You Don't Need to Know Everything, You Need to Know What to Check
The habit of scrutiny matters more than the size of your knowledge base
Beyond the Mesh
Dominique Madier delivers weekly, fundamentals-first insights on Finite Element Analysis, covering engineering judgment, modeling techniques, and simulation strategy beyond software mechanics, straight to your inbox every Wednesday, so subscribe now.
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Latest posts
What AI Can and Cannot Do in FEA Today
A field guide for engineers who want the truth between the hype and the dismissal
The One FEA Mistake That Costs Millions
After 25 years in aerospace, I have never seen a program derailed by a coarse mesh. I have seen them bleed money over a precise answer to the wrong question.
Linear or Nonlinear? How to Know Before You Model
Linear analysis is fast and works for many everyday problems. Real structures do not always cooperate. Here is how to know when you have crossed the line.
I Got This Wrong: The Contact Problem That Kept Me Up at Night
A converged contact solution told me the joint was fine. The strain gauges disagreed. Here is what I had actually modeled, and what it taught me about trusting the solver.
What "Hand Calculations" Really Means in FEA
It does not mean working without computers. It means being able to stand behind your results when someone asks how you know they are right.