History

In 1941, Konrad Zuse invented his computer (the Z3) in Germany and Eckert and Killby invented their computer in the USA. Professor Stiefel of ETHZ in Zurich was able to solve differential equations using a follow-up model, the Z4. I was born in 1944.

At the end of the fifties, the development of the finite element method (FEM) started behind closed doors at Daimler-Benz. This inaugurated an exciting era which is well worth illuminating even more than 60 years later, for Dr. Alfred Zimmer’s ideas revolutionized Daimler-Benz’s design process.

The TechNet Alliance was founded in 1998 by ANSYS Channel Partners and has developed into a worldwide network of experts in the field of Simulation Based Engineering (SBE) - formerly known as CAE (Computer Aided Engineering). In addition to companies offering services in this area, simulation experts from industry as well as globally recognized professors are members of the network.

Between 1959 and 1964, John Swanson studied engineering at Cornell University. He then began his professional career at Westinghouse Astronuclear Labs in Pittsburgh. Alongside his job, he worked on his PhD in Applied Mechanics between 1964 and 1966, at the University of Pittsburgh.

FEM simulations play their part in the production development process by assisting the user at an early stage to assess whether the essential requirements have been met and to ensure that they are fulfilled.