NAFEMS, The International Association for the Engineering Analysis Community, has announced the launch of its 2006 UK conference, to be held at Crewe Hall Hotel, Cheshire, on June 14th & 15th 2006. The conference is co-sponsored by the IMechE.

Recognising the need in the UK analysis and simulation industries for an annual independent conference covering Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and associated technologies, this two day event will focus on the future challenges in all aspects of engineering simulation.

Commenting on the launch of this event, NAFEMS CEO Tim Morris said “Whilst NAFEMS biennial World Congress is recognised as the premier independent conference for the simulation community, the 11th such congress being held in May 2007, it was widely felt that the UK community needed a further focus-point to be held in intermediate years. We plan to ensure that this two-day conference provides delegates with a unique opportunity to network with their peers across all industries, and to discuss the way forward for simulation technology in the UK and beyond. We are pleased that the IMechE are also involved as co-sponsors of the event.”

The conference aims to increase awareness and provide a discussion forum for topics that are important and relevant to both engineering industrialists and academics. The event will be of interest to analysts, engineers, team leaders and managers that have a responsibility for ensuring that a fit-for-purpose engineering solution is obtained from the use of modern simulation software.

The main conference themes will include- Materials Characterisation Current material models offer the potential to represent many of the characteristics of new and traditional engineering materials. The conference will provide practical advice on how to make the most appropriate and effective use of the techniques which are available. There will also be a focus on material data.

Stochastics, Robustness & Variability The real world is full of uncertainties and variabilities. Loading, material properties, component dimensions are just some of the parameters which can never be known precisely. Traditional analysis techniques typically involve assessing a design, with a “best guess” for each of these parameters, perhaps in combination with some sensitivity studies. The conference will explore how statistical techniques can now be used to obtain a far more accurate picture of the likely behaviour.

Multiphysics In recent years, several commercial software packages have started to offer multiphysics capabilities. This, coupled with significant advances in computer hardware, has led to greatly increased interest in the use of multiphysics analysis to improve the understanding and prediction of complex phenomena. The conference will provide an opportunity to get an up to the minute view of the current state-of- the-art.

Business Benefits & Process Simulation is now established in many engineering companies for product and process development. Nevertheless, there remains a large number of companies who are either not getting the best return from their investment in simulation technology, or are still considering investing in the technology. This theme will focus on improving the return on investment in simulation by implementing analysis much earlier in the design cycle, improving data transfer and re-use, and making for leaner analysis processes. The use of simulation in areas other than the traditional design departments, such as simulation of manufacturing processes, will also be examined.

An exhibition area will run alongside the conference, featuring information from all the major FEA and CFD software vendors, including ABAQUS, ANSYS, CD-adapco, Fluent, MSC and UGS.

The conference is open to both members and non-members of NAFEMS. Conference fees also include one night’s accommodation at the venue, and entry to the conference dinner. For full details and registration information, visit www.nafems.org/events/nafems/2006/UK