NEi_Nastran

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NEi Nastran

NEi Nastran is an engineering software product of NEi Software (formerly known as Noran Engineering, Inc.) A PC-based version of NASA's Structural Analysis program, the software is an FEA (finite element analysis) tool used by various industry groups to simulate and analyze linear and nonlinear stress, dynamics, and heat transfer characteristics of structures and mechanical components. The software is often bundled with tightly integrated Femap processor software, a product of Siemens PLM Software.

Related software products include NEi Works, an FEA tool for users of SolidWorks®, a 3D mechanical CAD (computer-aided design) program of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.

History

The original NASTRAN program came out of NASA’s need to develop a common generic structural analysis program that would be used by all of the centers supporting the space program. A specification was written and a contract was awarded to Computer Sciences Corporation for development of NAsa STRuctural ANalysis (NASTRAN) software. NASTRAN was released to NASA in 1968.

Improvements

In the late 1960’s, Finite Element Analysis software was confined to run on expensive mainframe computers and highly trained specialists were needed to apply the program. In this environment, the aerospace industry was the typical user because they had critical projects which could justify the resources FEA demanded. With improvements to the software and wider use of mainframes, FEA technology gradually spread to large corporations that could afford funding the huge investment in hardware, software, and a dedicated FEA staff. Usage spread from primarily aerospace and military applications to the automobile and maritime industries.

The microprocessor revolution and the advent of Personal Computers (PCs) in the 1980’s brought tremendous improvements in computing power, significant reductions in computing costs, and the steady development of numerical methods and algorithms. In the mid 1980’s, Noran Engineering recognized the long term advantages and impact that the PC hardware revolution could have on the engineering analysis field and embarked on a project to significantly enhance and modernize the original Nastran code and port it to PCs.

The first commercial version of NEi Nastran for use on PCs was released in 1990. The new code had a number of changes in architecture and programming language compared to legacy Nastran written originally for mainframes. These differences were intended to take advantage of the dramatic changes in computer hardware taking place and provide the code with key strategic advantages for the new PC platform. Several illustrations can be used to illustrate the point. For example, since the cost of memory was dramatically reduced it was feasible to perform many operations faster in memory that normally were only done on disk.

Another example concerns Nastran’s DMAP (Dynamic Matrix Abstraction Process). DMAP altars were originally intended to provide flexibility and customization capabilities. However, the method has lost much of its initial intent and advantage since it now requires familiarity with arcane computer code and maintenance revisions must be written each time a new Nastran software version is released. With NEi Nastran, DMAP routines are easily added to the main body of the program and maintenance revisions are not necessary.

Present Day

Differences in NEi Nastran continue to be important to the present day and promise to provide important advantages going forward. These changes allow Nastran to continue to be relevant, commercially viable, and state-of-the-art in FEA. Key features in the code are: written in modern computer languages (Fortran 95 and C/C++), code architecture developed expressly for the PC hardware and software environment, unique modularity to allow for easy modification, well integrated because of its development pedigree, that is, it is not an amalgamation of disparate programs. Among the advantages of NEi Nastran code are: high accuracy, easy modification to add new elements, features and upgrades, fast solution times, robust behavior, efficient use of computer resources, and Nastran Bulk Data File provides compatibility with other Nastran vendors.

NEi Software

NEi Software has been at the forefront in ushering in the new age of FEA for PCs. As a consequence, various sized progressive companies in a wide range of industries covering medical, civil, chemical, electronics and consumer goods have been able to take advantage of FEA technology. Plus long time Nastran users are able to get custom features and enhancements specific to their FEA environment to improve their productivity and costs while continuing to use all of their legacy Nastran results.

Applications

Main Products

NEi Nastran

NEi Nastran is a powerful, general purpose finite element analysis tool with an integrated graphical user interface and model Editor which is used to analyze linear and nonlinear stress, dynamics, and heat transfer characteristics of structures and mechanical components. With specialized functions for Automatic Surface Contact Generation and Progressive Ply Failure Analysis, the software is frequently used for aerospace, maritime and automotive industries, particularly for analyzing composites. Features include control over mesh size and sensitivity, and the repair and editing of CAD geometry. NEi Nastran also offers Automated Surface Contact Generation and Automated Edge Contact Generation that allow separate meshing of components, mid-surfaced models, and off-set welds, then combine the meshes via proximity and user-defined settings.

NEi Works

NEi Works provides SolidWorks users with an embedded finite element modeling tool. It features the familiar SolidWorks look and feel for all menus and functions, providing seamless integration between design and analysis. NEi Works features true geometry associativity, which means your loads, boundary conditions and even meshes are updated interactively whenever changes are made in SolidWorks.

NEi Fusion

NEi Fusion combines an FEA Modeler, pre- and post-processing capabilities, and Nastran solvers to create an analysis package for small and medium size companies, consultants, and any engineer who needs affordable, professional level simulation for product development, virtual testing, design validation, and quality assurance. Parts and assemblies can be analyzed for a spectrum of structural and thermal loading.