COSMOS helps Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Engineers Design Remote Probes to Explore Ocean Depths and City Tunnels.

CONCORD, Mass. -- Accuracy and ease of use enable designers to shave weight from submersibles while maintaining strength

COSMOSWorks(R) design analysis software is helping the internationally known Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution design undersea submersible vehicles for mapping the ocean floor, exploring shipwreck sites, and inspecting networks of pipes and tunnels under the world's cities.

Woods Hole Oceanographic, perhaps best known to the public for the discoveries of the wrecks of Titanic and Bismarck and global research programs involving the human occupied vehicle Alvin and the remotely operated vehicle Jason, also designs autonomous submersible vehicles for universities and government agencies. Equipped with cameras, lights, and sensors, the submersibles can roam through tight spots such as the holds of sunken ships and around natural obstacles without tethers to hamper their mobility. Woods Hole Oceanographic engineers chose COSMOSWorks from SolidWorks Corporation for its integrated simulation and powerful analysis capabilities. COSMOSWorks' tight integration with the institutions' SolidWorks(R) 3D mechanical design software creates a single environment that enables engineers to easily switch from design to analysis and back. This lets them analyze their designs and modify them on the fly for maximum performance.

"The ability to create a 3D model, run an analysis, then get the data back into the modeling program without re-entering data saves us valuable time," said Ben G. Allen, a senior engineer in Woods Hole's Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering Department. "COSMOSWorks is intuitive and fast. We use it to iterate on the design of a specific part to minimize material use and precisely adjust component deflections for assemblies to fit together appropriately."

COSMOSWorks is a 3D desktop design analysis application that simulates how a design will behave under operating conditions. Woods Hole engineers recently used COSMOSWorks to analyze designs for two REMUS series autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV's), one for depths of 100 meters and the other for ocean floor mapping at 6,000 meters. Woods Hole also used COSMOSWorks to analyze component designs for a submersible used to inspect an aqueduct that supplies drinking water for New York City. Engineers used COSMOSWorks to reduce the vehicles' weight to be strong enough to withstand the pressure at their assigned depths, but light enough to float.

"Ease of use counts even with advanced users like Woods Hole engineers," said Suchit Jain, vice president of analysis products for SolidWorks. "They have the experience and knowledge to master any analysis product out there, but COSMOSWorks is so easy to use that they can get reliable results without investing the time in learning a complicated new application. That makes them more likely to use analysis to optimize their designs, which will save time and money on prototypes and final products."

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution works with SolidWorks-COSMOS reseller R&D Technologies on installation and maintenance.

About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, independent marine research and engineering and higher education organization located in Falmouth, Mass. Its primary mission is to understand the oceans and their interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, the institution operates the US National Deep Submergence Facility that includes the deep-diving submersible Alvin, a fleet of global ranging ships and smaller coastal vessels, and a variety of other tethered and autonomous underwater vehicles. WHOI is organized into five departments, interdisciplinary institutes and a marine policy center, and conducts a joint graduate education program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For more information, visit www.whoi.edu.

About R&D Technologies

R&D Technologies provides engineering services to manufacturing and engineering firms in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Among the design and finite element analysis (FEA)-related services the firm offers are SolidWorks and COSMOS support and training; consulting, project management and custom software development. For more information about North Kingston, R.I.-based R&D Technologies please visit www.rnd-tech.com.

About SolidWorks Corporation

SolidWorks Corporation, a Dassault Systemes S.A. (Nasdaq: DASTY, Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) company, develops and markets software for mechanical design, analysis, and product data management. It is the #1 supplier of 3D mechanical design software for the mainstream market. SolidWorks leads the market in number of users in production, customer satisfaction, and revenue. For the latest news, information, or a live online demonstration, visit the company's Web site (www.solidworks.com) or call 1-800-693-9000 (outside of North America, call [phone]).

SolidWorks is a registered trademark of SolidWorks Corporation. COSMOS and COSMOSWorks are registered trademarks of Structural Research and Analysis Corporation. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright (c) 2004 SolidWorks Corporation.