Abstract: 

Essity is a global leader in hygiene and health, with products used by one billion people across 150 countries every day. Consumers’ perceptions of these products, such as comfort, fit, reliability and dignity are inherently subjective. Traditionally, product design and evaluation rely on consumer studies, which often occur late in the development process, when design changes tend to be costly. The interpretation of consumer study results can also be challenging due to the subjective nature of the responses.

To address these challenges, Essity has adopted finite element analysis (FEA) to increase the understanding of the relationships between mechanical product parameters and subjective user experience. By integrating FEA earlier in the development cycle, designers can more efficiently explore design alternatives and identify optimal concepts before physical prototypes are created.

This presentation describes Essity’s journey in adopting FEA by showing the evolution from open diapers to pants type products applied to human body models. Challenges related to simulation techniques, material characterization, and human model representation are discussed, along with how these challenges are being addressed to enable more predictive and consumer relevant simulations.

Presenters: 

Manuel Mendoza Vázquez CAE Engineer - Essity AB Manuel Mendoza Vázquez is a CAE Engineer at Essity AB. He holds a PhD from Chalmers University of Technology, where he specialized in human body modeling. He has experience conducting finite element analyses across the automotive, medical device, and hygiene product sectors. His main professional interest lies in understanding and simulating the interaction between products and the human body.

Ioan Danese CAE Engineer - Essity AB Ioan Danese is a CAE Engineer at Essity AB, where he has spent nearly three years applying advanced finite element analysis to drive innovation in hygienic products. With a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Edinburgh and almost 7 years of specialized experience in the MedTech and Life‑Science sectors, he is driven by a passion to understand the physical interactions between products and humans by solving engineering problems that involve both objective and subjective measures to understand user experience.