CDH AG - General Engineering Analysis Services
Engineering analyses is at the heart of engineering design. For example, since the mechanical stresses acting on a device may cause it to fail, it is necessary for the designer to know the distribution and magnitude of stresses in the device and to decide whether the stresses are acceptable. For most real situations with complex geometry and loading, the accurate determination of the stresses and strains in a structure is a complex problem.
The body of knowledge that addresses such problems is termed structural mechanics. Many types of “field” problems can be addressed within the unifying theory of continuum mechanics. This is because the methods of continuum mechanics provide a general mathematical description that is equally applicable to many physical problems. Examples of field problems include the distribution of mechanical stresses in a loaded structure, the temperature distribution in a heat conducting device exposed to thermal energy, the strength of a magnetic field in a transformer, and the velocity of fluid flowing in or around a complex geometry.
One very powerful approach to the solution of field problems is the Finite Element Method (often shortened to FEM). This method requires the creation of a so-called finite element model in which the object to be analyzed is divided up into many small but finite pieces, known as elements. Each element has a more or less regular shape. By assembling many such small elements, a structure of any complex shape may be modeled. The individual elements are joined at common corner nodes. The initially unknown quantities are assigned at the element corner nodes. Theses nodes are also used to specify loading and boundary conditions in accordance with the requirements of the particular physical problem being addressed. The FEM provides the solution by solving the equations to determine the values of the initially unknown quantities at the corner nodes of the elements.
The FEM is always implemented in a computer program. FEM-analysis programs, and the modeling and post-processing software required, belong to the general class of software tools known as computer aided engineering. Commercial standard software, powerful computers as well as significant training, know-how and experience, are all required to solve engineering problems effectively using the FEM.
CDH AG is an acknowledged expert in the application of the FEM to a wide variety of applications in general mechanical engineering. With almost 25 years of specialization in computer aided design activities, CDH experience includes analysis in all strength-related disciplines such as stiffness and stress analysis, fatigue and fracture mechanics. CDH has worked on the solution of thermal loading problems, heat conductivity and acoustic radiation and vibration problems. CDH has applied advance FEM to a wide range of problems including railway applications, engine and gearbox component design, and special-purpose containment structures. These applications have included analysis of multi-physics coupled problems, and the application of advanced optimization methods to achieve multiple discipline objectives and significantly better designs for our clients. We work in close cooperation with our clients design departments applying the engineering ISO and or DIN standards appropriate to the analyzed structures.
