Hi Massimo,

Honestly at Xometry we are focused mainly on manufacturing processes and we don’t do enough product development to be experts on the questions you are doing.

Even so, when designing dies and fixtures, preventing failures is crucial. I recommend using FEA simulations to predict stress points and deformations before manufacturing.

Focus on realistic boundary conditions, non-linear analysis for complex interactions, and fatigue analysis for parts under repetitive loads. There are several tools available on the internet to do it.

However, since simulations can’t catch everything, it’s essential to do prototype testing under real-world conditions to validate your FEA results and identify any issues the simulations might miss. Iterate between simulations and physical testing to refine your design and catch potential failures early.

Hello Massimo,
Honestly, at Xometry we mainly focus on production processes and do not deal enough with product development to be experts in the questions you are asking.
However, when designing moulds and equipment, failure prevention is key. I recommend using FEA simulations to predict stress points and deformations before production.
Focus on realistic boundary conditions, on non-linear analysis for complex interactions and on fatigue analysis for parts subjected to repetitive loads. Several tools are available on the Internet for this.
However, since simulations cannot capture everything, it is essential to perform tests on prototypes in real conditions to validate FEA results and identify any problems that simulations might not catch. Alternate simulations and physical tests to refine the design and quickly identify potential failures.