Finite Element Analysis

Professional Outsourced Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Services

Getting a professional Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is an essential part of any design phase. This simulation emulates real-world material properties, loading scenarios, physical constraints, and connection types between your parts and assemblies. After applying a load, the FEA will give us a ton of valuable results which all help with the part’s design.

The FEA will tell you if a part is too thin, the wrong material, attached in an inopportune way, or can be lightweighted. Most engineers and designers will put their parts through an FEA to better understand how their parts deform and react to different stress scenarios.

We’ve run FEAs across industries for thousands of different applications, and we’ve seen first-hand how valuable this tool can be. With our help, you can get your own FEA results.

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What Are Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Services?

Our Finite Element Analysis (FEA) services are aimed at engineering and design teams like yours. Instead of doing the FEA yourselves, you can leverage our engineering experts to perform as many FEAs as you’d like.

We have access to all of the major CAD programs on the market, as well as FEA-specific software. This allows us to create native FEA simulations for you, or run comprehensive tests on your models.

Whether you already have the 3D CAD files or you need our team to create them from scratch, it’s not a problem. With a well-made 3D model, you can generate realistic simulation results to better anticipate how your part or assembly will work in the real world.

Our FEA experts have run countless simulations during our 35+ years in business. We’re here to handle your FEA needs so your engineers can focus on other parts of your project. We’ll provide the full FEA results and report when we finish each simulation.

Why Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Services Matters

People run FEAs to emulate real-world situations to ensure their parts are strong enough to withstand standard operating conditions. In other words, an FEA will tell you if your bracket can support an engine or if it will fail. An FEA also generates a “factor of safety”, which basically estimates your margin of safety for each part.

With a professional FEA, you can change your design to optimize its performance before manufacturing even starts. Going back to the bracket example, you might find that 12 gauge stainless steel is too flimsy, but moving to 1/8” stock material gives you the safety margin that you need.

By finding this shortcoming during the design phase instead of the implementation phase, you can save a ton of time and money.

A lot of outsourced engineering teams offer FEA services, but they don’t have the experience, computing power, or engineering background to provide CAD Perfect® results. With our simulations, you can rest assured that the results are more accurate. We’re here to make sure your designs are perfect before fabrication starts.

Benefits of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Services from CAD/CAM Services

When you get a finite element analysis from one of our experts at CAD/CAM Services, you’ll spot some major benefits:

Faster turnaround times. With nearly 100 designers working on staggered shifts, we are up and running 24/7. This allows us to offer much faster turnaround times.
Ability to handle more complicated simulations. It doesn’t matter how large and intricate your parts or assembly is, our experts can easily generate FEA results.
Better accuracy with each simulation. With our advanced software and experience, we can offer better accuracy than the “other guys”.
Save time and money during manufacturing. Our FEA results will help you tweak your design to optimize every part, saving time and money during the fabrication process.
Prices you can’t beat. We refuse to overcharge our clients, so you’ll notice lower prices across the board.

What Goes into Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Services from CAD/CAM Services?

An FEA is run to get insight into a specific part or assembly, so our FEA services start with an introductory conversation about your parts or assemblies. During a quick chat, you can let us know what the part is, what the loading environment is, and some other essential information. Once we agree on the scope and timeline, our engineers will get to work.

We have a lot of powerful computers that allow us to run multiple complex FEAs at the same time. Other companies might have you wait in a queue until their computer is ready for your FEA, but we run multiple simulations at the same time.

Every FEA goes through a quality assurance process in which another engineer will review the setup and results of the simulation to make sure everything is perfect. It’s part of why we can offer CAD Perfect® results in the first place.

All of the information surrounding your FEA will be compiled and sent to you digitally. We use a DoD-trusted filesharing service that encrypts all of your files and allows you to easily share FEA reports and simulations with your staff and coworkers.

If anything seems off, just let us know. We can make adjustments and rerun FEAs with no trouble at all.

Our Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Services Include:

Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
3D CAD Modeling
Reverse Engineering
2D CAD Drafting, Conversions, and Sketching
Additional Engineering Simulation
And Much More (Including Custom Services)

More About Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Services

FEA is just one of our the simulations that we offer at CAD/CAM Services. FEAs deal with static objects going through an assortment of loads and forces, which helps with a lot of common engineering designs, but we also offer:

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Services
Discrete Element Method (DEM) Simulations
Testing Simulated Products
Fiber-Based Material Simulations
Geometric Optimization and Design Iteration
Aero and Hydrodynamics Analysis

In addition, our engineers can do all of the model adjustments necessary to pass an FEA with appropriate factors of safety. This takes yet another task off of your engineers’ plates.

Get a Quote Today

With our team in your corner, you can gain more confidence with each of your designs. We’ll make sure your parts are strong enough and are using the right materials to optimize your performance without spending too much time on manufacturing. In addition, our outsourced FEA services are guaranteed to save you money if we find and correct an issue before manufacturing begins. Reach out to our engineering experts today to get started.

