This paper on "The Precise Solids Method Implemented in the Design Process" was presented at the NAFEMS World Congress on The Evolution of Product Simulation From Established Methods to Virtual Testing & Prototyping - 24-28 April 2001, The Grand Hotel, Lake Como, Italy.

Summary

Engineers have used design analysis tools for decades, but only recently the design process started changing from sequential: design-analysis-redesign to the parallel one, where analysis (most often FEA) is conducted concurrently with design and analysis results are used to make design decisions. This concurrent CAD-FEA process, aimed at reducing cost and shortening the design cycle, requires frequent interfacing between fully featured solid CAD geometry and idealized FEA geometry, created specifically for analysis. The need for differentiating between manufacturing specific CAD geometry and FEA specific geometry, and consequently the need for CAD-FEA interfacing, results from limitations of the finite element method unable to cope with detailed, often "dirty" CAD geometry.
A new analysis method, based on the external finite element approximation, and called the Precise Solids Method (PSM), offers complete integration with the design process. Defeaturing, and cleanup of geometry is not required, analysis is conducted directly on solid CAD geometry. Eliminating the need for interfacing, which is the major impediment in concurrent design process, the PSM allows for full integration of analysis into design process.
The paper discusses the PSM and presents it as the next evolutionary step in the development of analysis tools.