CADfix gets the CHAM stamp of approval

PRESS RELEASE

CADfix gets the CHAM stamp of approval

CHAM, the Wimbledon-based developer of PHOENICS, the world’s most widely used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) application, has been named a FEGS Business Partner. The OEM deal will mean that a version of CADfix, FEGS’s recently launched data interoperability tool, will become an optional add-on for PHOENICS, ensuring that users will be able to process data from any solid modelling system.

"As the use of solid modellers becomes more and more widespread, data exchange becomes an increasingly thorny issue," explains Peter Spalding, Marketing Manager at CHAM. "Because PHOENICS relies on finite element meshing, fully defined solid models are a must, but many 3D formats are open to inconsistencies and ambiguities which make a clean translation simply impossible. With CADfix functionality we can address this issue directly."

FEGS launched CADfix in July 1999 to address the small but significant and costly proportion of solid models which traditional point-to-point data translators are unable to handle. This problem has manifested itself to FEGS through its long history of pre- and post-processing for finite element analysis (FEA) and CFD systems, and is caused by some inherent inconsistencies in the way that different solid modellers handle file formats that are intended to be industry standards. Different tolerances and modelling techniques between different systems can result in gaps or extra surfaces in models which, even at sub-pixel level (and therefore extremely difficult to detect), can play havoc with a downstream application such as CFD.

"Problem definition is always a major investment of time and energy for users of CFD applications and can encourage unnecessary oversimplification as a result," says Peter. "Now complex designs can be taken from any CAD system in IGES or native format, processed in CADfix to suit PHOENICS and analysis can continue on a truer representation of the original design. This is not only fundamentally more accurate, it saves an awful lot of time by eliminating data re-entry."

CHAM will be offering its clients a subset of CADfix which will appear as a Wizard in PHOENICS, specifically designed for the rapid translation of IGES geometry. For non-IGES formats, and for a complete range of interactive geometry repair tools, the full CADfix suite will also be available from CHAM.

"It was precisely for downstream applications like PHOENICS that we launched CADfix as a formal product offering," says John Meaney, Sales and Marketing Director at FEGS. "We are therefore delighted with this strategic partnership between two British technology leaders, and we are looking forward to working closely together in the future."

FEGS Limited was founded in the late 1970s by Dr Geoff Butlin and is an established name in pre- and post-processing for finite element analysis. CADfix is the fruit of FEGS’s ongoing R&D in the field of data exchange over the past 18 years. FEGS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ohio-based International TechneGroup Incorporated (ITI).

CHAM is a consultancy and software house specialising in computer simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer processes. PHOENICS is a leading CFD software package which is used world-wide for the solution of CFD problems across a wide range of industrial and environmental applications.

For further information, please contact:

Ben Bush/Nick Lerner The CroCodile Public Relations. Tel: 0171 749 4400 Fax: 0171 739 4042

or

John Meaney FEGS Limited. Tel: 01223 237 111 Fax: 01223 234 192

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This page last updated 19 October 2000