stl to Brep or stl to T Spline. What is the difference?

[MPD3DI]

I am new netfabb user and am working on the Hip implant file which is in stl format. If i want to do FEA on it, what should be the approach?

Can I directly do fea on stl file like other implicit software can do? Or do i need to convert it in to Brep? Or T Spline?

Thanks in advance.

Pravin

Incredible AM Pvt Ltd India

[TrippyLighting · Accepted solution]

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@MPD3DI wrote:

I am new netfabb user and am working on the Hip implant file which is in stl format. If i want to do FEA on it, what should be the approach?

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That depends on what software you intend to use for FEA. Traditionally FEA software prefers a smaller number of large NURBS surfaces often wrapped into a BRep. The Object that undergoes the FEA analysis in the first step goes through a meshing process. That meshing process uses a volumetric and often tetrahedral mesh,  very different from how .stl meshes are generated.

A .stl that is directly converted into a BRep is a highly faceted object and due to that high facet count the meshing phase in FEA software might create an unnecessarily dense volumetric mesh.

A T-spline, on the other hand is an intermediary between a mesh and a BRep that consists of larger NURBS surfaces. That may to may not lead to better FEA results.