I am an Manufacturing Engineering student (Junior) and I recently got a job as a designer at a local company. I am doing well in the design but my boss would like me to get into the FEA of Autodesk Inventor 2011 Professional.

I have a very BASIC understanding on FEA. Does anyone know of any good intro and then intermediate book to help me understand FEA and then understand how to use Inventors' Stress Analysis tool

I can run the analysis by just clicking the automatic contacts and constraining a couple of face but I do not believe that is giving me entirely dependable results.

Thanks,

Mat

 

The NAFEMS website (http://www.nafems.org) is a good place to start - there are some resource articles online (look for the Knowledge Base section) and you can also order publications direct from the site.

 

The NAFEMS website is a good place to start as Stuart said. In addition, here are a couple of texts you may want to consider:
1.) http://www.amazon.com/First-Course-...TF8&coliid=I1BF46AQWGRS7O&colid=15WOD827JMJXK

2.) http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Str...UTF8&coliid=II8UQS54TCDS5&colid=15WOD827JMJXK

3.) http://www.amazon.com/Finite-Elemen...TF8&coliid=I2NKE8W84W2K4A&colid=15WOD827JMJXK

Each of these is written to a little different crowd, so you'll want to review them carefully.

 

I don't use Inventor (or Algor) so I can't speak to anything that is specific to them but here are some that I've found useful.

Practical Stress Analysis with Finite Elements by Bryan J. Mac Donald: This will take you from a very basic understanding to a sort of novice understanding.

The Finite Element Method for Solid and Structural Mechanics, Sixth Edition by O. C. Zienkiewicz: is one of a set that goes over the details

Finite Element Procedures by K.J. Bathe: More than you (or at least I) wanted to know about how it can be implemented.

HTH,
Dan

 

Thought i'd add that Develop3d - a UK based magazine covering the technology behind the design process - have run a couple of articles in the last couple of months on the basics of FEA. Pretty sure they have a digital version of the mag at http://www.develop3d.com - you'll be after "Engineering workshop #9 and #10"

Hope this helps!

 

http://www.demonoid.me/files/?categ...=2&query=+Finite+Element+Analysis&uid=0&sort= provides a list of downloadable books dealing with Finite Element Analysis. Within this list, there was once a collection of over 75 texts of various levels/quality/utility, all dealing with Finite element methods. What's the best? I've been doing Finite element analyses for over 30 years, and I am still reading...