#277 Finite Element Analysis
1950s
Enabled engineers to design and evaluate in a virtual environment.
A numerical simulation tool used by engineers to design and evaluate devices and processes virtually, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has worldwide use in the fields of Science, Technolgy, Engineering and Mathematics to access the integrity of a design before the product is built.
Prior to the development of simulation techniques for testing, engineers had to build a product or plant to see if their designs were workable, a costly and wasteful measure. With FEA, disciplines of engineering and science were transformed.
Used to solve issues regarding stress, strain, deformation, heat transfer and fluid mechanics, the FEA method breaks an object to be studied into a multitude of finite-sized elements. Computer software then applies various conservation laws to each element. Software solves equations for each element and combines the results for a solution accross the entire domain.
FEA is used regularly in many engineering industries to accuratly determine stress distribution in complex components. Among the industries: the Nuclear industry; Geosciences and climate studies; the renewable energy sector; Medical Device and process design and evaluation; food processing; and Manufacturing.
Landmark Location
This landmark was approved as part of ASME's Virtual Landmark Program
Landmark recognition date
June 2022
Download brochure