Subdivision-based integration of geometric design and finite element mesh generation for sheet metal structures

Abstract

Subdivision methods have been mainly used in computer graphics. This paper extends their applications to the integration of geometric design and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for sheet metal structures, and fulfils the seamless integration of geometric design and FEA in the model and representation. A common model or a unified representation for geometric design and FEA was created with subdivision surfaces for sheet metal structures. Automatic mesh generation for geometric design and FEA was fulfilled through subdivision methods. The seamless integration can improve the accuracy in numerical analysis and shorten the cycle for the geometric design and the FEA of sheet metal structures. 'Subdivision-based integration of geometric design and finite element mesh generation for sheet metal structures', Int. J.