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Free FEA resources

Guides, white papers, workshops, book extracts, and 100+ finite element models to build your modeling skills, free to download.

Guides and white papers

Kit

The SOP Starter Kit

PDF Open Guide

The Fundamentals of Mesh Generation in Finite Element Analysis

PDF Open White paper

Good Modeling Practices

PDF Open Workshop

Workshop: Modeling a Highly Nonlinear Problem

PowerPoint show Download MasterClass

Preparing an FEA Interview

PDF Open Guide

The Finite Element Method Theory in Depth

PDF Open Guide

The FEA Process

PDF Open

Book Bytes

Free extracts from Practical Finite Element Analysis for Mechanical Engineers. Discover what FEA is, how to learn it, and the main modeling techniques an FEA analyst should know.

  1. #1Defining FEA
  2. #2Working with FEA
  3. #3Becoming an FEA Specialist
  4. #4History of FEA
  5. #5Basis of the FEM Theory
  6. #6Defining Your FEA Strategy
  7. #7The Library of Elements
  8. #8Meshing
  9. #9Loads and Boundary Conditions
  10. #10RBEs and MPCs
  11. #11Modeling Bolted Joints
  12. #12Modeling Contact
  13. #13Submodeling
  14. #14Verification and Validation
  15. #15Understanding FEM Outputs
  16. #16Linear Static Analysis
  17. #17Linear Buckling Analysis
  18. #18Modal Analysis

100+ example models from the book

All the examples illustrating the modeling concepts presented in Practical Finite Element Analysis for Mechanical Engineers are available to download for free. All these examples were developed by the author of the book.

The files are MSC Nastran run decks that you can import into your favorite pre-processing software. For some complex FEMs, Patran session files containing the definition of groups are provided. The result files are not provided with the run decks. The modeling techniques presented in the book apply to any FEA solver.

You can also download an Excel file of a typical form for recording your model checkout summary. This form is presented in Table 16-3 of Chapter 16, "Validating and Correlating Your FEA".

Download section

Some archives are large (up to 164 MB). A desktop connection is recommended.

  • Model Checkout FormExcel file (.xlsx), 173 KB
    Download
  • Full Aircraft FEMZip archive, 12 MB (63.5 MB uncompressed), 4 files, 1 folder
    Download
  • Chapter 7: The Library of ElementsZip archive, 164 MB (652 MB uncompressed), 10 files, 6 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 8: MeshingZip archive, 147 MB (581 MB uncompressed), 9 files, 6 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 11: Defining Loads and Boundary ConditionsZip archive, 28 MB (119 MB uncompressed), 10 files, 5 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 12: Rigid Body Elements and MPCsZip archive, 334 KB (3 MB uncompressed), 10 files, 6 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 13: Modeling Bolted JointsZip archive, 20 MB (93 MB uncompressed), 12 files, 5 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 14: Modeling ContactZip archive, 14 MB (67.5 MB uncompressed), 10 files, 8 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 15: SubmodelingZip archive, 32 MB (191 MB uncompressed), 10 files, 5 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 16: Validating and Correlating Your FEAZip archive, 15 MB (82 MB uncompressed), 4 files, 3 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 17: Understanding FEA OutputsZip archive, 30 MB (119 MB uncompressed), 3 files, 2 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 20: Linear Static AnalysisZip archive, 1 MB (12 MB uncompressed), 5 files, 2 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 21: Nonlinear Static AnalysisZip archive, 6.5 MB (69.5 MB uncompressed), 8 files, 5 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 22: Linear Buckling AnalysisZip archive, 4 MB (41.5 MB uncompressed), 11 files, 4 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 23: Nonlinear Buckling AnalysisZip archive, 156 KB (693 KB uncompressed), 4 files, 2 folders
    Download
  • Chapter 24: Normal Mode AnalysisZip archive, 17 MB (150 MB uncompressed), 17 files, 4 folders
    Download

Learn the methods behind the models

Our on-demand courses teach the practical modeling techniques used in these examples, step by step.

See the courses YouTube channel