Implementation of finite element analysis into the athletic shoe design process
Name
57588471-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
1.59 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
ed85a50198024db26d4d68928c17521d
Author(s)
Hidalgo, Maria E. (Maria Estela), 1982-
Advisor(s)
Kim B. Blair.
Date Issued
2004
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Finite element analysis is used by companies throughout the world as a substitution for manually testing prototypes. With the assistance of finite element analysis many companies and industries have decreased the time and cost of product production. Currently, the athletic shoe industry does not use finite element analysis in the shoe development process. The goal of this project was to implement finite element analysis into the athletic shoe design process with the intent of decreasing time to market and cost. This effort determined finite element analysis is not recommended to design and test an entire athletic shoe. The human factors and variability make simulation wear-tests on an entire shoe nearly impossible to accurately replicate via finite element analysis. Though human factors affect the entire shoe the most critical component, the heel cushion, is affected only slightly. Since a person's heel is in the shape of a ball, the variation of external forces caused by human factors is not significant. Thus, finite element analysis can be used to design and test the cushion of athletic shoes.
Description
Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (leaf 32).
Subjects
Mechanical Engineering.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
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