FEA and Reliability
Abstract
Andre and Fred discussing finite element analysis and how it may be useful for reliability engineering professionals.
Key Points
Join Andre and Fred as they discuss the use of FEA both for design analysis, as well as for durability and reliability considerations.
Topics include:
- The need to education your FEA personal how to improve product reliability
- How to use FEA for reliability performance improvement
- A few of the drawbacks of FEA when considering future product performance
Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches.
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Show Notes
I listened to your podcast regarding using FEA for reliability this past weekend. I have been involved with both fields for many years with a focus on metal fatigue.
Here is one method we use at our company. I guess you could call it a statistical safety factor.
We conduct FEA using a standard set of load cases that relate to a standard set of tests where we run parts to failure. We have literally hundreds of these test results (for thousands of samples). Almost all of these components use the same materials. Using statistical analysis for all of these test histories we calculate a stress bogie for say 95% reliability and 90% confidence. We give that stress bogie to designers to use. We still test parts but, our rate of bad surprizes is almost zero.
Thanks for the comment and example of how you and team use FEA with your reliability program. Excellent! cheers, Fred
I listened to podcast on FEA and reliability. You and Andre touched on most aspects of FEA as related to reliability, but you missed one from my perspective.
In my experience with reliability and test going back to the mid-1970s, We used FEA in preparing for limit testing and later for accelerated testing. I was involved using it for structural component test. Results of FEA were used to assist strain gage placement for step stress limit tests. Results were fed back to improve modeling.
More recently, I have used thermal FEA analysis in planning accelerated tests of electric heaters. Again test results were used to refine modeling. So, in conjunction with tests to find limits and design margin, using analysis results to plan quantitative accelerated life tests, and reduce prototype iterations for testing; FEA can be useful for reliability testing.
It is certainly more deterministic, and it relies on assumptions as was discussed, but it can help plan tests that will help with the more probabilistic methods of estimating reliability.