Need software recommendation...

[structuresguy]

Hi all,

I will be designing so custom machined lifting/swivelling anchors for lifting a rocket test vehicle from the horizontal, and then swiveling it to vertical. I would normally do this empirically and add some decent safety factors, but the customer wants a 3D finite element analysis done of the parts. I am a structural engineer, and use STAAD/PRO 2003 for my normal work. I rarely need to do 3D solid modeling. I don't know of any way to do solid modeling in STAAD.

Can anyone recommend a user friendly FEM program for solid modeling, that is inexpensive, easy to learn, and intuitive to design with? And oh ya, if you are wondering, the sky in my world is purple with pink polkadots.

I realize that a program probably does not exist which meets all of my requirements. Would I be better off hiring somebody else to model these parts using my designs, just for verification and presentation to the client? I have used some older FEM packages before at university to model some 3D parts, like IDEAS back in about '96 on an old UNIX machine, so once I learn the program, I am confident I can correctly model the parts myself.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[kunc]

If you are only going to analyze a couple of parts, it would be less expensive to hire someone on the outside. If you are planning to conduct more analyses in the future, it would be worth purchasing or leasing a package. It is a good skill to have also.

 

[brad]

Structuresguy--
LOL on your pink sky. I was about to ask what you are smoking, now I know (and very much to your credit, you appreciate what you're asking for). I would second kunc's suggestion. Unless this is a repeat thing on which you are willing to invest a significant amount of time, just pay the money to a competent contractor to do the analysis for you.

(Of course, this may beg the next question: "How do I find a competent . . .&quot
Brad

 

[structuresguy]

kunc and bradh: Thanks for your replies. I figured that my best bet was to hire someone to do the modeling. The parts are not that complicated, so I will design them myself by hand, then hire someone to verify my design. Now, like bradh said, to find someone competent...