Fifteen years ago or so, mechanical designers began working with improved CAD software and PC hardware to perform basic finite element analysis (FEA). The goal was shortening product development time, but there was valid concern about putting such tools in the hands of non-experts. Garbage in meant garbage out (GIGO), so designs were mostly still "thrown over the wall" to the analysts, then sent back with changes. The process was inefficient, of course. In some cases, by the time analysts finished months of work, market forces had pushed the designers to make other changes.
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