Specialized Strain Gauge Placement Software Added To The Altair Partner Alliance

LW Finder identifies ideal placement of strain gauges for accurate measurement of structural loads

Troy, Mich /PRNewswire/ - Altair today announced that LW Engineering Software AB has joined the Altair Partner Alliance (APA), adding LW Finder for accurate and controlled strain gauge placement for measuring structural loads.

"Common issues encountered by engineers include noisy data and misleading results when using strain gauges to measure structural loads," said Shea Wilson, co-founder of LW Engineering Software. "We identified this gap and consequently developed LW Finder to determine optimal strain gauge placement and predict measurement errors to dramatically improve the quality of the measured data. We chose the Altair Partner Alliance to help bring LW Finder to market as we have always relied upon them for easy access to world-class engineering software."

LW Finder is able to overcome challenges of identifying the appropriate location when utilizing strain gauges to measure structural loads. It minimizes measurement error by identifying the ideal locations for these strain gauges, even in situations where the structure is complex and subjected to several load cases. By knowing this information upfront, users are able to achieve higher quality load data with fewer repeated tests, saving time and money as well as managing risks to help keep projects on schedule. LW Finder is also able to compensate for non-linear behavior, and can be configured to take the properties of individual strain measurement setups into account. The software allows for prioritization of load cases that are required to have minimum error and selects gauge locations accordingly.

"LW Finder is unique because it is able to identify the ideal placement for strain gauges in complex situations," said Rajiv Rampalli, Vice President of Development for HyperWorks at Altair. "Altair's customers can use this information directly in complex finite element and multi-body simulations to predict accurate stresses on components during their operation and improve their performance."

LW Finder is most heavily applied in the automotive and heavy equipment industries to help engineers and technicians prepare for physical tests that will require strain gauge measurement of the structural loads. The software is most often used for structures that are expected to have a relatively linear relationship between load and measured strain. It also addresses more complex problems, such as non-linear effects (i.e. plastic deformation), in the "Extra Errors" module.

To learn more about LW Engineering and LW Finder, register for the introductory webinar taking place Oct. 27, 2015 at 9 a.m. EDTand 1 p.m. EDT, or visit the LW Engineering solution page.

About the Altair Partner Alliance
Altair's HyperWorks platform applies a revolutionary subscription-based licensing model in which customers use floating licenses to access a broad suite of Altair-developed, as well as third-party, software applications on demand. The Altair Partner Alliance effectively extends the HyperWorks Platform from more than 20 internally developed solutions to upwards of 60 applications with the addition of new partner applications. Customers can invoke these third-party applications at no incremental cost using their existing HyperWorks licenses. Customers benefit from unmatched flexibility and access, resulting in maximum software utilization, productivity and ROI. For more information about the Altair Partner Alliance, visit www.altairalliance.com.

About LW Engineering Software AB
LW Engineering Software was founded in Stockholm, Sweden and joined the Altair Partner Alliance in 2015. The company makes software tools for the vehicle and heavy equipment industries. The main product, LW Finder, provides accuracy and control when using strain gauges to measure structural loads. It finds the best locations to place strain gauges and predicts measurement error. For additional information, email info@lwengineeringsoftware.com or visit www.lwengineeringsoftware.com.  

About Altair
Altair is focused on the development and broad application of simulation technology to synthesize and optimize designs, processes and decisions for improved business performance.  Privately held with more than 2,500 employees, Altair is headquartered in Troy, Michigan, USA and operates more than 45 offices throughout 24 countries. Today, Altair serves more than 5,000 corporate clients across broad industry segments. To learn more, please visit www.altair.com.