Geometry-Based Updating of 3D Solid Finite Element Models

Structural responses obtained with finite element (FE) simulations normally differ from those measured on physical prototypes. In the case of monolithic structures, the differences between the simulated and measured responses are mainly caused by inaccuracies in the geometry and material modeling. Such inaccuracies may result from the manufacturing process. The presented work illustrates how the geometry of CAD-based FE-models can be updated using a high-fidelity representation of the actual manufactured geometry, to improve the correlation between measured and computed resonant frequencies and mode shapes. The study presented in this paper was performed on a cast iron lantern housing of a gear box. In a first step, the resonant frequencies and modes shapes of the test structure were measured using impact testing. Next, a set of digital pictures were taken from a number of different angles. By means of photogrammetry, these pictures were converted into a surface model that represented the actual geometry of the lantern housing. This surface model was then compared with an FE-model derived from a CAD-model of the lantern housing. In this way, the regions where there was a substantial difference between the actual geometry and CAD-model could be identified. Finally, the geometry of the FE-model was corrected based on the measured geometry using a mesh morphing technique. For the considered test case, the correction of the geometry provided a significant improvement of the quality of FEM-test correlation of the modal parameters.