Being more than a little bit of a tech geek, I’m always on the lookout for news about new techniques and innovative technologies that have the potential to change the way we do things. It’s no surprise then that MultiMechanics R & D, a software development startup out of Omaha, got my attention with their focus on fueling engineering innovation by transforming the way engineers test products.
The company sprang from co-founder Leandro Castro’s penchant for tinkering with stuff to find out how it worked, combined with a love of computers. Brazilian born Leandro met his co-founder Dr. Flavio Souza at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where they found that they not only grew up in the same city, but that they also had a shared interest in engineering and software, particularly in helping to create lightweight materials and products.
That interest led to the realization that as the use of advanced lightweight materials spread, industry was facing escalating costs and increased time in testing and quality control before a product could come to market. Their innovative solution was to create a software package that allows engineers to build and test materials and structures virtually, even before the first physical prototype has been built. The system works by creating a 3-D model of a sample material, giving engineers the capability to apply stresses at a microscopic level and then adapt as needed, switching materials or fiber patterns to find the most effective solution.
While physical testing will still be required, virtual testing gives engineers the opportunity to use innovative materials and structures that they might not have otherwise considered, while significantly reducing the costs and time normally associated with product development. Castro compares the process to testing the ingredients of a cake before it’s baked, saying, “You take a look at a cake and it has a series of ingredients that come together in a proven way. If you over mix it or bake it too long, it’s a bad cake. So for composites, we test each part of the composite’s recipe and see how it behaves as a part and whole. We’re like a virtual microscope for an engineer. Using our software, it speeds up the process six times faster than the usual gold standard for analysis.”
Since launching in 2010 and releasing their first software in 2012, the company has grown by leaps and bounds, working with customers on a global basis. They’re not too shabby when it comes to marketing themselves, either, which might play a not too insignificant role in their success.
What I love about engineers is that they solve problems. And MultiMechanics is doing just that. Their mission is to “keep pushing the envelope of advanced materials simulation software so that our can do the same in their fields.” It’s awesome to see the innovation happening in both the tech and engineering fields and it’s especially exciting to see how technology is fueling the engineering field and making what engineers do more efficient and more effective. And that? It impacts us all whether we realize it or not. When I discovered MultiMechanics, I knew what they are doing is something others would want to know about. Do yourselves a favor and keep them on your radar screen – they’re definitely going places.
Other resources on this topic:
MultiMechanics Lets Engineers Prototype Virtually and Save Millions
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Meet MultiMechanics: Technology Fueling Engineers is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency
