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Press Release, Sheffield, UK, January 2012
fe-safe/True-Load™ is a new product from Safe Technology Ltd, developer of the leading durability analysis software for finite element models, fe-safe™. Safe Technology has partnered with Wolf Star Technologies, experts in loading calculation and FEA model correlation, to provide a unique and advanced solution for accurate in-situ load measurement.
Historically, predicting fatigue life has been challenging because even simple structures undergo complex loading. Many engineering organisations rely on historical data or multi-body dynamics models for loading profiles, often without correlation to the FEA model. The accuracy of the fatigue prediction is directly related to the accuracy of the loading profile. Uncorrelated loading profiles will lead to incorrect fatigue calculations. Even small errors in loading knowledge can lead to large errors in fatigue life prediction because of the log-log nature of fatigue life models. With fe-safe/True-Load™ the unknowns in loading are eliminated.
fe-safe/True-Load™ will be of benefit to those who know very little about their loadings but want to perform fatigue life calculations as well as those who already run advanced testing programs but want to improve their efficiency and reduce testing costs.
fe-safe/True-Load™ turns complex components into multi-channel load cells. Working with finite element models, it optimises the location of strain gauges on a component. After strain measurement in the field, it then calculates the time histories of each individual applied load. These loading histories can be used for laboratory testing, or applied as loads in a fatigue-from-FEA analysis. The FEA strains will match the measured strains with unprecedented accuracy.
This technology is ideal for any components that see environmental loads such as chassis, suspensions and frames in automotive and ground vehicle applications, landing gear and wing components in the aerospace industry and wind and wave applications in the power generation industries.
fe-safe/True-Load™ transforms complicated structures into load transducers by utilising results from user-defined unit loading, and/or mode shapes, to determine ideal strain gauge locations and orientations for optimal load sensitivity independence. Suggested strain gauge locations can be interactively modified by the user through True-Load/Pre-Test with immediate feedback regarding the load transducer effectiveness.
fe-safe/True-Load™ uses the data from a handful of strain gauges to understand the structural response of the entire structure. This type of knowledge is critical to understanding the loading environment on structures and performing accurate fatigue calculations. fe-safe/True-Load™ offers unparalleled in-situ load calculation with typical strain gauge correlation to within 2% of measured values. True-Load/Post-Test produces multi-channel data files, load definition files (LDF) and fe-safe™ macros. Complex structures can go from strain gauge measurement to FEA fatigue results with unparalleled accuracy in a matter of minutes.
fe-safe/True-Load™ is available directly from Safe Technology and its worldwide network of resellers, and from Wolf Star Technologies.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Wolf Star Technologies to bring an exclusive and unique solution to market that facilitates the generation of accurate loading data for fatigue analysis. Our companies make a formidable partnership, each the technical leader in our specialist field” says John Draper, CEO, Safe Technology Ltd.
“Our innovative new technology is built on 25 years of product development experience. I am very excited about our partnership with Safe Technology and look forward to the value it will bring to our mutual clients” says Dr. Tim Hunter, President of Wolf Star Technologies.
About Safe Technology Limited
Safe Technology Limited is the technical leader in the design and development of durability software and is dedicated to meeting its customers' most demanding applications. Its flagship product, fe-safe allows fast, easy and accurate fatigue life predictions for FE models.
In-depth knowledge of fatigue combined with expertise in software development allows Safe Technology to provide outstanding service - with basic and advanced training, software support, and consulting services provided by fatigue experts. Safe Technology develops, markets and supports its software products directly from offices in the UK and USA, by a network of independent distributors worldwide and via the worldwide SIMULIA network.
About Wolf Star Technologies
Wolf Star Technologies offers FEA consulting services to assist with delivering decision ready solutions for clients' projects and unique software solutions available nowhere else in the FEA industry. Wolf Star Technologies' products focus on understanding the response of structures undergoing complex loading events. Wolf Star Technologies' powerful software tools can be used in the development of products in industries as diverse as industrial equipment, automotive and aerospace. Wolf Star Technologies is a Wisconsin based company with a global impact in the engineering industry.
