Geometric processing for analysis

Processing geometric models for finite element analysis is a major factor in the time required to develop and optimise a design. Efficient analysis may require simplification of the geometric model by dimensional reduction (replacing thin sheets or slender bars of material with equivalent line or surface elements) or detail suppression (the removal of small features below the scale of interest in the analysis). There are many situations where detailed local models of full dimension could be combined with global models containing reduced dimensional elements, or in which the abstract models used in preliminary design could be used to generate an initial version of the 3D solid model. Furthermore, the most appropriate representation of an object is dependent on the analysis type. These requirements provide significant challenges for future generations of CAE software in feature recognition and the modelling and representation of geometric objects.