Recently, at the DE 247 Design & Simulation Summit, 26th October 2023, Ted Fryberger, President of DeepSoft located in Columbia, MD, conducted a session on engineering analysis. With over five decades of engineering experience, Fryberger gave an in-depth analysis of "Engineering Analysis: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." He discussed the best practices and lessons learned in finite element analysis (FEA), stress, thermal and dynamics analyses, and manual calculations.

During his speech, Fryberger discussed various analysis tools engineers can use to improve their work. He emphasized the importance of systems engineering, CAD/CAE for creating detailed geometries, FEA for analyzing all part and assembly geometries, CFD, manual calculations like MathCAD and MATLAB, physical testing, and simulation data management. Fryberger's keynote underscored the significance of acquiring powerful FEA tools and mastering their use to perform practical analysis.

During the session, practical tips were shared to improve the efficiency of FEA usage. The importance of robust analysis planning, using dedicated math tools beyond Excel, and organizing workflows using a project folder was emphasized. Fryberger highlighted that effective tool utilization depends on collaboration between managers, analysts, and design engineers.

Fryberger provided guidance on different types of FEA analysis, cautioned about the careful utilization of composites, and underscored the challenging learning curve associated with CFD. He elaborated on the significance of utilizing helpful tools while transitioning from CAD to FEA models, suggesting using 3D solid modelers instead of FEA preprocessor geometry models.

Fryberger discussed various aspects of FEA software, such as model element types, boundary element types, and the importance of model symmetry. He also emphasized creating a logical folder structure for efficient data management. During the Autodesk Simulation Mechanical software demonstration, Fryberger showcased stress analysis and displacement in an underwater instrument. He highlighted the utility of Von Mises stress for combined stress analysis.

Fryberger offers specialized courses that cover engineering analysis intricacies and an introduction to FEA beyond the session. He provides a neutral perspective on FEA tools, and his areas of expertise include FEA stress, thermal and dynamic analysis, and mechanical engineering design and programming.

The insightful session, sponsored by Rescale and COMSOL, offered valuable insights to attendees on optimizing engineering analysis. The summit, hosted by Dell and NVIDIA, aimed to empower professionals in the design and simulation realm.