To learn more about Wolf Star Technologies, please visit www.wolfstartech.com
Press Release, Sheffield, UK, January 2012
Safe Technology Limited announce the release of the fe-safe™ Component for ANSYS Workbench, enabling the integration of accurate design durability analysis into the Workbench project environment.
fe-safe™, from Safe Technology, is a powerful, comprehensive suite of fatigue analysis software for finite element models. It is used to accurately calculate fatigue from FEA, showing where and when fatigue cracks will occur, the factors of safety on working stresses (for rapid optimisation) and the probability of survival at different service lives (the ‘warranty claim’ curve). Workbench from ANSYS provides powerful methods for interacting with the ANSYS family of solvers. This environment provides a unique integration with CAD systems and the user’s design process.
fe-safe™ has always interfaced directly with ANSYS finite element analysis software; the fe-safe™ Component for ANSYS Workbench is an added capability offered free of charge to fe-safe™ users and allows close integration and comprehensive data exchange between Workbench and fe safe.
The component allows for fe-safe™ either to be inserted into an existing project schematic in Workbench, or to be defined as a standalone system, with fatigue analyses being conducted from within Workbench.
“We are delighted to provide increased usability to fe-safe™ users by offering the capability to integrate their fatigue analyses more closely with the overall design process within the Workbench development framework” Ian Mercer, Software Director, Safe Technology Ltd.
“Workbench includes tools for extensibility that facilitate the creation of tight-knit joint solutions by our partners and customers,” said Barbara Hutchings, Director of Strategic Partnerships. “The fe-safe™ Component for ANSYS Workbench is a great example of how our software partners can harness this power and deliver an ever-broader portfolio of engineering simulation technologies for ANSYS customers.”
For further information on this new product email info@safetechnology.com
About Safe Technology Ltd
Safe Technology Limited is the technical leader in the design and development of durability software and is dedicated to meeting its customers' most demanding applications. Its flagship product, fe-safe™, allows fast, easy and accurate fatigue life predictions for FE models.
In-depth knowledge of fatigue combined with expertise in software development allows Safe Technology to provide outstanding service - with basic and advanced training, software support and consulting services provided by fatigue experts. Safe Technology develops, markets and supports its software products directly from offices in the UK and USA, and by a network of independent distributors worldwide.
About ANSYS Inc
ANSYS brings clarity and insight to customers' most complex design challenges through fast, accurate and reliable engineering simulation. ANSYS technology enables organisations, no matter their industry, to predict with confidence that their products will thrive in the real world. Founded in 1970, ANSYS employs more than 2,000 professionals, many of them expert in engineering fields such as finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics, electronics and electromagnetics, and design optimisation. Headquartered south of Pittsburgh, U.S.A., ANSYS has more than 60 strategic sales locations throughout the world with a network of channel partners in 40+ countries. Visit www.ansys.com for more information.
Press Release, Sheffield, UK, January 2012
fe-safe/Rubber™, powered by Endurica technology, is a unique solution for computer simulation of fatigue failure in elastomers. For the first time, analysts responsible for the durability of elastomeric products will have a reliable and well validated method that enables them to investigate, at the design stage, the issues that will determine product durability.
fe-safe/Rubber™ will be a fully integrated capability taking advantage of fe-safe™’s friendly user interface and direct links to Finite Element codes. The new product will be available from Safe Technology in the second quarter of 2012.
These 3 days classes will be presented by Endurica President, Will Mars, who is widely accepted as one of the world’s leading experts in the fatigue of rubber. The classes will provide a sound understanding of the technology underpinning this new capability in fe-safe™.
