Guides
Practical notes from the F-CAD® engineering team on developing a product, from the first specification to production, and on the analysis along the way.
Developing a product
- Writing a product specificationTurning “it must be strong” into requirements a design can be measured against.
- Concept design and feasibilityHow many concepts to draw, what to calculate early and how to choose.
- Design for manufactureRules of thumb for machining, moulding, sheet metal, fabrication and printing.
- Manufacturing drawings and tolerancesWhat a drawing pack should hold, and why tight tolerances cost money.
- Choosing a prototyping methodPrinting, machining, casting or soft tooling, matched to what the prototype must prove.
- From prototype to productionWhat changes between a working prototype and a part made in volume.
FEA and structural analysis
- What is FEA?How finite element analysis works, what it predicts and where it stops.
- Linear vs non-linear FEAWhen linear results hold, and the signs a part needs a non-linear study.
- Von Mises stress explainedWhat the equivalent stress means, and how it compares with Tresca.
- Stress concentration factorsWhy holes, fillets and notches raise stress, with typical Kt values.
- Factor of safety in designDesign factor, factor of safety and margin, and how to choose them.
- Modal analysis explainedNatural frequencies, mode shapes and keeping clear of resonance.
- Fatigue analysis explainedWhy parts crack below yield, and how their life is estimated.
- Thermal stress explainedHow heat and mismatched materials create stress, with worked examples.
- Drop test simulation: a practical guideWhat a simulated drop shows, and how to choose heights and orientations.
CFD and thermal
Working with simulation
- FEA consultancy or FEA software?Buying software, hiring a consultancy or mixing the two.
- What drives the cost of a simulation studyThe scope, physics and data that set the effort behind a study.
- Preparing CAD for simulationGetting geometry, assemblies and data ready so a study starts cleanly.
- GlossaryPlain definitions of the design, manufacturing and simulation terms on this site.
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