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General CAD Questions

I need my project done today or tomorrow. Can you process rush jobs?

Depending upon when you catch us, yes, we can handle rush jobs. We often work over the holidays, Thanksgiving and even Christmas holidays. If you have a deadline – call us.

For years we have run three shifts of about 30 drafting folks per shift – allowing us to deliver work 3x faster, and seven days a week. Yes, we work 24/7, so you do not have to. The fun never stops here.

For 3D scanning, this is a different question. Because of the common setup work required, at best expect a 48-72 hour turn to be scanned. CAD or simulation services are in addition to that.

Who is affected by the PPD-21 directive?

The Department of Homeland Security has identified 16 different infostructures:

Chemical Sector,
Commercial Facilities Sector,
Communications Sector,
Critical Manufacturing Sector,
Dams Sector,
Defense Industrial Base Sector,
Emergency Services Sector,
Energy Sector,
Financial Services Sector,
Food and Agriculture Sector,
Government Facilities Sector,
Healthcare and Public Health Sector,
Information Technology Sector,
Nuclear Reactors Materials and Waste Sector,
Transportation Systems Sector,
Water and Wastewater Systems Sector.

This is both Government and private sectors.

If you are in any of these industries, this directive is important to you for many reasons. Do you know where your critical sections are? Are they well protected? Are there concerns for Hazmat, security clearance requirements, and other concerns? Can you quickly rebuild what might be lost?

The important part of this means that critical infrastructure must be secure and able to withstand and rapidly recover from all hazards. Achieving this will require integration with the national preparedness system across prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.

Further details can be found at: Government PPD-21

DHS – The National Infrastructure Protection Plan details: The National Infrastructure Protection Plan

Industry specific plans: 2015 Industry specific PPD-21 plans

CAD / CAM Services provides PPD-21 for the following industries: DHS – CAD / CAM Services

What is the PPD-21 Protocall?

The Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD-21) is a Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience United States directive that aims to strengthen and secure the country’s critical infrastructure.The goal of this directive is to reduce vulnerabilities, identify and disrupt threats, minimize consequences and hasten response and recovery efforts related to critical infrastructure.

The directive defines resilience as the ability to prepare for and adapt to ever changing conditions, terrorists, and withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions. Resilience includes the ability to withstand and recover from deliberate attacks, accidents, or naturally occurring threats or incidents.

Do you support the PPD-21 Directive?

Yes we do, and have now for several years. In addition, we also support the industry specific plans as well.

Did you really own the trademark Cad Perfect™, Cad Perfect CAD Conversions™ and Cad / Cam Services™?

Yes, we did back in 2008. We started using Cad Perfect™ back in the early 1990s because all of our customers wanted only real Cad Perfect™ work. Back then the buzz words were terms like machine ready, or DXF Traceover and others.

The problem is, nobody wanted that. They all wanted drawings and models that they did not have to touch. Everybody wanted drawings just as if they hand redrew the work themselves.

Thus, Cad / Cam Services™ was the first company to start offering ONLY Cad Perfect™ work.

What is the estimated delivery time?

It depends on the scope of work:

2D drawings – small quantity, normally 48 hours. We have several customers where they contract to us, keeping 4-8 drafters busy full time.
3D models – complexity dependent, but smaller jobs in 2-3 days. Some models we have spent months on. Again, we have several customers where they contract to us, keeping 6-10 3D CAD designers busy full time.

Simple jobs have a lead time of 48 hours. Larger projects are delivered and invoiced weekly.

Will CAD / CAM Services Sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)?

Yes. NDAs are a common part of our business. All data is yours – not ours, and treated as proprietary data and not for public consumption or use. Probably 70% of our work is under NDA agreements. We can generally get these signed within the day.

How do I send a sample, in order to get a quote?

Fill out our quote form, attach your files, or simply send us an email. Tell everything about your project, like the model purpose.

For smaller files < 15 MB you can simply email them to us. For something larger, just drop them in any number of drop boxes like Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and others. Or if you would like, just contact us for a private, hardened link.

It is fine to use most any time of compression such as *.zip, *.rar, *.tar, *.7z, *.arc, *.LBR, and even *.iso images.

A direct email is [email protected]

We also use a hardened OwnCloud web file sharing platform for unlimited file transfers. We provide unique and very private Web Storage Portals, this also supports file syncing for extreme convenience for you. Because so much of our work is DOD or weapons design work, Security – and confidentiality is very important to us.

Finite Element Analysis FAQ

What do you need to make an accurate simulation?

The more information we have, the more accurate the simulation results will be. It also depends on what type of simulation you want to run. For a simple FEA, we can run an accurate simulation with just a 3D CAD model and loading/force/pressure information that you want to simulate.

