MSC Nastran Embedded Fatigue (NEF) recognized for drastically reducing the time to complete large fatigue and durability simulations while delivering product optimization

NEWPORT BEACH, CA--Nov 27, 2013: MSC Software Corporation, the leader in multidiscipline simulation solutions that accelerate product innovation, today announced that MSC Nastran Embedded Fatigue (NEF) has been honored as CAE Innovation of the Year by Automotive Testing Technology International.

“It’s a great honor to be named CAE Innovation of the Year at a time of such change in the automotive industry, when innovation is so vital to meeting government mandates and customer needs”

The Automotive Testing Technology International awards honor individuals and companies who have made a difference in the world of vehicle development. Simulation software is an essential tool that helps automotive manufacturers cut design and prototype costs, and MSC Nastran Embedded Fatigue (NEF) does so in helping manufacturers calculate fatigue damage and life span, thereby optimizing product designs for weight and durability.

“Fatigue analysis is important, but it has always been quite difficult to integrate into the development process. It’s often done separately and so adds time. MSC’s NEF software goes a long way towards solving this. By doing the stress and fatigue work simultaneously, it gives engineers the chance to do more to extend the life of their products,” said Tristan Honeywill, automotive technology journalist and ATTI contributor.

The recent update to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standard has challenged automakers to design for lighter weight but still maintain structural integrity and safety. MSC NEF is designed to meet both of these challenges by coupling the stress and fatigue calculation process into one simultaneous operation. This new immersed capability has wide-ranging implications in relation to the way fatigue and reliability is handled within large mechanical engineering organizations. There is no real limit to the size of fatigue analysis models that can be handled, yet this solution is actually simpler because it eliminates the need for intermediate data by combining the traditionally separate processes of stress and fatigue analysis.

“It’s a great honor to be named CAE Innovation of the Year at a time of such change in the automotive industry, when innovation is so vital to meeting government mandates and customer needs,” said Dominic Gallello, president and CEO of MSC Software. “Fuel efficiency and environmental sustainability are exerting an enormous influence on vehicle design. MSC Nastran Embedded Fatigue demonstrates our commitment to giving engineers the tools to predict how long products will last when designed with new materials and produced through new methods.”

About the Automotive Testing Technology International Awards

Presented annually by Automotive Testing Technology International magazine, the awards recognize and reward the innovation, technology and hard work of the automotive vehicle development community.