ABSTRACT
Most practical design calculations involve components with a complicated 3D geometry and may also need to account for inherently nonlinear phenomena, such as contact, large shape changes, or nonlinear material behavior. ese problems can only be solved using computer simulations. e FEM is by far the most widely used and versatile technique for simulating deformable solids. is chapter gives a brief overview of the FEM, with a view to providing the background needed to run simple simulations using a commercial nite element program. More advanced analysis requires a deeper understanding of the theory and implementation of nite element codes, which will be addressed in the next chapter.
