Process Modelling: From Heat Flow to Forming and Residual Stress
The foundations of engineering simulation, boundary conditions, constitutive models, validation and uncertainty.
A model is a structured approximation
Simulation translates physical laws into a solvable representation. Geometry, mesh, material law, boundary conditions and numerical method determine what the model can answer.
Constitutive behaviour matters
Elasticity, plasticity, creep, heat transfer, phase transformation and damage require different material descriptions. A sophisticated solver cannot rescue an inappropriate constitutive model.
Boundary conditions dominate
Heat-transfer coefficients, friction, contact, constraints and loading history often drive results more strongly than mesh refinement. They must reflect the real process.
Verification and validation
Verification asks whether equations were solved correctly; validation asks whether the model represents reality. Mesh studies, benchmark problems and experimental comparison are essential.
Working rule
Use simulation to test mechanisms and decisions, not to manufacture certainty. State assumptions and uncertainty with every result.