Optimisation of the curvature of a laser generated single stage ceramic tile grout seal with the finite element method

Optimisation of the geometry (curvature) of the laser generated single-stage ceramic tile grout seal, which is influential on its overall and enamel glaze load-bearing capacities was carried out with a finite element (FE) model. The overall load bearing capacities and load-displacement plots of three selected geometries were determined experimentally by the indentation technique. Simultaneously, a FE model was developed utilising the commercial ANSYS package to simulate the indentation. Stress distribution profiles of the three FE models at failure loads were analysed and correlated so as to give a prediction of a catastrophic failure through an analysis of the FE-generated stress distribution profile. This implication enables predictions of the load-bearing capacities for other curvatures and extended the optimisation process with the FE model. It was observed that although increased curvatures does enhance the overall load-bearing capacity of the single-stage ceramic tile grout seal and brings about a lower nominal stress, there is a higher build up in stress concentration at the apex that would inevitably reduce the load-bearing capacity of the enamel glaze.