Need Modeling Accuracy? Try Solids-Based Stress Analysis

[Procision Screenshot]

Unlike P-Element and Boundary-Element analysis software, which can require hundreds of megabytes of disk space, new analysis software offered by Rand Technologies (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) can analyze some complex 3D solids models with less than 30 MB of memory and no scratch disk space. Called Procision, the software runs entirely inside the Pro/Engineer (Parametric Technology, Waltham, MA) environment, and requires no finite element or geometric element mesh, instead using the precise solids model part surfaces as the analysis model. Loads and boundary conditions are applied using Pro/Engineer menus and are directly associated to surfaces, edges, and datums. Large changes to the model are easy because there is no mesh to recreate.

According to Rand, one of the software's strengths is in calculating the correct values and locations of small local stress concentrations. With conventional analysis software, unless a very fine mesh is placed at exactly the right locations, analysis accuracy suffers. Using Procision, engineers simply select features that they think may create stress concentrations, and the system will automatically calculate stresses due to the local effects of these geometric features.

This article is from Integrated Design & Manufacturing.