What's New

 

January 2024 - DDS Goes AI: Introducing FEMtools Assistant

We are excited to introduce you to FEMtools Assistant,  a new innovative way to obtain 24/7 help on using FEMtools.

The chatbot is a customized, conversational AI chatbot, that has been trained with the FEMtools User Guides, Reference Manuals and knowledge bases. It can understand and respond to your queries in a natural and conversational way in 95 languages. This can be a powerful alternative to keyword-based searching in the documentation. To start chatting, simply type your question or  issue in the chat window. Note that the chatbot is not intended as a replacement for the technical support services provided by our FEMtools specialists.

FEMtools Assistant is still in its experimental stage and we are testing and improving it constantly. Therefore, at this stage, access is on-demand only. Customers that are current on Technical Support and Maintenance can request access by sending an email to support@femtools.com.

We hope you will enjoy using our chatbot and we appreciate your feedback.  

 

 

 

January 2024 - See FEMtools at the 42th IMAC Conference in Orlando (FL, USA)

Dynamic Design Solutions will show FEMtools at the 42nd annual International Modal Analysis Conference (IMAC XLII) that is held this year from January 29 to February 1, 2024 in Orlando, Florida.

IMAC is an annual conference and exposition focusing on structural dynamics, and has evolved to encompass the latest technologies supporting structural dynamics. This broad focus on structural dynamics includes topics in simulation and modeling, nonlinear dynamics, sensors, signal processing and control, spanning the full range of engineering disciplines.

The following presentation will be made by DDS staff:

  • Tuesday January 30, 2024. Session 31, 2:20 PM,  Virtual Modal Testing

For information and registration, see the conference website.

 

December 2023 - Happy New Year

A Happy New Year from the FEMtools team at Dynamic Design Solutions! We look forward to continue working with you in 2024.

 

 

November 2023 - Courses for 2024 Announced

Our 2024 course schedule has been released and includes a Technology Course on Verification, Validation and Updating of FE Models and 4 Modal Testing and Analysis Trainings. Locations are Leuven (Belgium) and Fullerton (CA, USA).  Additional courses may be added to the schedule at a later time and will be announced on this website.

See the current calendar and links to the information and registration pages at the following web page:

Courses

 

 

October 2023 - First Courses for 2024 Announced

A preliminary 2024 course schedule has been released with 4 Modal Testing and Analysis Trainings in Fullerton (CA, USA) already scheduled.  Technology Courses on Verification, Validations and Updating of FE Models will soon be added to the schedule.

See the current calendar and links to the information and registration pages at following web page:

Courses

 

 

July 2023 - FEMtools 4.4 Released

FEMtools 4.4 is a major new version that brings exciting improvements to the FEMtools Framework, data interfaces and analysis tools.

The FE data interfaces and drivers are updated to support the current versions of the FE programs: 

  • Support for ANSYS 2023.2
  • Support for MSC.Nastran 2023.3
  • Support for Simcenter (NX) Nastran 2306
  • Support for ABAQUS 2023
  • Support for SAP2000 v25

A new add-on tool for vibration data acquisition is added (FEMtools DAQ).

For script developers, a developer panel and toolbar are added.

The new ODS viewer merges test data and analytical modes shapes to display deformation, strain, stress and energy in time domain. For frequency domain analysis, a new FRF postprocessing panel is added.

The 4.4 release is of special importance to NASTRAN users because it introduces new innovative ways to select properties in a NASTRAN model as parameters, and to make NASTRAN and FEMtools work together for sensitivity analysis and model updating.

For an overview of the highlights, click here.

The new version is available for download from the FEMtools support site for all customers who are current on Maintenance and Technical Support.

 

Screenshot from the new FEMtools 4.4 Data Acquisition (DAQ) add-on panel.

 

June 2023 - New Courses on Modal Testing and Analysis Added

Additional courses on Modal Testing and Analysis are added to the schedule by Navcon Engineering, FEMtools Solutions Partner for North America. In this course attendees will be able to plan, setup  and conduct a modal test from start to finish. Modal theory is presented from the experimentalist's point of view. It is intended for those engineers and technicians who conduct modal and/or operational deflection shape tests, do occassional analytical simulations (FEM), or are responsible for overseeing modal related projects.

During all courses, FEMtools will be used for hands-on exercises. Attending a course is therefore also a good opportunity for users and evaluators to learn more about FEMtools.

For an overview of the currently scheduled courses, click here.

 

 

April 2023 - See FEMtools at the SAE Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition

FEMtools Solutions Partner NAVCON will show FEMtools at the SAE Noise and Vibration  Conference and Exhibition that is held from May 15-18, 2023 in Grand Rapids, MI.

The SAE Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition (NVC), held biennially, is the only event of its kind, uniting more than 1,000 forward thinking engineers, executives, researchers, designers, academia, and more to discuss the latest cutting-edge technologies surrounding NVH and sound quality.

For more information on the conferense, visit https://www.sae.org/attend/nvh

Come and visit us at booth #206 in the exhibition area to see FEMtools 4 or to discuss your dynamics simulation, modal pretest planning, modal testing, test-analysis correlation and FE model updating needs.

 

 

February 2023 - See FEMtools at the 41th IMAC Conference in Austin (TX, USA)

Dynamic Design Solutions will show FEMtools at the annual International Modal Analysis Conference (IMA) that is held this year from February 10-13, 2023 in Austin, Texas.

IMAC is an annual conference and exposition focusing on structural dynamics, and has evolved to encompass the latest technologies supporting structural dynamics. This broad focus on structural dynamics includes topics in simulation and modeling, nonlinear dynamics, sensors, signal processing and control, spanning the full range of engineering disciplines.

