Must-Know FEA Engineer Interview Questions and Answers

If you’re aspiring to land a role as an FEA (Finite Element Analysis) Engineer, the interview process can be challenging, requiring both technical knowledge and a solid grasp of real-world applications.  

From your expertise in meshing tools like Hypermesh to understanding the finer details of simulations in LS-DYNA, interviewers will be keen to see how you handle complex engineering scenarios.  

This blog compiles real interview questions asked for the role of an FEA Engineer, along with answers that will help you prepare with confidence.  

Whether you’re assessing your skills, preparing for your next interview, or understanding what companies are looking for, this guide will give you a strong foundation. 

Let’s get started  

Interview Questions and Answers: 

1) A brief introduction about yourself? 

Start with your educational background, key technical skills, and relevant experience in FEA. Highlight projects or tools you’ve worked with like Hypermesh, LS-DYNA, and Ansys, and mention your passion for problem-solving through FEA. 

2) Scale yourself from 1 to 10 based on how good you are at Hypermesh? 

Provide a realistic self-assessment based on your proficiency and experience with the software. Be sure to highlight specific projects or features you’ve mastered, such as complex meshing, geometry clean-up, or using Hypermesh for various materials. 

3) What kind of projects have you worked on in Hypermesh? 

Mention specific projects where you applied FEA principles, such as structural analysis, meshing complex geometries, or simulating load-bearing components. Describe your approach to meshing and setting up simulations for accurate results. 

4) Explain to me any one project in Hypermesh? 

Provide a detailed explanation of a project you’ve worked on, from problem identification to the solutions implemented. Discuss the tools and techniques you used in Hypermesh, the challenges faced, and how you ensured mesh quality and convergence. 

5) Scale yourself from 1 to 10 in meshing? 

Give an honest rating and explain why. Support your rating by mentioning the types of materials or components you’ve meshed, such as plastics, sheet metal, or complex assemblies, and how you ensure high-quality results. 

6) What different procedure do you follow for meshing plastic components over sheet metal? 

Explain the differences in material behavior between plastic and sheet metal, focusing on things like thickness variation, stress distribution, and meshing complexity. For plastic components, discuss the need for finer mesh at stress concentration points, while for sheet metal, mid-surface extraction and uniform mesh are critical. 

7) What are the quality criteria followed by you? 

Mention common quality criteria such as aspect ratio, skewness, Jacobian, warpage, and element size. Describe how these parameters affect mesh quality and accuracy, and how you ensure your meshes meet these criteria. 

8) What is aspect ratio and warpage? 

Aspect ratio is the ratio of the longest side to the shortest side of an element. Ideal values are close to 1 for higher mesh accuracy. 

Warpage refers to the deviation of a mesh element from being flat. Minimizing warpage is essential for good mesh quality and simulation accuracy. 

9) Explain manual mid-surface extraction? 

Manual mid-surface extraction is a technique used in FEA to reduce complex 3D geometries into simpler 2D representations while preserving the thickness information. It’s commonly used for thin-walled components to simplify analysis without compromising accuracy. 

10) Why are we using ELFORM 16 and 2? 

ELFORM 16 and ELFORM 2 are element formulations in LS-DYNA. ELFORM 2 is used for under-integrated shell elements to reduce computational time, while ELFORM 16 is used for fully integrated elements that offer better accuracy but may increase computational cost. 

11) What is hourglass energy? 

Hourglass energy is a numerical issue that arises in under-integrated elements, where elements deform without any associated energy or stress, leading to inaccurate results. Controlling hourglass energy is essential for reliable simulations. 

12) What is meant by timestep? 

A timestep in FEA refers to the time increment used in simulations. A smaller timestep increases accuracy but requires more computational power. It is especially important in dynamic simulations like crash tests. 

13) Tell me about your project in LS-DYNA? 

Share details about a project where you used LS-DYNA, focusing on the type of analysis (e.g., crash simulation, dynamic analysis), materials, and load conditions. Highlight how you optimized the simulation using techniques like mass scaling or element formulation. 

14) What is curve fitting? 

Curve fitting involves creating a mathematical model that best fits the data points from an experiment or simulation. In FEA, it’s used to approximate complex behavior like material stress-strain relationships or dynamic loading conditions. 

Conclusion: 

Landing a job as an FEA Engineer requires a deep understanding of the tools, processes, and principles used in simulation and analysis.  

Keep honing your skills, and with the right preparation, you’ll be well-equipped to handle the challenges that come your way in the interview process. 

With Skill-Lync's Post Graduate Programs, you'll build a rock-solid foundation in all these critical concepts, making you interview-ready in no time. Plus, our Career Experts offer hands-on support through mock interviews, resume workshops, LinkedIn profile optimization, and much more! 

Sign up for a FREE course demo today, and let’s start your journey toward landing that dream job!