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Creating High-Quality FEA Solid Meshes is Faster and Easier

6 October 1999

Creating High-Quality FEA Solid Meshes is Faster and Easier with Algor's Improved Automatic Solid Mesh Engine

    PITTSBURGH--Oct. 5, 1999--Algor, Inc., a leading maker of software for mechanical and civil engineers, today announced major improvements to Hexagen, the first solid mesh engine to automatically create high-quality solid finite element analysis (FEA) meshes using bricks. Hexagen includes new capabilities for creating better solid FEA meshes in less time.
    "The improved Hexagen mesh engine allows engineers to concentrate on improving their designs, not on creating the model's necessary mesh quality," said Michael L. Bussler, president of Pittsburgh-based Algor. "Algor's new and improved solid meshing capabilities are part of the company's continuing goal to make solid FEA meshing a quick, one-step process."
    The Hexagen mesh engine has been enhanced to create solid FEA meshes faster than ever before. In addition, engineers no longer need to determine numerous mesh quality parameters or perform multiple meshing iterations to achieve an optimal FEA mesh. They can now select the desired level of solid mesh quality using Hexagen's sliding control. Hexagen automatically determines the best aspect ratio for each solid element based on the chosen mesh quality. Hexagen also includes an advanced option that enables the removal of small, insignificant elements, which ultimately reduces processing time.
    Algor's Hexagen generates a model's solid FEA mesh from the surface mesh inward in order to create a high-quality, less dense mesh using bricks or a hybrid mesh consisting of bricks on the surface and tetrahedra inside. Other FEA mesh engines designate a generic solid mesh for the model, placing poorer quality elements on the surface. This often results in more elements and surface mesh enhancement in order to achieve the necessary surface mesh quality. Hexagen is accessed from Superdraw III, Algor's single user interface and precision finite element model-building tool, and works with virtually any CAD or FEA solid model or assembly.
    Engineers may choose to simulate mechanical events involving a CAD or FEA solid model or assembly meshed with Hexagen using Algor's Accupak family of products, which enables engineers to realistically simulate motion and flexing in mechanical events and eliminate the need to specify dynamic loads. In addition, Algor provides kinematic elements, which enable engineers to analyze a complete CAD solid model or assembly on a desktop computer in an efficient amount of time.
    Algor has been a leader in the engineering software industry since introducing FEA for PCs in 1984 and interfacing with CAD systems in 1985. The company recently celebrated 20 years of providing innovative, affordable and easy-to-use software products that have enabled 20,000 engineers in 60 countries to create safe, efficient, cost-effective designs. Algor also offers superior educational support and customer service that has been expanded to include the use of state-of-the-art Internet audio/video technology for live educational "Web Courses" and free public "Webcasts" that include step-by-step Algor software instruction.
    Algor's most recent invention, FEA-based Accupak/VE Mechanical Event Simulation software with linear and nonlinear material models, replaces physical prototype testing with virtual prototype testing because it realistically simulates motion and flexing in mechanical events, eliminates the need to input dynamic loads and computes and shows resulting stresses on the computer model at each instant in time. Algor's new kinematic finite element technology now makes it practical to perform Mechanical Event Simulations with Accupak/VE on CAD solid models or assemblies. Algor offers a range of other FEA capabilities including linear stress, vibration and natural frequencies, heat transfer, electrostatics, fluid flow, piping design and composite materials. Algor's software interchanges data with products from ANSYS, Inc. , Autodesk, Inc. , CADKEY Corporation, MSC.Software Corporation , Parametric Technology Corporation , Structural Dynamics Research Corporation , Unigraphics Solutions, Inc. , SolidWorks Corporation, a Dassault Systemes S.A. company and others.

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