This paper on "Structural Analysis Requirements and STEP from an Aircraft Design Perspective" was presented at the NAFEMS World Congress on Design, Simulation & Optimisation: Reliability & Applicability of Computational Methods - 9-11 April 1997, Stuttgart, Germany.

Introduction to Paper

The notion of "design through analysis" frequently occurs in the world of Standard for the Exchange of Product Data (STEP), yet this in itself represents an obsolete paradigm. The idea of a sequential design, analysis, test process is at odds with modem ideas of concurrent engineering now used extensively in the development of real aircraft (e.g. Boeing 777). Analysis frequently precedes design, in the sense that modern analytical tools are used to develop the initial definition of the shape of a product Furthermore, the finite element method represents only a fraction of the effort required to support the development of a modem structure. So, we see that the structural analysis component of STEP is less than complete!