This paper presents the results of an investigation on internal stress progression and the explicit dynamics simulation of the bruising behavior of potato tubers under dynamic mechanical collision. Physical measurements, mechanical tests, advanced solid modeling, and engineering simulation techniques were utilized in the study. The tuber samples used in the simulation were reverse engineered and finite element analysis (FEA) was set up to simulate the collision‐based bruising behavior of the potato tubers. The total number of identical tuber models used in the simulation was 17. The numerical data of the FEA results revealed useful stress distribution and mechanical behavior visuals. These results are presented in a frame that can be used to describe bruise susceptibility value on potato‐like agricultural crops. The modulus of elasticity was calculated from compression test data as 3.12 MPa. Structural stresses of 1.40 and 3.13 MPa on the impacting (hitting) and impacted (hit) tubers (respectively) were obtained. These stress values indicate that bruising is likely to occur on the tubers. This research paper provides a useful how‐to‐do strategy to further research on complicated bruising investigations of solid‐like agricultural products through advanced engineering simulation techniques.Practical applications: This research aims to simulate realistic dynamic deformation of potato tubers during mechanical collision, which is very hard to achieve through physical or analytical expressions. This is attractive because related food processing industries have shown their interest in determining the physical properties and bruising behavior of food/agricultural products using experimental, numerical, and engineering simulation methods so that it can be used in their food processing technology. Very limited data have been found available in the literature about the subject of FEM‐based explicit dynamics simulation of solid‐like agricultural crops such as the self‐collision case of potato tubers (which is very important for indoor or outdoor potato processing). Comparative investigations on determination of modulus of elasticity are very limited as well. Most of the research focused on single calculation theory and linear static loading assumption‐based FEM simulation solutions. Here, we report a “how‐to‐do” case study for dynamic self‐collision simulation of potato tubers.

The integration of additive manufacturing (AM) and topology optimization (TO) is transforming mechanical design and prototyping practices across multiple engineering sectors, including agricultural and aerospace applications. This study presents the development of TODfAM, a bespoke SOLIDWORKS add-in that automates TO workflows and embeds Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) principles directly within a parametric CAD environment. The tool integrates parametric modelling, finite element analysis (FEA)-based structural evaluation, and TO in a unified platform, enabling automated generation and assessment of design iterations with respect to both mechanical performance and AM-specific manufacturability constraints. A case study on a pusher-duct support bracket for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was conducted to demonstrate the functionality of the developed workflow. The optimized bracket achieved a 13.77% mass reduction while maintaining structural integrity under representative loading conditions. The CAD-integrated framework reduces toolchain hand-offs and allows early manufacturability evaluation within the design environment, thereby improving workflow continuity and consistency. The principal novelty of this work lies in the establishment of a fully CAD-native, DfAM-aware optimization framework that consolidates the design-to-manufacturing process into a single automated environment. This approach not only streamlines pre- and post-processing tasks but also promotes wider industrial adoption of AM by providing a practical, designer-oriented route to lightweight and manufacturable structures.

External spur gear pumps are widely employed in hydraulic systems for their simplicity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness; however, the conventional CAD-based methods used to design these components remain time-intensive and prone to inconsistencies, particularly during iterative structural analysis and optimization. To address these limitations, this study presents a parametric, automated design platform for external spur gear pumps by integrating the SOLIDWORKS API with a custom C# desktop application. The tool automatically generates 3D solid models and facilitates strength analysis and housing wall-thickness optimization through a user-friendly interface. Geometric and hydraulic inputs are used to define model parameters and simulation conditions, into which an empirical pressure distribution model, derived from prior experimental data, is embedded to establish accurate boundary conditions. This integrated configuration enables structural analysis in SOLIDWORKS Simulation, allowing systematic variation of wall thickness and geometry within prescribed constraints. Results from the case study yielded a configuration achieving an 18.42% reduction in housing mass while maintaining a minimum factor of safety of 3.948 and a maximum deformation of 0.012 mm. The system effectively reduces design time, improves repeatability, and minimizes human error, while demonstrating robustness across varied design scenarios. Overall, the proposed approach provides a practical and efficient solution for automated design and optimization of external gear pumps, supporting parametric flexibility and advancing CAD/CAE integration in hydraulic component design workflows.

Periapical lesions may compromise the biomechanics of endodontically treated teeth. This study aimed to quantify, via finite element analysis (FEA), the effect of lesion size on stress distribution and deformation in a maxillary central incisor. Five 3D models (control; 2, 4, 6, 8 mm lesions) were analysed under a 300 N oblique load at 135°. Global maximum equivalent stress remained stable (89.856 MPa vs 89.673 MPa; -0.2%), whereas lesion stress increased (0.25-0.57 MPa) and deformation rose from 0.1437 to 0.1533 mm (+6.7%). Lesion enlargement minimally affects global stress but induces adverse local biomechanical changes.

The Cura Baglama represents the smallest variant within the traditional Turkish baglama family of stringed instruments. Investigating its structural integrity when subjected to sudden impact loading is essential for advancing efforts in standardisation, development, maintenance, repair, and the preservation of its historically significant design characteristics. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the dynamic structural response of a cura baglama subjected to controlled drop-test scenarios. A reverse engineering methodology, coupled with three-dimensional explicit dynamic analysis, was employed to examine the instrument’s behaviour under impact loading. The study evaluated the effects of seven distinct impact positions, simulating a drop from a fixed height of 1000 mm. The simulation results provided critical insights into the instrument’s impact response by visualising deformation patterns and equivalent stress distributions across its structure. Regions susceptible to damage were identified by comparing the computed equivalent (von Mises) stress with the material’s yield strength, which served as the threshold for irreversible damage. This approach enabled the determination of the critical drop height corresponding to structural failure in each scenario. The findings indicate that, although all scenarios were simulated at a fixed drop height of 1000 mm, Impact Scenario 5 exhibited the lowest calculated threshold for damage initiation, with a critical drop height estimated at 172 mm based on the material yield criterion. These structural impact response analyses offer valuable guidance for instrument designers, facilitating the development of cura baglama models with enhanced strength. While the findings are specific to the analysed instrument model, the methodological approach can be generalised to similar studies. Furthermore, the findings contribute to the broader preservation efforts of these culturally and historically significant musical instruments.