA often seems like a magic tool. Many think it requires little experience for good results. This belief can lead to disaster if not addressed early.
Norman T. Neher, P.E.
Analytical Engineering Services, Inc.
Elko New Market, MN
www.aesmn.org