Abstract: A method is provided for designing a structural product. The method includes accessing a finite element method (FEM) model in which the structural product is represented by a mesh of elements with respective nodal points and nodal datasets, indexed by element identifier, and including part identifiers of the component parts to which the elements belong. The method includes accessing results from a finite element analysis of the FEM model that indicate internal loads and deflections on the structural product under an external load. The results are also indexed by element identifier. A part identifier for a component part is identified; and element identifiers of the elements for the component part, and whose nodal datasets include the part identifier, are determined. The internal loads and deflections on the component part are extracted, and post-processed to determine an effect of the external load on the component part.

Abstract: An apparatus for designing a structural product is provided. The apparatus accesses a computer-aided design (CAD) model that represents a first design of the structural product by a first geometry and accesses a finite element method (FEM) model that represents a second design of the structural product by a mesh of elements arranged in a second geometry. The apparatus performs a comparison of the CAD model and the FEM model to determine a similarity between the first geometry and the second geometry and produces a resulting FEM model based on the similarity, and that represents the first design of the structural product. The apparatus performs a finite element analysis on the resulting FEM model and performs a classical analysis to evaluate the first design of the structural product, produces an output based on the classical analysis, and displays the output to facilitate design of the structural product.

Abstract: An apparatus for designing a structural product is provided. The apparatus accesses a computer-aided design (CAD) model that represents a first design of the structural product by a first geometry and accesses a finite element method (FEM) model that represents a second design of the structural product by a mesh of elements arranged in a second geometry. The apparatus performs a comparison of the CAD model and the FEM model to determine a similarity between the first geometry and the second geometry and produces a resulting FEM model based on the similarity, and that represents the first design of the structural product. The apparatus performs a finite element analysis on the resulting FEM model and performs a classical analysis to evaluate the first design of the structural product, produces an output based on the classical analysis, and displays the output to facilitate design of the structural product.