Geometric Optimization of a Tuning Fork in NX Nastran

A tuning fork is a simple tool used by musicians to tune their instruments or by medical practitioners to assess a patient's hearing. It produces a very pure and fixed tone, with most of the vibrational energy at the fundamental frequency, and little at its harmonic frequencies. To achieve a required tone it is needed to determine the exact dimensions of a tuning fork with regard to the material used for its manufacturing. Geometric optimization is an ideal design tool for this purpose. Paper deals with the process of proposal and design optimization of a common tuning fork by using NX Nastran software. Paper is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the experimental and numerical modal analysis of an existing tuning fork with the prongs of circular section. The second part describes the proposal and optimization of a new tuning fork with the prongs of square section.