By Anthony J. Lockwood
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June 28, 2006Dear Desktop Engineering Reader: Ido not like the word “revolution” because marketers slap it oneverything from beer to pimple ointments. But, recently a revolutionbegan in the world of CAE. Quietly. The MacNeal Group LLC—that’sMacNeal as in Richard H. MacNeal, the co-founder of MacNeal-Schwendler;MacNeal as in NASTRAN—quietly announced the NASTRAN L-Series. TheNASTRAN L-Series is low-cost, high-power, and true NASTRAN—not aNASTRAN emulator—that even includes scalable matrix operations. Your keytake-away is that the L-Series enables you to leverage the power ofNASTRAN when you need it, not just when the corporate NASTRAN resourceopens up.TheL-Series works with most pre- and postprocessors, fits on a laptop, andoffers the range of modeling tools you expect, such as grids, elements,constraint elements, material properties, loads, and constraints. Andthe one-time costs—$995 for linear static analyses and topping outat $2,995 for linear static, modal, and dynamic analyses—meansthat the L-Series makes it affordable for you to get control of whenyou use NASTRAN (finally).TheMacNeal Group is on a mission to deliver NASTRAN-architecturedsolutions to drive virtual product development to accuracy andperformance improvements that are orders of magnitude beyond the normstoday. By giving engineers the key tool they need to assume controlover the product design simulation process, the NASTRAN L-Series takesa small, but revolutionary, step in that direction.Muchmore is to come from The MacNeal Group. But for now, check out ourL-Series write-up or use the links below to go right to The MacNealGroup. Oh,and they never used the word “revolution.” That’s my assessment of whatthis company is doing.Thanks, Pal. — Lockwood Affordable NASTRAN Empowers EngineersNASTRAN L-Series offers cost-effective “true” NASTRAN and no waiting for corporate copy. The
MacNeal Group LLC (Altadena, CA) describes its new NASTRAN L-Seriesas a true NASTRAN system for the CAE users who need easy, affordable,and individual access to NASTRAN capabilities without having to waitfor the corporate NASTRAN resources to be freed up. Three flavorscomprise the company’s NASTRAN L-Series product suite—Linear Staticanalysis, linear static and modal analyses, and linear static, modaland dynamic analyses—with each offered for a one-time charge. The NASTRAN L-Series, says the company, is not a NASTRAN emulator.Rather, it’s based on a “true” NASTRAN architecture with scalablematrix operations. Additionally, the L-Series can be used inconjunction with most of popular FE (finite element) pre- andpost-processors. Each L-Series product offers a full range of modeling tools, such asgrids, elements, constraint elements, material properties, loads, andconstraints. The company also says the product lines incorporate newand unique finite element technologies and solver. Additionally, allthe L-Series products are said to provide the ability to use standardDMAP sequences, modify them, or develop your very own. L-Series members leverage off the base product NASTRAN-LS, whichprovides linear static analyses, including inertia relief. NASTRAN-LMextends of NASTRAN-LS to include normal modes analysis and eigenvaluebuckling analyses. NASTRAN-LD includes all of these capabilities aswell as complex eigenvalue analysis and frequency response andtransient response analyses using either the direct or modalformulations. NASTRAN L-Series runs on Windows 2000 or Windows XP systems. Productlicenses start at $995 for NASTRAN-LS and top out at $2,995 forNASTRAN-LD. For complete details, go to the MacNeal Group website byclicking
here.
