Metal 3D Printing Design Guide

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) 3D printing for parts with reduced cost and little waste.

Mechanical Engineers Outlook

Guide for those interested in becoming a mechanical engineer. Includes qualifications, pay, and job duties.

Selecting the Right 3D Printer

Discover how to choose the right 3D printer for your needs and the key performance attributes to consider.

3D Scanners

A white paper to assist in the evaluation of 3D scanning hardware solutions.

more free publications

Materials

Design

Processes

Units

Formulas

Math
Imperfections in Columns

Consider a curved column with an initial shape w0(x) that is under an axial load F,

        

Enforcing the moment equilibrium of the free-body yields the equation,

The governing equation for the transverse displacement w can then be expressed as,

The above equation contains a non-homogeneous term -Fw0/EI. To simplify the problem, we assume that the initial curve is a simple half sine wave with an amplitude a,

The general solution is found to be,

where is the critical load of a straight column.

FREE Publications
Metal 3D Printing Design Guide

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) 3D printing for parts with reduced cost and little waste.

Mechanical Engineers Outlook

Guide for those interested in becoming a mechanical engineer. Includes qualifications, pay, and job duties.

Selecting the Right 3D Printer

Discover how to choose the right 3D printer for your needs and the key performance attributes to consider.

3D Scanners

A white paper to assist in the evaluation of 3D scanning hardware solutions.

more publications