Efficient use of finite element analysis in early design phases

The utilization of analytical/numerical techniques and methodologies within product development and design is seldom discussed in the literature. This leads to a loss of a holistic perspective on product development and design. The exclusion of analysis methods and techniques implies that their impact on the development/design procedures is considered negligible and is not regarded as a constituent part in the establishment of a generic product development procedure model.
The overall focus of the work presented in this paper has been to show how extensions and adaptations of available techniques can be introduced in the mechanical engineering design process, or design process for short, to promote the general holistic perspective of product development. The example presented emphasizes the value of combining Design of Experiments (DOE) and Finite Element (FE) analysis into an effective tool to be used in the early phases of the design process to predict, at least to some extent, the final behavior of the product-to-be.