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Spinoff story
Software Helps Design Artery Stents, Lawn Mowers, Airplanes
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
Lockheed Martin developed the Structural Analysis of General Shells (STAGS) code under contract to Langley Research Center in the 1980s. It was a finite element analysis (FEA) program, meaning it broke down models of structures into tiny elements to model a structure’s behavior as a whole. In 2005, French company Dassault Systèmes acquired Abaqus Inc. of Johnston, Rhode Island, which had developed the Abaqus FEA program. The company regularly consulted with users, including Langley’s STAGS developers, and many of STAGS’ capabilities were added to the program.