Press Release
MSC.Software Announces Release of MSC.Nastran 2004
SANTA ANA, Calif. - June 24, 2003 - MSC.Software Corp. (NYSE: MNS), the leading global provider of virtual product development (VPD) products including simulation software, services and systems, today announced the availability of MSC.Nastran 2004. MSC.Nastran is established as the world's leading simulation and finite element analysis (FEA) product used by manufacturers around the world to simulate loads and stresses on mechanical systems and components.
"The release of MSC.Nastran 2004, which will be available in August 2003, is the most significant and comprehensive NASTRAN product launch in MSC.Software's history," said Frank Perna, chairman and chief executive officer of MSC.Software. "We have worked closely with our customers to ensure that MSC.Nastran 2004 provides the expanded functionality they need to continue to save time and money. MSC.Nastran 2004 is one of the principle products in our VPD product portfolio and we are confident that customers around the world will continue to look to MSC.Nastran 2004 as the 'gold standard' in FEA."
Among the many new capabilities found in MSC.Nastran 2004 are enhanced functionality for noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), acoustics, dynamics and optimization. In addition, MSC.Nastran 2004 is the first and only version of MSC.Nastran with fully integrated MSC.Marc nonlinear analysis capabilities as well as embedded flexible-body transfer between MSC.ADAMS and MSC.Nastran. With these state-of-the-art features, engineers and analysts have the ability to perform a wider variety of simulations launched from within MSC.Nastran 2004 as well as transfer data from other MSC.Software products without leaving the familiar MSC.Nastran environment.
"In the past, the modelling of spotwelds with total body models was a time-intensive procedure. Because of the new functionality of MSC.Nastran 2004, Volkswagen has achieved a time savings of up to 30%," said Jurgen Hillmann, Passenger Car Body Dynamics Group, Volkswagen AG.
MSC.Software and its suite of simulation software products are part of the Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) market. According to market research firm Daratech, Inc., the CAE market, as a division of product lifecycle management (PLM), is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 10.3 percent through 2007.
Several significant enhancements aimed at increasing user productivity have been implemented in MSC.Nastran 2004. Examples include:
- Nonlinear Simulation ('SOL 600') - A new fully integrated FEA capability for the analysis of 3D contact and nonlinear problems, based upon MSC.Marc. This new tool gives engineers increased efficiency and easier data handling by eliminating model re-creation and allowing nonlinear simulation of native MSC.Nastran models.
- MSC.ADAMS Integration - Based upon customer demand for tight integration between MSC.ADAMS system motion simulation and MSC.Nastran component flexibility simulation, MSC.Nastran 2004 allows engineers to represent flexible bodies with pre-stress effects and include these automatically in a MSC.ADAMS system motion simulation
- NVH and Optimization - Developed together with major automotive OEMs, new power spectral density (PSD) response types have been added to MSC.Nastran 2004 to improve behavior of vehicle design for NVH characteristics.. By automating redesign capabilities through optimization, engineers can eliminate trial and error testing and reduce design time and costs
- Rotor Dynamics - Gyroscopic effects have been added to MSC.Nastran 2004 for statics and normal modes analyses typically done by aerospace manufacturers and suppliers, among others
- Performance improvements for Large Models - The new version has significant reduction in computer time, memory, and disk space using ACMS (automatic component mode synthesis) and DMP (Distributed Memory Parallel) techniques
- Spot Weld - New options have been added to MSC.Nastran 2004 to connect finer meshes and handle connections of arbitrary element types. In addition, the Spot Weld functionality has been dramatically enhanced with the addition of a stochastic input, allowing engineers to randomize weld failures and improve design accuracy
- Acoustics - A new algorithm has been added to MSC.Nastran 2004 to identify the fluid/structure interface important in 'body in white' design and acoustic prediction. This reduces simulation times and improves accuracy of acoustic models.
- Stochastics - In preparation for the launch of MSC.Software's stochastics offering in September of 2003, MSC.Nastran 2004 has been developed to take advantage of the newest revolution in CAE. Stochastics uses Monte Carlo techniques to dramatically increase the reality of computer simulation by accounting for testing variability and scatter that pervades material properties, loading conditions, assembly and manufacturing processes. MSC.Nastran 2004 was specifically designed to take advantage of this cutting edge technology and the stochastics functionality is already being used by a number of manufacturers in Europe and the United States.
MSC.Nastran 2004 is scheduled to ship to customers in August 2003. MSC.Software will be hosting a number of presentations about MSC.Nastran 2004 throughout the US, Europe and Asia in 2003 and 2004. For more information on these events, please visit http://events.mscsoftware.com. For more information about the new features of MSC.Nastran 2004 and other enhancements, please visit http://www.mscnastran.com.
About MSC.Software Corporation
MSC.Software (NYSE: MNS) is the leading global provider of virtual product development tools, including software, services and systems, that help companies make money, save time and reduce costs associated with designing and testing manufactured products. MSC.Software works with thousands of companies in hundreds of industries to develop better products faster by utilizing information technology, software, services and systems. MSC.Software employs more than 1500 people in 23 countries. For additional information about MSC.Software's products and services, please visit www.mscsoftware.com.
| Contact: Joanne Keates Vice President, Investor Relations MSC.Software 714.444.8551 joanne.keates@mscsoftware.com |
Contact: Catherine Meek Media Relations MSC.Software 714.445.5647 catherine.meek@mscsoftware.com |
