What software do you use for FEA?

The primary platform is Ansys Mechanical, complemented by Nastran, LS-Dyna and Autodyn for explicit dynamics, and nCode DesignLife for fatigue post-processing. Matlab and Python are used extensively for automation, parametric studies and custom tooling.

What is the difference between linear and nonlinear FEA?

In a linear analysis, the material behaves elastically, deformations are small and contact conditions do not change. Nonlinear FEA accounts for material yielding, large deformations or changing contact. Nonlinear simulations are more computationally expensive but essential whenever the linear assumptions do not hold.

What is the difference between a static and a dynamic FEA?

A static analysis assumes loads are applied slowly enough that inertia effects can be ignored. A dynamic analysis accounts for time-dependent effects such as inertia forces, vibrations and transient response. Dynamic analysis is needed when loading changes rapidly, when natural frequencies are close to excitation frequencies, or when vibration response needs to be evaluated.

Can FEA replace physical testing entirely?

FEA dramatically reduces the number of physical tests needed, but rarely eliminates them entirely. Simulation is strongest during the design phase for identifying problems early and comparing alternatives. Final validation testing remains standard practice in most industries, especially for certification.

Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

Understanding how your product or structure will behave under real-world conditions is essential — but testing every scenario physically is expensive, slow and often impractical. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) lets you simulate the mechanical, dynamic and thermal response of complex designs with high accuracy, long before a prototype is built. At Quadco Engineering we use FEA to help engineers identify problems early, reduce prototyping cycles and develop lighter, stronger and more durable products.

What FEA can do for your design

The Finite Element Method divides your component or assembly into thousands of small elements, each with well-defined mechanical behaviour. By solving these elements together, FEA captures the response of the entire structure — including effects that hand calculations and simplified analytical formulas cannot reliably predict.

This makes FEA the right tool whenever your design involves complex geometry, nonlinear material behaviour, intricate load paths or a combination of all three. A single FEA model can provide detailed information on stress distributions, deformations, natural frequencies, stability limits and much more — enabling you to make well-informed design decisions with confidence.

Static and nonlinear analysis

Static FEA determines stresses and deformations under loads that do not vary with time. For many engineering applications this is the starting point: verifying that a structure can carry its service loads without exceeding allowable stress limits or deforming beyond acceptable tolerances.

When the response becomes more complex — large deformations, material plasticity, contact between parts, bolted or welded joints — nonlinear FEA is required. We routinely handle advanced contact problems, plastic deformation, creep at elevated temperatures and post-buckling behaviour, giving you a realistic picture of how your design performs under demanding conditions.

FEA stress contour plot of a lock gate under operational loads — Material stresses in a lock gate, computed with nonlinear FEA. The contour plot reveals stress concentrations that would be impossible to detect through analytical calculations alone.

Dynamic and vibration analysis

Many structures are exposed to time-varying loads: wind gusts, rotating machinery, traffic, seismic events or shock impacts. If the loading frequency approaches a natural frequency of the structure, resonance can amplify displacements and stresses to dangerous levels.

We perform the full range of dynamic FEA: modal analysis to identify natural frequencies and mode shapes, harmonic response analysis to evaluate behaviour under periodic loading, response spectrum analysis for seismic qualification, random vibration analysis for transport and operational environments, and explicit dynamic simulations for impact and drop-test scenarios.

Modal analysis of an offshore wind turbine jacket showing fundamental vibration mode — Modal analysis of an offshore wind turbine jacket. Knowing the natural frequencies of the structure is essential to avoid resonance with wave loading and rotor excitation.

Buckling and stability analysis

Slender structures under compressive or shear loading are susceptible to buckling: a sudden, uncontrolled loss of stability that can lead to catastrophic failure. Linear eigenvalue buckling analysis provides a quick first estimate of the critical load, but real-world imperfections often reduce the buckling capacity significantly.

We perform nonlinear buckling analyses that account for geometric imperfections, material plasticity and large deformations, following industry standards such as DNV-RP-C208 and Eurocode 3. This gives you a realistic and safe assessment of the stability of your structure.

Nonlinear buckling analysis of a steel frame according to DNV-RP-C208 — Nonlinear buckling analysis of a frame according to DNV-RP-C208, including geometric imperfections and material plasticity.

FEA of composite materials

Composite materials offer an outstanding strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, high fatigue strength and the ability to tailor material properties to your specific loading conditions. At the same time, their layered, anisotropic nature makes them far more complex to analyse than metals.

We have extensive experience with the FEA of composite laminates. A composite structure must be evaluated layer by layer, accounting for the individual properties, thickness and fibre orientation of each ply, as well as the behaviour of the core material and matrix. We calculate laminate stiffness (ABD matrices), predict failure using industry-standard criteria and assess delamination risk under both static and fatigue loading.

