LARAMIE, Wyo.—An improved user interface and enhanced analysis capabilities are reportedly among the benefits of a software upgrade recently announced by Firehole Technologies (www.firehole.com). The developer of analysis software for composite materials recently released Helius:CompositePro™ Version 4.0, a new, re-branded version of the CompositePro desktop software package that Firehole acquired from Peak Composites in 2009. Helius:CompositePro is said to give users access to fundamental composite analysis methods—such as micromechanics and classical laminate analysis—and design tools for analysis of composite plates, sandwich panels, beams, and tubes.
The company says that in addition to maintaining all previously available functionality, the upgraded software offers new features that include a revamped user interface, expanded platform support, and the capability to plot failure envelopes. Other new features include the ability to export data to Microsoft Excel; advanced plotting and printing features; and the addition of several failure criteria, including those developed by Hashin and Puck. According to Firehole, several CompositePro customers have been involved in the development of version 4.0.
“For several decades, I’ve consulted on structural composite materials for aerospace applications,” said Dave Crockett, owner and president of Osprey Technologies, in a statement announcing the update. “I look for software tools that are simple to use, accurate, and versatile. The revised version of CompositePro fits the bill. I use it for RFQs, ROMs, rough designs, and full-up laminate analysis; this desktop tool is an important part of my process.”
By bridging the gap between engineering hand calculations and full structural finite element analysis (FEA), the utilities included in Helius:CompositePro are said to save significant time in the design process. Firehole describes the product as simple and efficient, saying that it enables engineers—those who are new to composites, as well as seasoned veterans—to better understand the behavior of composite parts and improve composites design.
Firehole Technologies (www.firehole.com) is a supplier of computer-aided simulation software and services related to composite materials. The company serves the aerospace, defense, automotive, and energy industries, and states that its mission is to “enable widespread use of composite materials leading to lighter, stronger, and more fuel efficient applications.”
Osprey Technologies (www.osprey-tech.com) provides engineering consulting services for companies that require “multi-disciplinary engineering expertise in composite material design, analysis, and fabrication.” The company’s capabilities include finite element analysis; structural analysis; and in-house custom fabrication of composite structural tubing, composite sheets and plates, high-pressure tubing, and sandwich-core construction.
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