Index / Work / N° 24
Project N°24 of 24
CategoryFEA · Simulation
Year2025

FEA Buckling & Structural Failure Analysis

Conducted Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in SolidWorks to determine the critical buckling load of a drill bit under axial loading, validating the simulation results against classical mechanical equations.

Key Engineering Contributions

  1. 01
    FEA Modeling: Modeled the operation of a drill press in SolidWorks Simulation to evaluate the structural stability and factor of safety of the drill bit upon initial material contact.
  2. 02
    Theoretical Validation: Calculated the theoretical critical buckling load using classical mechanics equations (50.02 N) and compared it against the simulated FEA results (50.70 N), achieving a highly accurate 1.34% difference to confirm the validity of the computational model.
  3. 03
    Failure Mode Analysis: Evaluated the material's yield strength against the critical buckling load to conclusively determine that the drill bit would structurally fail via buckling before reaching its yielding point, directing the area of concern for future tool development.

Visual Documentation

SolidWorks Simulation contour plot of the critical buckling deformation of the d (image 1 of 2)
Figure 1.1
01-1.png
Part 1 of 2
SolidWorks Simulation contour plot of the critical buckling deformation of the d (image 2 of 2)
Figure 1.2
01-2.png
Part 2 of 2
SolidWorks Simulation contour plot of the critical buckling deformation of the drill bit under axial loading, confirming a 1.34% margin of error against classical calculations (SolidWorks simulation resulted in buckling at 50.70 N while classical equations suggested 50.02 N).