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Don’t have a 3D model? Not a problem, our team can make one for you from scratch, and then run an FEA on it.

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For a more detailed answer, a well-run FEA will need:

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• Material properties: What material is the part made out of? We can run different FEAs with different materials to help you pick the right one.

• Loading conditions: The size, location, and type of load you want to simulate.

• Bonding condition: How is the part held in place? Is it bolted, welded, or just sitting on a tabletop?

• A 3D model

• For other simulations: Please provide us with all thermal, dynamic, aero, and/or fluid flow information. Feel free to call us and we’ll walk you through what we need.

What is the purpose of FEA?

A Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a form of non-destructive testing (NDT) that shows how your part reacts to real-world loading events. A common example is running an FEA on a support bracket. The FEA will give results showing how much the bracket deflects, how much reactive force is seen, and the kind of internal stresses the bracket experiences.

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FEA results will change dramatically based on the position and angle of the load, how much force is applied, the material properties of the part, and the design of the part itself.

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An FEA is used to optimize a part before manufacturing begins. It allows you to find weak points within your part or assembly, and it will predict a failure before you physically make anything. This gives you an opportunity to fine-tune each part to optimize its size, strength, and cost before you start producing it.

Do you handle other engineering simulations?

Yes, our team has license access to all of the major simulations on the market. Currently, we offer:

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• Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Simulation Services

• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Services

• Discrete Element Method (DEM) Simulations

• Testing Simulated Products

• Fiber-Based Material Simulations

• Geometric Optimization and Design Iteration

• Aero and Hydrodynamics Analysis

How long does an FEA take?

On our advanced computers, an FEA can be run in a matter of minutes. For incredibly detailed or complex FEAs, it might take a few hours or even overnight. Not to worry, we have dedicated workstations that just run FEAs 24/7, so you won’t have to wait long for the results.

How do I know if I need an FEA on my part?

Generally, an FEA is a good idea for any new part that you’re going to make. The FEA tells you whether or not your design is optimized, and it points out your part’s weak points (physically, not metaphorically). For structural or load-bearing parts, FEAs are often required by your industry standards. For any one-off parts or custom pieces, an FEA can keep your operation safer.

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Consult with our expert engineers to get a better understanding of whether or not your part needs an FEA, and let CAD/CAM Services handle the full project for you.

Does an FEA actually help?

In our experience, FEAs are invaluable. Spending a few hours running a simulated FEA in the background can save you weeks of your time, thousands of dollars, and countless headaches. One time, we ran an FEA for a client and found that their base platform needed to be an extra 1/4” thick, or else it would have collapsed under the weight of the machinery and people. Without an FEA, the platform was likely to fail in real life, and risk people’s lives — but it was completely avoided with just a simple FEA. In this case, the original designer changed the thickness of their platform in CAD, created manufacturing drawings, and then sent the plans out for fabrication: a change that took a day of effort.

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An FEA can:

• Save you time

• Save on manufacturing costs

• Help you to avoid common design issues

• Optimize your part so you don’t overpay for manufacturing

• Keep your people safe

• Maximize power and fuel-efficiency

• Minimize drag

• Avoid thermal or physical failure

• Understand cyclic loading results

• Find the failure point of your designs

• Fine-tune your material selection

• Learn the physical limitations of each part

• Establish confidence in each design

• Be shared with stakeholders and investors to secure funding and buy-in

3D Modeling FAQ

What is the minimum price for your 3D modeling services?

We have a minimum order fee $150.

How do you check your models?

We create 2D drawings from our 3D models for QC purposes. We follow aerospace standards and deliver ±.005” accuracy models for all projects. All of our QC is done by a different person than the designer. On Catia work, we often use Q-Checker for Airbus.

What do you need to give me accurate pricing?

First of all, we need to know the target CAD system and whether you have an existing template, or set of CAD standards for this project.

The main question is the overall complexity. As each part and assembly consists of different features and elements the best way is to provide us with an example. Again, a picture is worth a thousand words.

If you already have a model and need us to improve it or update it in any way we need to know which dimensions and features are critical and which can be modified to achieve your desired result. Even a before and after example works very well. We started with x, and got to this CAD file.

We can also offer you better options if you provide us with the purpose of your project (demonstration, 3D printing, FEA Simulation, CNC manufacturing, etc.). This helps us better refine the task.

How do you bill 3D CAD services tasks?

Per hour. Hourly rate depends on what CAD software used and typically starts at $75 per hour. In general, to make this process safer for you, we often provide you a fixed not to exceed the cost as well. That way, you are protected from an open-ended PO. However, the reality is our fees are based on time. In addition, services in say Catia or NX are more expensive than say Solidworks. Or, simulation services are commonly done by real engineers.