SANTA ANA, CA--(Business Wire - January 10th, 2013) - MSC Software Corporation, the leader in multidiscipline simulation solutions that accelerate product innovation, today announced that Tenneco has selected MSC Software's subsidiary Free Field Technologies (FFT) as a supplier of acoustics and vibro-acoustics simulation software. Tenneco manufactures exhaust systems for the automotive and commercial vehicle industry. The Actran software developed by FFT is used by Tenneco for modeling exhaust system pipe noise and shell noise.

Car manufacturers must develop cleaner, more fuel-efficient and quieter engines. In order to meet these challenging objectives, they require their suppliers to take responsibility for acoustic performance of the components they supply. Thus, exhaust manufacturers seek new concepts which meet strict noise emission regulations, without disrupting engine efficiency. This is extremely important as the design of an exhaust system can influence the engine performance, the radiated sound pressure levels, as well as the broader design of the vehicle.

Additionally, pass-by noise targets and interior acoustic criteria have to be considered for the entire vehicle, and the exhaust system is a major contributor when dealing with these aspects. Tenneco is continuously reassessing its development process to ensure it meets or even exceeds these requirements.

Tenneco recently acquired the Actran technology in order to predict acoustics & vibro-acoustics. Actran vibro-acoustics provides a rich library of elements, materials, boundary conditions, and solver solutions. The software is used to investigate the effects of design changes at any development stage, and to understand the physics of problems when they occur at the production stage. The Actran computational results are accurate, and have helped Tenneco rely more on simulations than on physical prototypes.

"The Actran software helps support our acoustic development programs," said Jerome Voillequin, senior acoustic engineer, Tenneco Emission Control Europe in Edenkoben, Germany. "Actran helps further improve how we investigate and understand acoustic challenges in order to ensure that we continue to provide leading-edge acoustic solutions for exhaust systems."

 "Actran offers an ideal solution for covering Tenneco's needs as an automotive supplier," said Stéphane Caro, from FFT in Belgium.  "Actran contains a rich set of features needed to model the acoustic performance of exhaust system products."

About Tenneco
Tenneco is a leading emission control supplier to the global commercial vehicle market with a full suite of after treatment solutions tailored to any engine size or powertrain strategy. Tenneco is a global manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois and approximately 24,000 employees worldwide. Tenneco is one of the world's largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of emission control and ride control products and systems for the automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment markets and aftermarket. Tenneco markets its products principally under the Monroe®, Walker® and Clevite® Elastomer brand names. For more information, visit www.tenneco.com.

About Free Field Technologies (FFT), an MSC Software Company
Founded in 1998, and headquartered in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, Free Field Technologies, an MSC Software company, develops and supports Actran, a powerful software suite for acoustic, vibro-acoustic and aero-acoustic modeling. Actran contains a wide set of acoustic features making it the solution of choice for customers as diverse as top car manufacturers and their suppliers, the largest civil and military aircraft and aircraft engine manufacturers, leading producers of loudspeakers and other audio devices, consultants, universities and research centers. FFT maintains offices in Toulouse, Tokyo, and Detroit.
For more information, visit www.fft.be.

About MSC Software
MSC Software is one of the ten original software companies and the worldwide leader in multidiscipline simulation. As a trusted partner, MSC Software helps companies improve quality, save time, and reduce costs associated with design and test of manufactured products. Academic institutions, researchers, and students employ MSC's technology to expand individual knowledge as well as expand the horizon of simulation. MSC Software employs 1,100 professionals in 20 countries. For additional information about MSC Software's products and services, please visit: www.mscsoftware.com

The MSC Software corporate logo, Simulating Reality, MSC Nastran, Adams, Actran, Digimat, Dytran, Easy5, Marc, Patran, MSC, MasterKey, MasterKey Plus, Mvision, SimDesigner, SimManager, and SimXpert are trademarks or registered trademarks of MSC Software Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. NASTRAN is a registered trademark of NASA. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Article Contacts
Leslie Bodnar
Email: leslie.bodnar@mscsoftware.com
Phone #: (714) 444-8978