FEA Application in Sheet-Metal Assembly Process As A Senior Team Project

As FEA software is becoming increasingly user friendly, it is feasible to utilize it in a team-based senior project. The underlying philosophy of the project is to introduce students to FEA that is currently used in manufacturing practice in the automotive sector. In particular, students are introduced to the FEA through a project evaluating the quality of an assembly process on the automotive sheet-metal panel. A real industrial part, an automotive front fender panel, is utilized in the project. This project tied much of the material from students’ previous course work together, including mechanics of materials, machine design, and manufacturing process planning.