In today’s competitive marketplace, companies are seeking to improve product quality, performance, and durability, as well as shorten time-to-market. The complexity of modern products demands the use of computerized engineering analysis to optimize the product design and to increase competitiveness.

Analysis reduces development costs by allowing the effects of varying design parameters to be explored quickly and efficiently in the computer, without building prototypes. For the structural analyst whose goal is to predict stresses and displacements, these parameters typically include geometry changes, loading, and choice of materials. However, the prediction of stresses is only part of product design optimization. An additional critical requirement of computerized engineering analysis in the product’s design process is to estimate the product’s serviceable life. Analytically predicting fatigue life is, therefore, an important tool.

Designers and engineers often use simple handbook calculations to address product durability during the conceptual design phase. Frequently however, product durability is not examined in detail until the prototype and testing phases of the development cycle. Furthermore, considerable expense can be incurred in reaching the prototype and testing phase.

The use of testing alone cannot evaluate all design parameters and oftentimes fatigue-related failures are not discovered until the product has been in service for a length of time. At this stage, fatigue problems can have disastrous effects that include costly recalls, damaged product reputations, and possible loss of life.

The ability to assess fatigue related problems and to perform durability analysis to estimate product life early in the design phase offers great benefits to a company in reducing development and testing costs, shortening time-to-market, and improving product life. MSC Fatigue should be a part of any engineering organization interested in these benefits.