×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Inexpensive home use FEA
2

Inexpensive home use FEA

Inexpensive home use FEA

(OP)
Is there such a thing? I'm guessing some of the top line software is pretty pricey. Just looking for something affordable for personal study. Thanks.

RE: Inexpensive home use FEA

Here is a list of open source FEA packages: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_finite_elemen...

I can't vouch for any of them, as I haven't used them. I've used the open source electromagnetic FEA solver FEMM and I've been pleasantly surprised with it.

RE: Inexpensive home use FEA

Try out CalculiX.

RE: Inexpensive home use FEA

nastran and femap have (i'm pretty sure) small demo versions that are free

RE: Inexpensive home use FEA

A word of caution, do you know failure theories and structural stress analysis? Just asking, it seems that you’re field is Automotive. However, if you just need a simple FEA program, you should be able to do the analysis by hand.

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
“Luck is where preparation meets opportunity”
"People get promoted when they provide value and when they build great relationships"

RE: Inexpensive home use FEA

Anyone with a Mech Eng degree should be able to write their own FEA (or FD) program as a weekend hobby. While the ex-wife spends your earnings taking the kids to theme parks.

- Steve
 

RE: Inexpensive home use FEA

Star for that, Steve.

RE: Inexpensive home use FEA

As rb1957 said most major companies offer trial or student versions. I believe Abaqus offers the student version for $100 and it is not limited to student's use. The only constraint is on the number of nodes. I would go this route with what ever software you are familiar with or want to become familiar with. I hope this helps.

Rob Stupplebeen
https://sites.google.com/site/robertkstupplebeen/

RE: Inexpensive home use FEA

I wonder if an engineering manager with a huge backload might view a resume stating "good working knowledge of Abaqus/Nastran" differently than one claiming " I can run the 1000 node FEA program I wrote after I got the Gauss points right and 3 of my 4 element types passed a patch test."

RE: Inexpensive home use FEA

If you got to an actual engineer, it might matter that you knew and understood the ins and outs of FEA that came from building your own program. If your resume were only read by an HR flunky, they would go with the person with expertise in the commercial software.

Patricia Lougheed

******

Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of the Eng-Tips Forums.

RE: Inexpensive home use FEA

(OP)
So how many close to 60 year old mechanical engineers program in C++ and assembly? Or can you write these fea programs in visual basic? Gosh if its that easy then why do the outfits charge so much for the software?

RE: Inexpensive home use FEA

Nice Steve, also star for you.

At least she doesn't drive the kids to the theme park in her BMW X5. It could be worse big guy!

But to topic, I say invest in something supported by industry. SolidWorks is well worth that investment. Probably the best professional advice I could give, absolutely a solid, functional platform.

Regards,
Cockroach

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources