CHallenger disaster

[uuDevil]

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I was wondering specifically what effect the pin retainer band had on joint bending. aka whether to include it in an FEM

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I'm an EE, not an ME, but I think the retainer band is structurally insignificant-- it is just there to keep the pins from falling out.

Feynman gives more interesting insights in some of his autobiographical books, especially What Do You Care What Other People Think. The steel cases are ~3x thicker at the joint than in the middle so when the cases are pressurized, the joint tends to open-- they call this "rotation." You shouldn't have any trouble seeing this effect in your model. Good luck.