Location:
Axel Products facility, Ann Arbor, MI (directions)
Dates:
7-9 February 2012
17-19 July 2012
23-25 October 2012
Overview: Elastomers are outstanding in their ability to repeatedly endure large deformations, and they are often applied where fatigue performance is a critical consideration. Because the macromolecular structure of elastomers gives rise to a number of unique behaviors, appropriately specialised methods are needed to characterise, analyse, and design for durability. This 3-day course provides the know-how for engineering durable elastomeric components and systems. The course includes live demos of typical behavior.
Who Should Attend: Engineers involved with the design, analysis, and testing of elastomer materials, components, and systems that must endure dynamic loading conditions. Materials, Product and System Engineers, Finite Element and Durability Analysts and Test Development Engineers.
Booking your place: Registration Form
About Endurica LLC. Endurica LLC develops the world’s most versatile and best-validated fatigue life simulation system for elastomers. Through its technology and services, Endurica empowers its customers to analyse real-world fatigue performance of elastomers at the design stage, when the greatest opportunity exists to influence performance, and before investment in costly fatigue testing of prototypes.
Press Release, Sheffield, UK, January 2012
Safe Technology Ltd announces that Flexider Automotive (Italy) has selected fe-safe™ durability analysis software to perform advanced fatigue analysis on automotive components for leading car manufacturers including Audi, Ferrari, Fiat Group, Iveco and Volkswagen.
Flexider Automotive, an IMCI Company, is a pioneer in the mass production of metallic decoupling flexible elements for gas exhaust systems for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The company has developed, in collaboration with major car manufacturers, a new generation of damped flexible couplings capable of overcoming the issues caused by the use of catalytic converters on the whole exhaust system.
fe-safe™ from Safe Technology is a powerful, comprehensive suite of fatigue analysis software for Finite Element models. It is used to accurately calculate from FEA, where and when fatigue cracks will occur, the factors of safety on working stresses (for rapid optimisation) and the probability of survival at different service lives (the 'warranty claim' curve). Flexider automotive engineers will use fe-safe™'s thermo-mechanical fatigue analysis capabilities to calculate the effects fatigue on flex pipes or decoupling elements.
"These days, simply 'over-designing' a component by adding more material in order to extend fatigue life is not an option. The adoption of fe-safe™ allows for component designs to be tweaked and optimised at the virtual design stage, thus reducing the costly and time-consuming 'design-test-redesign' cycle", said Giuseppe Ruggiero, Durability Test Engineer, Flexider. "We were impressed by the user-friendly interface in fe-safe™, allowing easy and efficient input of data. There is a comprehensive materials database included and methodologies can be selected by the engineer to build up a powerful and personalised analysis tool".
Press Release, Sheffield, UK, November 2011
Safe Technology Limited and Endurica LLC today announce that they have partnered to produce fe-safe/Rubber™ – a unique solution for computer simulation of fatigue failure in elastomers. For the first time, analysts responsible for the durability of elastomeric products will have a reliable and well validated method that enables them to investigate, at the inception of a design change, the issues that will determine product durability.
Similar solutions for fatigue analysis from FEA of metallic components have been available for many years. They have become an essential part of maturing and qualifying design concepts, providing a cost-effective and proven basis for justifying investment in physical prototypes and testing. “But the metal fatigue codes do not work well for rubber components. They do not consider rubber’s very unique structure and nonlinear behavior,” notes John Draper, CEO of Safe Technology.
Endurica’s technology now offers rubber developers the opportunity to reap the benefits of fatigue analysis at the design stage. Dr. William Mars, Endurica’s founder and president explains: “Our technology is purpose-developed for elastomers, and it possesses a formidable validation case. The technology handles rubber’s finite-strain kinematics, hyperelastic stress-strain behavior, strain crystallisation, temperature-dependence, and other effects such as ozone attack. These effects have been captured in our model, and they have been integrated with widely accepted procedures such as critical plane analysis, fracture mechanics, and rainflow counting to provide a complete system capable of accounting for very complex duty cycles, including multiaxial loadings and variable amplitudes.”
The U.S. Army is among the first customers of the technology. Their application is the development of rubber components in the track system of military ground vehicles. Other early interest has come from the heavy equipment, consumer products, offshore, medical devices and automotive sectors.
