FEA Assumptions Template Before Interpreting Results

Rule of thumb

A beautiful stress plot can still be unusable if assumptions are not validated.

Assumptions table

Category	Question	Verified
Boundary conditions	Do supports reflect real constraints?	Yes/No
Loads	Are magnitudes and load paths realistic?	Yes/No
Material model	Is linear elastic behavior acceptable?	Yes/No
Contacts	Are contact pairs and friction assumptions documented?	Yes/No
Mesh	Is local refinement converged where decisions are made?	Yes/No

Output discipline

• Report peak stress location and mesh size at that location.
• Report deformation at functional interfaces, not just max displacement.
• Cross-check with a hand calc or simplified model for order-of-magnitude sanity.