FEA on the Assembly Line

Structural and dynamic analyses of a new machining fixture help Porsche AG get production up and running faster. Porsche contracted with KTW Konstruktion Technik K. Weisshaupt GmbH of Friedrichshafen, Germany, to design and produce the fixtures required to hold automobile motor parts in place during drilling and high-precision milling. It has been noted that using a 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) solid modeler can point out weaknesses before a design leaves the computer. In order to avoid the need for costly generations of prototypes prior to the casting process, Speedy Engineering in Immenstaad, Germany, used finite element analysis software to perform linear static and dynamic (vibration) analyses of the motor component fixture geometry within only a few days of its design, to determine displacements and eigenfrequencies of the geometry. The results of the static and dynamic analyses enabled Speedy to specify maximum working loads for •production, which guaranteed success with the first use of this fixture design.