Composite failure criteria

Predicting when and how a composite will fail requires dedicated failure criteria. We apply a wide range of approaches depending on your application and the applicable standards:

First Ply Failure and Last Ply Failure
Tsai-Wu and Tsai-Hill
Hashin
Puck and Cuntze
LaRC and Hoffman
Maximum stress and maximum strain

For fatigue assessment of composites we apply criteria such as Hashin-Rotem, Norris, Franklin-Marin and others, depending on the material system and loading conditions.

Optimisation with FEA

FEA is ideally suited for efficiently evaluating a large number of design variants. By parameterising geometry, material choices or loading conditions, we can run automated what-if studies to find the best balance between competing objectives — such as minimising weight while meeting stiffness and strength targets.

We offer parametric optimisation, topology optimisation for finding the optimal material layout, and Six-Sigma optimisation to ensure robust designs that perform reliably even when manufacturing tolerances and material scatter are taken into account. This systematic approach can significantly reduce the number of required prototypes and accelerate your development cycle.

Impact, drop tests and explicit dynamics

High-speed events such as impacts, crashes, drop tests and blast loading require explicit dynamic FEA. Unlike conventional (implicit) FEA, explicit methods can handle extreme deformations, contact changes and material failure that occur in fractions of a second. We use these techniques to evaluate product robustness, protective packaging, crash structures and defence applications.

Displacement results of a quench tower subjected to dynamic wind loading — Displacement results of a quench tower under dynamic wind-induced vibration, evaluated through transient FEA.

Need an FEA simulation for your project?

From a quick stress check on a single component to a full nonlinear analysis of a complex assembly — we scale our approach to match your needs and timeline.

Get in touch for a free initial consultation. We will discuss your project, recommend the right analysis approach and provide you with a clear proposal.

Want to strengthen your own FEA skills? Have a look at our Practical Introduction to the Finite Element Method course.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Finite Element Analysis and simulation services.

Our primary platform is Ansys Mechanical, which we complement with Nastran for specific solver requirements, LS-Dyna and Autodyn for explicit dynamics and impact, and nCode DesignLife for fatigue post-processing. We also use Matlab and Python extensively for pre/post-processing automation, parametric studies and custom tooling. That said, the value we deliver comes from knowing which modelling approach gives reliable results for your problem — the software is the tool, not the expertise.

Hand calculations work well for simple geometries and well-defined load cases covered by analytical formulas or code rules. FEA becomes the right choice when your geometry is complex, when loads follow intricate paths through an assembly, when material behaviour is nonlinear, or when you need to evaluate effects like contact, buckling with imperfections or dynamic response. In practice, if the analytical approach requires so many simplifying assumptions that you no longer trust the result, FEA will give you a more reliable answer.

In a linear analysis, the material behaves elastically, deformations are small and contact conditions do not change. The solution is fast and proportional to the applied load. Nonlinear FEA accounts for one or more of these effects: material yielding or plasticity, large deformations that change the geometry, or contact between parts that opens, closes or slides during loading. Nonlinear simulations are more computationally expensive but essential whenever the linear assumptions do not hold — for example when you need to know what happens beyond the yield point or how a structure behaves during post-buckling.

A static analysis assumes the loads are applied slowly enough that inertia effects can be ignored — the structure is in equilibrium at all times. A dynamic analysis accounts for time-dependent effects: inertia forces, vibrations, wave propagation and transient response. You need a dynamic analysis when the loading changes rapidly (impacts, shocks, seismic events), when natural frequencies are close to excitation frequencies (resonance), or when you need to evaluate the vibration response of your structure.

FEA dramatically reduces the number of physical tests needed, but it rarely eliminates them entirely. Simulation is at its strongest during the design phase: it identifies problems early, compares alternatives and optimises the design before any metal is cut. Final validation testing is still standard practice in most industries, especially for certification. The combination of simulation and targeted testing is the most efficient approach — FEA ensures that by the time you test, you are confident the design will pass.

Ideally we need the CAD geometry (STEP, IGES, Parasolid or native format), the materials used, the loading conditions and boundary constraints, and any relevant standards or acceptance criteria. If some of this information is not yet fully defined, that is not a problem — we can work with you to establish reasonable assumptions and refine them as the project progresses.

A linear static analysis of a single component with clean CAD can be completed in a few days. More involved projects — nonlinear analyses, assemblies with contact, dynamic simulations or optimisation studies — typically take two to six weeks depending on the complexity. We always agree on a clear scope and timeline before the project starts.