ALGOR INTRODUCES DYNAMIC DESIGN-ANALYSIS METHOD (DDAM) SOFTWARE FOR ANALYZING SHOCK TO NAVAL SHIP COMPONENTS

September 16, 1999, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- Algor, Inc., a leading maker of software for mechanical engineers, today announced the availability of new software that enables engineers to analyze a model using the Dynamic Design-Analysis Method (DDAM), a U.S. Navy standard procedure for shock design.

"The addition of DDAM capability to our Linear Static and Dynamic Stress Analysis Software helps Algor customers meet U.S. Navy requirements for shock design," said Michael L. Bussler, president and CEO of Pittsburgh-based Algor, Inc. All mission-essential equipment onboard surface ships and submarines must be qualified for shock loads, such as from depth charges, mines, missiles and torpedoes. Engineers use Algor's new DDAM software to analyze the shock response at the mountings of shipboard equipment such as masts, propulsion shafts, rudders, exhaust uptakes and other critical structures.

"The directive for us to develop the DDAM capability was provided by our customers who design components for the U.S. Navy and must comply with shock qualification requirements," said Bussler.

The new DDAM software is an optional extender to Algor's Finite Element Analysis or Mechanical Event Simulation family of software products. After performing a vibration analysis to determine the mode shapes and natural frequencies, a DDAM analysis is performed using an input spectrum of shock design values (displacements or accelerations). The input spectrum values are provided automatically by the software, based on data from unclassified U.S. Navy documents (primarily Naval Research Laboratory Report NRL-1396). Algor's DDAM analysis processor uses the NRL summation method to combine the peak responses for all mode shapes and then calculates overall displacements/stresses. Results can be viewed for each mode shape with Superview, Algor's visualization software.

Algor's new DDAM software is available for PC workstations running Window NT, 95 or 98.

Algor has been a leader in the engineering software industry since introducing FEA for PCs in 1984 and interfacing with CAD systems in 1985. The company recently celebrated 20 years of providing innovative, affordable and easy-to-use software products that have enabled 16,000 engineers in 60 countries to create safe, efficient, cost-effective designs. Algor also offers superior educational support and customer service that has been expanded to include the use of state-of-the-art Internet audio/video technology for live educational "Web Courses" and free public "Webcasts" that include step-by-step Algor software instruction.

Algor's most recent invention, FEA-based Accupak/VE Mechanical Event Simulation software with linear and nonlinear material models, replaces physical prototype testing with virtual prototype testing because it realistically simulates motion and flexing in mechanical events, eliminates the need to input dynamic loads and computes and shows resulting stresses on the computer model at each instant in time. Algor's new kinematic finite element technology now makes it practical to perform Mechanical Event Simulations with Accupak/VE on CAD solid models or assemblies. Algor offers a range of other FEA capabilities including linear stress, vibration and natural frequencies, heat transfer, electrostatics, fluid flow, piping design and composite materials. Algor's software interchanges data with products from ANSYS, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANSS), Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK), Baystate Technologies, Inc., MacNeal Schwendler Corporation (NYSE: MNS), Parametric Technology Corporation (Nasdaq: PMTC), Structural Dynamics Research Corporation (Nasdaq: SDRC), Unigraphics Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: UGS), SolidWorks Corporation, a Dassault Systemes S.A. (Nasdaq: DASTY) company and others.