Plastic Tray on Steel Frame

Performed “forensic” FEA to determine why a newly designed product line was failing in certain Rooftop climates.

Client was assuming their own factory-made plastic-welds were substandard and “failing”, but simulation proved it was design (stress) problem because they did not accommodate Plastic/Metal differential thermal expansion/contraction!   Plastic with perfect weld or not would have failed under the circumstances….

• Thermal/Structural FEA
• FEA reproduced the failures on these 14′ assemblies
• Ascertained that manufacturing variations were not solely responsible for failures.    Client to redesign connections to allow some motion.