SRAC Redesigns COSMOSDesignSTAR for 2006

SANTA MONICA, California, January 18, 2006

Structural Research and Analysis Corp. (SRAC) today announced the release of COSMOSDesignSTAR™ 2006 software, a completely redesigned version of the standalone design analysis program that works with virtually all CAD programs. In addition to a new graphical user interface (GUI), COSMOSDesignSTAR 2006 offers several new tutorial features and a variety of new analysis capabilities that include virtual connectors for assemblies, drop tests, and fatigue life. Despite these changes, COSMOSDesignSTAR 2006 is fully compatible with COSMOSDesignSTAR 4.5.

The virtual connectors are new, knowledge-based tools that make it easy for analysis users to perform complex assembly analyses without difficult and time-consuming connector modeling. To help design engineers analyze the effects of impact on their designs, COSMOSDesignSTAR 2006 now also enables drop test simulation for both parts and assemblies.

Greater ease-of-use comes from an updated GUI, and a number of tools to help novices and infrequent users use the software. These include such features as a “quick tips” guide that walks users through both the GUI and functions. A “What’s Wrong” utility helps users analyze errors and learn whether such inputs as loads, restraints, and mesh are valid. In addition, a wizard called Analysis Advisor takes beginner or casual users through the analysis set-up and post processing stages, and answers such questions as what study type to use, what to do if a mesh fails, and how to interpret results.

“To help designers feel comfortable when doing design analysis, we have developed a number of innovative, smart features over the last couple of years,” says Ramesh Ramalingam, Product Manager for COSMOS. “With this release, we are making smart features such as virtual pin, spring, and bolt connectors and adaptive meshing available to all CAD users.”

The new release has also added mixed meshing – making it possible for engineers to simulate thick and thin components with a combination of solid elements for thick bodies and shell elements for thin parts. The addition of h-adaptive meshing enables the program to converge automatically to a correct solution by automatically refining the mesh in critical areas until the solution converges.

COSMOSDesignSTAR 2006 also offers fatigue life analysis for the first time. This new analysis tool gives users the ability to perform fatigue studies on assemblies that contain different material properties, and also to be more accurate in predicting a product’s lifespan by using actual loading conditions in the fatigue simulation. Fatigue life analysis tools include Rainflow charts to help users determine the effects of small stress cycles in their loading history, and possible effects over life.

In addition to the new features mentioned above, the new release expands its nonlinear stress analysis capabilities. For example, COSMOSDesignSTAR has integrated nonlinear material properties into the core material database, eliminating duplication of data and effort caused by maintaining separate lists. Nonlinear loads may be defined by simply dragging and dropping them from a linear static study. The program now also makes it possible to import physical test data for both hyperelastic and visco-elastic material models and includes a model for Nitinol, a shape-memory alloy of particular use in the medical device industry.

COSMOSDesignSTAR helps design engineers and expert analysts alike detect potential design problems quickly and correct them before beginning prototype production, saving companies the time and expense of post-production fixes. By conducting multiple “what if” studies, design engineers can determine the reliability of their designs quickly, shorten design review cycles, and reduce the number of physical prototypes that need to be tested.

COSMOSDesignSTAR now supports Solid Edge® version 18, Autodesk Inventor® version 10, SolidWorks® 2006, Pro/ENGINEER® Wildfire version 2, and CATIA® V4 and V5. COSMOSDesignSTAR also supports Parasolid®, ACIS®, and other CAD formats via STEP and IGES.

About SRAC

COSMOS solutions have been chosen by over 15,000 companies worldwide, believed to make COSMOS the most widely used finite element analysis (FEA) software in the world. Structural Research and Analysis Corporation (SRAC) is an affiliate of Dassault Systèmes S.A. (Nasdaq: DASTY, Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA). COSMOS software offers computer aided engineering (CAE) solutions ranging from simple stress and displacement tests to more complex analyses including impact testing, nonlinear, dynamic response, and fatigue simulation. COSMOS has been a leading developer and innovator of FEA, optimization, and simulation software products since 1982.

For the latest news, information, or a live online demonstration, visit the company’s Web site www.cosmosm.com or call +1-310-309-2800.