FEMdesigner

How accurate is it? / Is it verified?

Numerical analysis is an approximation but our software package includes a number of benchmarks which demonstrate the good accuracy of FEMdesigner when compared to theoretical results. Independent tests by our users have also shown that the results compare well to other commercial FE software. This is not that surprising because most of the fundamental techniques are the same for all FE codes.

Why does it cost less than most other FE software?

It's purely about marketplace positioning. Usually higher price = lower sales and vice versa and only good marketing or word of mouth will increase the price*sales=revenue total. So if you expect you'll only sell a few copies then you have a high price and add extra features to justify that price.* Perhaps unfortunately, FEA has been seen as a specialist procedure with a limited market but we want to encourage all engineers to have access to a reliable FEA tool. We firmly believe FEA should be in continual use by every design engineer because just by using FE software you become a better engineer and you no longer have to limit yourself to simplistic shapes. Every engineer can buy FEMdesigner, so everyone can improve their design skills, and hence produce better products.

*Some vendors can break the paradigm - like AutoCAD and Microsoft - by becoming a de-facto standard hence enabling them to sell more with fewer features. We all aspire to that!

What meshing tools are available?

You can create a mesh directly from Alibre Design. You can specify a local mesh control at each face, line or point on the model but you can also specify global element sizes for greater simplicity. For larger models you should use the iterative solver was developed for them. The mesher is available on it's own at minimal cost, with a variety of output options.

Restraints, constraints and loads can be applied directly to the regions and will be automatically transferred to the mesh.

If the stresses are beyond the allowable limits then the geometry can be readily altered in Alibre Design and the analysis may be re-run. This procedure can be repeated as many times as required, allowing the user to see graphically the effect of changes.

How easy is it to use / is there a training course?

There is currently no training course since there are not that many things to learn and the manual is short enough to encourage you to read it. It should take an experienced FEA user 2 days, or a novice a week, to learn the software using just the user manual and our free email user support. Check out the videos on the home page...it's as easy as that!

Ease-of-use is a very subjective term but we believe that Leonardo Da Vinci got it right with "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". We find that users are simply mesmerised by having too many options. The really odd thing about much commercial FE software is that you may know exactly what you are looking for but you just can't find it in the UI. With FEMdesigner you have 6 buttons, each bringing up a self-contained dialog box. You should use them in order but it isn't enforced. If you need an introduction to the background, limitations and uses of FEA then organisations such as NAFEMS (www.nafems.org) organise such courses.

Who uses FEMdesigner?

FEMdesigner was introduced for the pc in 1995 and used to be avertised monthly in the "Professional Engineering" magazine whcih built up a medium-sized user base. It is used by a wide cross-section of individuals and institutions all over the world. Students use it because it is easy, quick and works well on their (often old) computers. Colleges and Universities use it because it is ideal for teaching and the small space requirement doesn't clog up the network. Engineering contractors and consultancies use it because it is inexpensive, flexible and quick. Small manufacturing companies use it because it doesn't represent a big investment. Large companies often use it either because they do not like (or cannot easily use) the FE software which has already been bought by their management, or they want the convenience of using FE at the design stage rather than referring to their specialist stress analysis departments.

A short cross-section of companies and institutions, large and small, who use FEMdesigner is given below (note that some companies have since changed their names):

# SouthBank University, HMS Sultan, Homestake Mining, Britannia Zinc Ltd, Cross Manufacturing Co, Magnox Electric Plc, Cooper Roller Bearings, Advanced Ceramics, Sanyo Gallenkamp, University of Bradford, Alcatel Submarine, Bournemouth & Poole College, Herefordshire,College, Industrial Acoustic Company, Marconi Radar & Control, IMI Marston, Satro Teacher Development Centre, Industrial Gas Springs, Serck Baker, DTEO Pyestock, Adtranz ABB Daimier Benz Transportation, Jordanstown University, British Gas Plc, Caterham Cars, GEC Alsthom LVE Ltd, Inspection Quality Ltd, Becton Dickenson, Parsons Skillforce, NNC Ltd, De Beers, OIS Plc, The Welding Institute, Scientific Drilling, RMI Titanium, Hoerbiger Rings & Packing, Writtle College, FMC Food Technology, Crushing & Mining Equipment, British Steel, Global Space Technology Ltd, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Analytical Dynamics, National Petroleum Construction Co, Otter Controls Ltd, RAF Cosford, BICC cables Ltd, Robert Bosch Ltd, Britannia Royal Naval College, University of Limerick, Newcastle General Hospital, Univ. of Central England, AEA Technology

What are the system requirements

Have as much RAM as possible and a graphics card with DirectX9 and Windows XP onwards ie most computers out there. Disk space is not important because the iterative solver requires minimal space. Other requirements are as per Alibre Design. We've found out that you shouldn't install Net4 yet because it seems to conflict with the Alibre registration procedure and you may need to upgrade your graphics driver if it is from nVidia though that is rare. There is an option to switch to software vertex processing though if you have graphics driver issues.

Does it come with a User Manual?

Yes, with appropriate tutorial examples to introduce you gently to FE analysis. You must print it out yourself though.

What are the registration procedures?

After the trial is over you contact us for a registration number. You can register two computers, which allows you to use it on your notebook pc too. If you need to change o/s, computer or disk drive then contact us and we will supply a new registration. We work on the rough assumption that this is only necessary about once a year.

Can I buy the elastic version then upgrade later?

Yes, you can upgrade for the difference in price between the two versions.