Abstract

Finite element analysis and structural verification of lifting equipment in EMO Terminal according to Eurocode 3, EN13001, FEM1.001, and other industry standards. Case study of assuring continuous safe and effective operations with the help of FEA simulations and checks according to Standards. A lot of steel structures such as cranes, heavy machinery and other equipment subjected to repetitive loading is highly likely to develop cracks or failures because of the fatigue damage. The cost of every hour of equipment downtime is usually very expensive, making it mandatory to perform residual life calculations, fatigue checks, buckling, and stability verification and analysis of bolts, welds, and other connections. This Case study will describe how the complete structural verification according to multiple industries was performed for EMO with the help of the finite element analysis method. EMO, the European dry bulk commodities and transshipment company, is one of the largest dry bulk terminals in Europe. General FEA programs like Ansys and Femap were used to build finite element models of the equipment and simulate the behavior of these models under different operational and exceptional conditions. These programs are delivering to engineers outstanding simulation possibilities. But to know that the calculation results are OK, to get the results verified and certified, and to analyze not only stresses and displacements but also check multiple failure modes it was required to follow the Design Rules and Industry Standards which already contain industry best procedures and recommended practices. Static stress check, fatigue, beam member check, plate buckling, weld strength, bolted and riveted connections strength, joints verification, stability analysis and other checks were done for EMO Terminal unloaders, grabbers, conveyors, and other equipment. Structural verification of Femap and Ansys FEA models was performed with a help of the SDC Verifier. Results of this analysis, found issues and typical problems, and the procedure of checking will be shown in this presentation. With the method, presented in this use case it is possible to perform code checking analysis for multiple loading conditions, and on multiple structural members according to Eurocodes, AISC, ABS, DNV, Norsok, API, DIN, FEM, DVS, FKM, ISO, ASME, and other codes directly in general FEA program. Detailed workflow of FEA analysis and code-checking routine was developed during the multiple engineering analyses for EMO Terminal equipment. The presented use case demonstrates how to save up to 40% of the time on repetitive engineering routines, simplify the design process, and reduce the deadline pressure. This presentation is about how to make computer-aided engineering fast, accurate, and effective.