While pursuing my undergraduate degree, I had the opportunity to learn the solid modeling program NX and examine both its modeling capability and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) capability.
 

The final project for the course was to model a pair of locking pliers and simulate the stresses experienced in the tool when it is being used. To accomplish this, I modeled the tool in NX, created 3D and 2D meshes of the parts, and then applied boundary conditions to simulate the plier handles being squeezed and the plier jaws locking on to a bolt or nut.

 

The pictures below below show the locking pliers that I recreated in NX, some of the modeled parts side-by-side with their corresponding physical part, and the results of the static simulations that were applied to the meshes.

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