Finite Element Synthesis

Finite element applications have customarily been used as a means for the analysis of constant-property prototypes prior to their physical fabrication. To a lesser extent they have been made instrumental for purposes of design generation and fabrication of variable material-property prototypes. The work explores the potential of applying finite element methods in the early stages of the design process and suggests a Finite Element Synthesis (FES) approach to the design of physical prototypes fabricated with variable material properties. The approach seeks to unify between analysis protocols and computational routines for design generation. With the aim of achieving micro structural material property variation across the surface area and volume of a fabricated component, the FES software environment is implemented in a design exploration for building skins modeled after various natural tissues that demonstrate the variation of physical properties as a function of their performance criteria. Two classes of explorations are suggested. The paper introduces the FES design approach, illustrates its virtual methodological set up, and demonstrates the approach through design explorations recently exhibited at the Museum of Science (Boston) and the Museum of Modern Art (NY). Future work into material-based analytic routines for variable-property fabrication is suggested and its implications on the various fields of design are reviewed. The effect, basically, is to remove redundant material until the minimum amount necessary to perform the structural task is left at which point, all remaining material should be fully stressed; the algorithm then terminates. Such typical algorithm assumes materials of homogeneous properties (Figure 2). The only possible element conditions, then, are "full” of material or “empty”. Figure 1. Examples of various possible implementations of FEM in product, and building scale. Analysis protocols are traditionally devoid of generative-design and fabrication capabili-