The following presentation will be made by DDS staff:

 

  • Tuesday February 14, 2020. Session 38, 04:40 PM,  Orders-based Validating and Updating of Rotating Machinery FE Models

The slide material in PDF can be viewed here:

E. Dascotte, Orders-based Validating and Updating of Rotating Machinery FE Models, Presentation at 41st International Modal Analysis Conference (IMAC), February 2023, Austin, Texas, USA.

 

 

November 2022 - Courses for 2023 Announced

Our 2023 course schedule has been released and includes 2 Technology Courses on Verification, Validations and Updating of FE Models and 3 Modal Testing and Analysis Trainings. Locations are Leuven (Belgium) and Fullerton (CA, USA).

 See the current calendar and links to the information and registration pages at following web page:

Courses

 

 

October 2022 - DDS Goes Green

Dynamic Design Solutions strives to reduce its carbon footprint and therefore has installed photovoltaic solar panels on the roof of our new office building in Leuven, Belgium. The estimated production of green energy is 11520 kWh per year, which corresponds to 8 tons C02 avoided. The produced electricity is mainly used to power the ventilation system and energy-efficient heat pumps that drive the airconditioning system.

 


September 2022 - ISMA Conference is Back

Dynamic Design Solutions participated at the 30th ISMA Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference that was held in Leuven from September 12-14.  The conference was organized as a physical event, the first since the 2018 edition. 

ISMA is a bi-annual conference that provides a forum for engineers, researchers and other professionals active in the field of modelling, analysing, testing and improving the noise and vibration characteristics of mechanical systems and civil structures.

It felt good to be back and meet with friends, customers and other conference participants. FEMtools 4.3 was on display at our booth, as well as a demo setup of the new FEMtools DAQ data acquisition for modal testing add-on.

 

 

July 2022 - FEMtools 4.3.1 Maintenance Release

Dynamic Design Solutions announces the release of FEMtools 4.3.1.

FEMtools 4.3.1 is a maintenance release that provides bug corrections, several enhancements and some additions. This version also consolidates all the maintenance builds since the release of v4.3.0.2052.

The FE data interfaces and drivers are updated to support the current versions of the FE interface programs:

  • Support for ANSYS 2022.1
  • Support for MSC.Nastran 2022.1
  • Support for Simcenter (NX) Nastran 2022.1
  • Support for ABAQUS 2022
  • Support for SAP2000 v24

For more information about the changes in this release, see the  FEMtools 4 Release Notes

The new version is available for download from the FEMtools support site for all customers who are current on Maintenance and Technical Support.

 

March 2022 - FEMtools 4.3 Released

FEMtools 4.3 is a major new version that brings improvements to the FEMtools Framework, data interfaces and analysis tools. This version is also the first version that is tested to be compatible with Windows 11. The FE data interfaces and drivers are updated to support the current versions of the FE interface programs (Abaqus, Ansys, Nastran and SAP2000).

For an overview of the highlights, click here.

The new version is available for download from the FEMtools support site for all customers who are current on Maintenance and Technical Support.

 

 

February 2022 - New Course Dates

Due to continuing travel uncertainty, the VVU course scheduled for March 23-25, 2022 has been postponed. The new dates for the course are April 27-29, 2022.  See the current calendar and links to the information pages at following web page:

Courses

 

 

December 2021 - Information about Log4j

The FEMtools development team has been investigating the Apache Log4j vulnerability which may come with the use of the Java programming language. Log4j is a logging tool used in many Java-based applications that could allow remote unauthenticated attackers to execute code on vulnerable systems.

We hereby inform our customers that Java is not used for the development of FEMtools code and neither does, to the best of our knowledge, any of the 3rd party libraries and tools that come with the FEMtools installers, including the RLM license manager. We found no references to Log4j.

 At this time, we think that there are no FEMtools components at risk but will provide further updates as we learn more.

 

 

August 2021 - Moving to a New Office

Dynamic Design Solutions has moved to a brand new headquarter. Our new address is:

Dynamic Design Solution (DDS) NV
Ambachtenlaan 14, Suite 5
B-3001 Leuven
Belgium
+32 16 40 23 00

Come and visit us next time you are in Leuven.

 

 

April 2021 - 2021 Course Schedule Update

Our 2021 course schedule has been updated and new in-person courses added at the Fullerton (Los Angeles) location.  See the current calendar and links to the information pages at following web page:

Courses

 

 

March 2021 - FEMtools 4.2 Released

Dynamic Design Solutions announces the release of FEMtools 4.2, a major new version that brings improvements to the FEMtools Framework, data interfaces and analysis tools. The FE data interfaces and drivers are updated to support the current versions of the FE programs (Abaqus, Ansys, LS-Dyna, Nastran and SAP2000). The 4.2 release is of special importance to ANSYS users because it introduces new innovative ways to select properties in an ANSYS model as parameters, and to make ANSYS and FEMtools work together for sensitivity analysis and model updating.

For an overview of the highlights, click here.

The new version will soon be available for download from the FEMtools support site for all customers who are current on Maintenance and Technical Support.

The new Ansys Parameter Browser panel in FEMtools 4.2.

 

February 2021 - New FEMtools Solutions Partner in Indonesia

Dynamic Design Solutions announces that it has appointed PT Testindo as a new FEMtools Solutions Partners in Indonesia.

PT Testindo Test and Measurement Solutions is trading instrumentation and engineering products in Jakarta Indonesia. The company was established in 2012 to serve the mechanical and civil engineering market in Indonesia. Customers include engineering consulting companies, research and development institutions, construction companies, and general manufacturers.

Testindo and DDS are looking forward to help their customers in Indonesia on FEA applications such as FE model validation, experimental and operational modal analysis, design optimization, digital twins and structural health monitoring.

www.testindo.com

 

 

See also the News Archives and Tech Tips.