08 Mar 2007
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Finite Element Analysis
Design and Manufacturing Services
Requirement
A manufacturer of satellite communication equipment had an existing design of ship mounted antenna. They were developing a new variation to mount a different dish and revised electronics equipment. The new equipment was substantially heavier than the previous design. The manufacturer needed to ensure that the equipment was able to survive a mine exploding near the ship without serious damage to the antenna that would impede operation.
Solution
The proposed design was analysed by Product Assurance Group in order to identify potential weak areas. As some areas were found to be significantly overstressed, substantial redesign of these areas was required. Product Assurance Group conceived and evaluated various design solutions within constraints laid down by the designers. In addition, weight optimisation was performed to remove superfluous material. By the use of finite element analysis, a revised design solution was proposed to our customer. It was predicted that the proposed design changes would allow the antenna to survive the mine explosion, while still being manufacturable and with minimal increase in mass.
Benefits
It was far more efficient for Product Assurance Group to conceive and evaluate design changes using finite element analysis. This prevented the loop of the customer proposing changes which were then shown to not solve the problem, then proposing further modifications, and so on. The analyst needed to be aware of the physical constraints of the problem, and had to work within these. The analysis gave the customer confidence in the design solution and reduced the risk of further redesign.
