Automatic Mesh Smoothing For Finite Element Modeling From 3d Image Data

Automatic volumetric meshing algorithms on computerized tomography (CT) data have shown to be of great value for Finite Element (FE) modeling since they provide a fast and non-invasive way to study structural behavior. The interest on these methods has grown more since the apparition of microfocus CT ( CT) due to its high resolution, allowing assessment of mechanical behavior at a high precision. The basic meshing approach of generating hexahedra per voxel has the problem of producing jagged edges. Smoothing of the mesh can be then performed by using the Laplacian operator, but this method produces mesh shrinkage, which is unwanted in FE studies. In this paper an automatic meshing and smoothing algorithm for FE meshes from 3D image data is presented.