03 · Structural Analysis
Cantilever FEA Validation
Independent Engineering Study · July 2026
Validated a 6061-T6 aluminum cantilever in ANSYS Mechanical against Fusion 360 and Euler-Bernoulli beam theory under a 444.82 N end load, matching hand calculations within 3.8% for stress and 4.4% for deflection.
- 85.9 MPa
- max von Mises
- 0.822 mm
- max displacement
- 3.8%
- stress difference
What
- Validated the expected stress and deflection response of a rectangular 6061-T6 aluminum cantilever benchmark.
- Defined a fixed mount and 444.82 N downward free-end load, then checked ANSYS results against Fusion 360 and Euler-Bernoulli beam theory.
How
- Built a 170.053 mm by 29.388 mm by 6.35 mm benchmark in ANSYS Mechanical and Fusion 360 using 6061-T6 properties, a 186.61 mm squared fixed end face, and a distributed edge load.
- Solved static structural studies and compared solver contours with hand calculations for area moment of inertia, maximum bending stress, and tip deflection.
- Documented mesh, boundary conditions, load direction, and contour results so the validation can be repeated and reviewed.
Results
- ANSYS predicted 85.94 MPa peak von Mises stress versus 82.76 MPa analytically, a 3.8% difference.
- ANSYS predicted 0.822 mm maximum displacement versus 0.788 mm analytically, a 4.4% difference.
- The 276 MPa yield-strength reference gives a 3.21 safety factor, with peak stress at the fixed end and maximum displacement at the free end as expected.
Tools & methods
- ANSYS Mechanical
- Fusion 360 Static Stress
- FEA
- Euler-Bernoulli beam theory
- Stress analysis
- Design validation
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