Non-Linear FEA

This 6-session, live, online course addresses the important features of non-linear FEA. The course is independent of any specific software – you won’t get bogged down in the details of specific menus and workflows! You will be able to focus on key background and practical hints and tips, covering topics including:

• Background to non-linear FEA,
• Nonlinear analysis strategy,
• Geometric nonlinearity,
• Material nonlinearity,
• Contact nonlinearity,
• Explicit analysis background.

What will you learn?

• The importance of building a sound nonlinear FEA planning, analysis and review process,
• The background to the various types of nonlinear analysis,
• An understanding of when and how to use nonlinearity,
• An understanding of the risks and strategy needed to successfully tackle nonlinear analysis,
• Limitations of non-linear FEA simulation.

Who should attend?

Designers and engineers who are moving into the area of Non-Linear FEA, or need a refresher to brush-up their knowledge. Familiarity with FEA is assumed, but no other background knowledge is required.

Many problems facing designers and engineers are nonlinear in nature. The response of a structure cannot be simply assessed using linear assumptions. Nonlinear behavior can take many forms and can be bewildering to the newcomer.

All physical systems in the real world are inherently nonlinear in nature. One of the most difficult tasks facing an engineer is to decide whether a nonlinear analysis is really needed and, if so, what degree of nonlinearity should be applied. Looking at a bolt heavily loaded in an attachment fitting, it may be that the change in stiffness and load distribution path are critical in evaluating peak stress levels. Perhaps the assembly is in an overload condition and we need to check that plastic growth is stable and there is no ultimate failure – bent but not broken! A flange on a connector arm may be under compressive load, but also sees heavy bending. We need to assess the resistance to buckling with deflection dependent loading paths and possible plastic behavior.

Whatever the nature of the challenge, this objective of this course is to break down the nonlinear problem into clearly defined steps, give an overview of the physics involved and show how to successfully implement practical solutions using Finite Element Analysis.