Endurica’s patented technology is available immediately from Safe Technology as a stand-alone product. A fully integrated version of the technology, taking advantage of fe-safe’s friendly user interface and direct links to Finite Element codes, will be available at the end of Q1 2012. fe-safe/Rubber™ will support all major FEA codes including Abaqus, ANSYS, NASTRAN (MSC, NEi, NX), Pro-M, Ideas.
About Endurica LLC. Endurica LLC develops the world’s most versatile and best-validated fatigue life simulation system for elastomers. Through its technology and services, Endurica empowers its customers to analyse real-world fatigue performance of elastomers at the design stage, when the greatest opportunity exists to influence performance, and before investment in costly fatigue testing of prototypes.
Press Release, Sheffield, UK, June 2011
Safe Technology, technical leader in the field of fatigue and durability analysis solutions for Finite Element models, announces the eagerly anticipated release of fe-safe™ 6.
Increased functionality:
fe-safe™ 6 continues to set the pace for cutting edge functionality with new critical distance methods using stress gradients to assess notch sensitivity, “hotspot” capabilities to identify critical loactions based on user-configurable criteria and optional automatic surface detection to focus analysis on the surface of the model. A new module for layered composite materials, fe safe/Composites™, offers a unique, computationally efficient, physics-based approach to the fatigue analysis of composite materials.
Increased Performance:
Integration with leading FEA and optimisation codes has been brought bang up-to-date with new components for Isight 5.5 (from SIMULIA) and ANSYS Workbench 13 and an interface to TOSCA (from FE-DESIGN).
The fe-safe™ Component for Isight enables design durability to be incorporated into existing simulation process workflows, or used on its own for DOE, parametric fatigue studies or design optimisations within the Isight environment.
The fe-safe™ Component for Workbench enables the integration of design durability analysis in the ANSYS Workbench project environment. The fe-safe component can be incorporated into an existing project schematic or defined as a standalone system within Workbench, exploiting Workbench features such as parameterisation and optimisation.
Increased Productivity:
fe safe™ 6 has a fresh new GUI, with many dialogues redesigned to improve clarity, consistency and ease of use. A new ‘High-Level Loading Definition File’ (HLDF) has been designed especially for very complex loads with huge numbers of datasets, or for where the number of FE solutions is unknown, making load definition easier and quicker.
fe-safe™ 6 also accelerates your fatigue analysis with faster interfaces and improved solution times. fe-safe™ 6 benefits from threading to multi-core processors – support for up to 8 cores per processor is included in a standard licence at no additional cost. Distributed processing is also available for running fe safe™ on HPC and ad hoc clusters – and users are reporting near linear speed increases. Dataset support has been expanded to handle very long loading sequences. Working files have been re engineered to handle huge FE models and optimised for high performance and reduced solution times.
Software Director Ian Mercer says "fe-safe™ 6 offers the same high levels of accuracy that users have come to expect, with fe-safe now offering powerful techniques for getting the right result quicker without compromising the integrity of the result. The functionality and flexibility that fe-safe now offers to designers and analysts are second to none.”
See the fe-safe™ 6 page for further details.
Press Release, Sheffield, UK, June 2011
Composite materials have long been recognised in the aviation industry as key to producing lighter, stronger, safer and more fuel efficient structures. As the drive intensifies to design ever more durable yet lightweight aircraft using composites, there is an increasing necessity to understand the behaviour of these materials and to predict design life. Yet an accurate and robust fatigue life prediction tool for composite materials has not been available to meet this growing demand – until now.
Firehole Composites and Safe Technology have now partnered with NIAR (National Institute of Aviation Research) to bring aircraft designers and test engineers a FREE one-day introduction to this exciting new technology. NIAR is situated in Wichita, Kansas, a city recognised as the "Air Capital of the World." From this position, NIAR integrates university, government and business entities in cooperative efforts to advance technologies for the aviation industry.
