Structural & Thermal FEA Consulting Services
Wilde provides a comprehensive structural analysis service to a wide range of industries and applications in accordance with our ISO9001 quality system. Predictions of failure modes, limiting stresses, thermal gradients, safety factors and deflections are supplied alongside advice on design improvements. This service can complement your own use of FEA software or as an alternative if you do not have the resources to undertake the work in-house.
Case Studies
Aerospace & Defence
Our FEA consulting experience within aerospace applications includes significant work with reinforced composite materials – in both interior and exterior assemblies – and also gas turbine components. Aircraft cabin analysis has involved static and dynamic loading, considering how forces are transferred to the airframe.
Many military related projects have been undertaken for the MOD and subcontractors, conforming to the necessary security and confidentiality requirements for this type of work. This has included a long term relationship with Williams Fairey – a world leader in tactical military bridging.
Automotive
Most of our automotive structural analysis projects have involved first and second tier suppliers, such as the analysis of chassis, suspension, engine, gearboxes and other power transmission components. Typical objectives and outcomes have been:
- Transient dynamic analysis from test data.
- Fatigue assessment
- Weight optimisation
- Analysis of fabrications including welding stresses
- Design studies to satisfy OEM performance requirements
Construction Machinery
Over the last 20 years Wilde has undertaken a significant number of projects for the major OEMs, such as Terex, JCB and Caterpillar, assessing the structural integrity of earth-moving equipment.
Chemical & Process
Projects for the petrochemical and other process industries have included pressure vessel assessment to BS5500 and ASMEVIII and thermal and dynamic pipe stressing, both from our offices and on-site. Typical deliverables include:
- Stress linearization
- Analysis to code
- Fatigue checks
Composite Material Analysis
Wilde have been involved in composite structures since becoming NISA resellers in 1987. With specialised skills in the analysis of GRP, sandwich, honeycomb and other anisotropic materials, we have been undertaken a range of projects in aerospace and other industries requiring strong, lightweight structures.
Consumer Products
Wilde is becoming increasingly involved in the structural analysis of consumer products through our Autodesk Moldflow plastics knowledge as well as Drop Testing services. As manufacturers are under pressure to develop and launch new products to market more quickly while adhering to consumer standard, the benefits of using FEA within the design and validation stages are becoming increasingly clear.
Medical
Although not our most frequent application, FEA is increasingly being used in medical research including the development of the latest biomedical devices. Interesting and challenging projects have ranged from the simulation of human teeth following laser treatment and the meshing and structural analysis of a human skull from scanned data, to a design review of the insertion of cementless cup implants within artificial hip joints.
Industrial Machinery
Industrial machinery and other ‘general’ engineering application cover a wide range of FEA disciplines, often involving a combination of beam, shell and solid element meshes. Typical examples include skids and frameworks for hydraulic and electronic cabinets, and support systems for various power generation equipment and machines.
Power Transmission
We have an established reputation solving power transmission problems, including:
- Investigating structural failures
- Design foundation systems
- Modelling machine dynamics
- Predicting bearing loads in flexible couplings due to out-of-alignment forces.
We also have in-house experience in rotordynamics.
Nuclear Projects
For nuclear plant equipment, such as reactors, piping and concrete protection barriers, Wilde have carried out structural analysis projects for UKAEA and other major companies, and first tier supplies such as Darchem Engineering. Some of our nuclear work is undertaken in conjunction with civil & structural engineers from Wilde Consulting Engineers under our Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting Services.
Oil & Gas
In recent years, much of our structural analysis work has derived from the bouyant oil & gas industry. This has largely involved the assessment of a variety of fabricated structures seen on rigs and FPSO units. Often, we have been requested to contribute to optimisation studies and provide solutions to design issues.
Rail Projects
Our experience within the rail industry has included both rolling stock, such as weight minimisation studies on train bogies members, and also infrastructure including the assessment of rail connectors and gantrys.
Renewable Energy
Projects within the renewable energy industy can be extremely varied, original and involve multiple physics. Our staff members have experience of wind turbines, composite materials and power transmission equipment. We have also been involved with start-up companies researching innovative methods of capturing and recycling energy.
