ALGOR'S INCADPlus TECHNOLOGY OFFERS MECHANICAL DESKTOP® USERS A HIGHER LEVEL OF CAD/CAE INTEROPERABILITY

ALGOR'S INCAD^Plus TECHNOLOGY OFFERS MECHANICAL DESKTOP® USERS A HIGHER LEVEL OF CAD/CAE INTEROPERABILITY

Algor's full range of FEA capabilities is now accessible from Mechanical Desktop software. Shown here, the simple Mechanical Desktop menu selection "ALGOR:Algor Mesh" launches a "CAD Solid Model Interface" where preliminary FEA surface meshing is performed with Algor's new, easy-to-use sliding mesh control. Superdraw III, Algor's single user interface and precision finite element model-building tool, can then be activated with one mouse click to access Algor's surface mesh refinement, automatic solid meshing and full breadth of analysis options.
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August 12, 1999, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- Algor, Inc., a leading maker of software for mechanical engineers, has introduced InCAD^Plus technology that enables engineers to transfer solid model data seamlessly from Mechanical Desktop 3.0 software. InCAD^Plus has an interface that connects Algor's entire range of finite element analysis (FEA) capabilities, including advanced Mechanical Event Simulation, directly to Mechanical Desktop software produced by Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK), the San Rafael, California-based developer of AutoCAD.

"InCAD^Plus enables engineers to perform a much broader spectrum of FEA more easily and in a shorter amount of time while they work in Mechanical Desktop," said Michael L. Bussler, president of Algor, a company that pioneered CAD interfacing with PCs in 1985. "Algor has expanded its CAD interfacing options with InCAD^Plus to be responsive to customers who have requested seamless interoperability. Every FEA product we offer is connected to the new interface."

"Accessing Algor software directly from Mechanical Desktop will allow our customers to analyze their designs more quickly and conveniently," said Brian Swanson, program manager for Autodesk's Developer Network.

With Algor's Release 12 version of FEA software, Algor's complete software capabilities, ranging from simple linear static FEA to nonlinear multiphysics including heat transfer and fluid flow, are accessible from Mechanical Desktop when it is installed on the same computer as Algor software.

These capabilities include performing Mechanical Event Simulations on complete Mechanical Desktop solid models or assemblies using Algor's Accupak/VE Mechanical Event Simulation software with linear and nonlinear material models. Accupak/VE realistically simulates motion and flexing in mechanical events and eliminates the need to input dynamic loads. It also computes and shows resulting stresses on the computer model at each instant in time. In addition, Algor's new kinematic elements drastically reduce processing time for Mechanical Event Simulations involving solid models or assemblies because they dynamically behave like regular flexible elements, but stresses are not calculated within them.

With InCAD^Plus, the simple Mechanical Desktop menu selection "ALGOR:Algor Mesh" launches Algor's "CAD Solid Model Interface." This interface enables engineers to view their entire model prior to FEA surface meshing to determine if the design contains model defects, such as surface holes or self-intersecting surfaces. They can then create an FEA surface mesh with a new, easy-to-use sliding mesh control, which lets them quickly adjust the initial surface mesh density if necessary. Superdraw III, Algor's single user interface and precision finite element model-building tool, can be activated with one mouse click to access Algor's automatic or manual surface mesh refinement options. Engineers can then use Algor's automatic mesh engines to create a high quality FEA solid mesh using bricks, tetrahedron or a combination of both, and access Algor's full breadth of analysis options.

Alternatively, when Algor and Mechanical Desktop are installed on different computers, InCAD^Plus technology eliminates problematic data translation from Mechanical Desktop to Algor software because it uses Direct Memory Image Transfer (DMIT) programming. DMIT assures the transfer of mathematically exact model descriptions.

According to W. Charles Paulsen, Algor's vice president of strategic relations, "Cost-conscious IT managers will appreciate that DMIT-enabled InCAD^Plus technology provides consistent, yet simple interoperability between heterogeneous CAD/CAE systems."

Algor offers a wide range of FEA capabilities that works directly from Mechanical Desktop including Mechanical Event Simulation, linear and nonlinear stress, vibration and natural frequencies, heat transfer, electrostatics, fluid flow, piping design and composite materials. Algor's software also interchanges data with products from ANSYS, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANSS), 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.

Algor has been a leader in the engineering software industry since it introduced FEA for PCs in 1984 and interfacing with CAD systems in 1985. The company recently celebrated 20 years of providing finite element customers with innovative, affordable and easy-to-use software products and superior educational support and customer service. Algor's FEA software has enabled 16,000 engineers in 60 countries to create safe, efficient, cost-effective designs.