Press Release, Sheffield, UK, June 2011
Safe Technology held the 6th fe-safe™ International User Group Meeting on Wednesday June 8th, 2011, at Michigan State University, Management Education Center, MI, USA. The meeting was followed on Thursday June 9th by a Feature Focus day taking a “deep dive” into the new features of the eagerly anticipated release, fe-safe™ 6.
The event was a great success, bringing together the fe-safe™ user community with soon-to-be fe-safe™ users and representatives from partner organisations. The standard of presentations and papers from partners and users was extremely high, providing another technically advanced and highly valuable day. We were delighted to welcome Professor Ali Fatemi from the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toledo as this year's esteemed keynote speaker with a paper on Multiaxial Fatigue.
Read the full review of the event and download proceedings here »
Press Release, Sheffield, UK, April 2011
As the use of composite materials becomes more widespread in the drive to produce stronger yet lightweight products, there is an increasing necessity to understand the behaviour of these materials and to predict design life. Yet an accurate and robust fatigue life prediction tool for composite materials has not been available to meet this growing demand – until now.
Safe Technology and Firehole Composites present a FREE one day seminar to introduce this exciting new technology:
Developing a Design Process for Composite Durability & Damage Tolerance: An Introduction to fe-safe/Composites™
Press Release, Sheffield, UK, February 2011
2010 was a phenomenally successful year for fe-safe™ around the world, with revenue increasing by 45% on 2009, representing the company's biggest growth year in the last decade. Having moved to new UK headquarters, Safe Technology continues to expand and enjoy success in new industry sectors. 2011 is set to be a busy year with the release of fe-safe™ 6 and the continued launch of new module, fe-safe/Composites™.
Companies that joined the fe-safe™ user community in 2010 came from a wide range of industries and included companies such as Hyundai Motor Company, Volvo Trucks & Powertrain Sweden, Honeywell Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Hitachi Electronics, ARDEC (US Army), Saab, Eaton Clutch, Lucius Pitkin and Arctic Cat. We presented technical papers at SAE World Congress, Virtual Powertrain Conferences in India and China, Simulia World User Conference and UTMIS Sweden. We also ran a series of Durability by Design seminars and Modern Fatigue Analysis theory courses in UK, USA, Spain and Japan and had exhibition booths at many more exhibitions and conferences.
Press Release, Sheffield, UK, February 2011
The market in China was particularly buoyant in 2010 and fe-safe™ is currently the number one choice for fatigue analysis in China, according to PERA Global, Safe Technology’s Chinese partner. The endeavours of PERA Global saw a growth of over 30% in new fe-safe™ users in China last year, with particular success in the renewable energy and rail industries.
In wind power generation, new users include the largest non state-owned enterprise in this sector, Guangdong Mingyant Windpower Technology Research and the Sinovel Wind Company. Mingyant chose the combination of ANSYS and fe-safe™ from industry experts, PERA Global, based on an in-depth evaluation of the software to accurately analyse vibration fatigue of a fan tower structure. ANSYS and fe-safe™ have also been used to develop a simulation technique for restart analysis and usage of ANSYS and fe-safe™ as an integrated design process will now be rolled out throughout Mingyant.
In the rail industry, new customers include CSR Qingdao Sigang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co, Tangshan Railway Vehicle Co, Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Works and Zhuzhou Times New Material Technology Ltd. Pera Global are forecasting similar growth in 2011. PERA Global is China’s largest CAE technology provider with offices in ten locations across China. Its CAE product offerings include fe-safe™, all ANSYS brands, LS-DYNA and RecurDyn.
Visit the Pera Global website: www.peraglobal.com
Press Release, Sheffield, UK, January 2011
fe-safe/Composites™ is a new product from Safe Technology & Firehole Technologies enabling the fatigue analysis of composite materials and has been chosen as Desktop Engineering Editor's Pick of the Week.
Read Tony Lockwood's article here »
Read more about fe-safe/Composites™