FEMAP versus MSC.Patran

[feajob]

Hi,

Please share your experience with me regarding these codes. I have only experience with Patran and I would like to know how these two codes compare together?

I am asking this question, because I have to decide about something. In fact, I would like to know your advice:

1) I have a permanent job with a (medium size) company which has all MSC Softwares.

2) Recently, I got an offer (with 15% salary increase) from a (small size) consultant company which has FEMAP and NE-Nastran. Since, they handle various projects from different companies. I guess that it would be a good experience in my professional career, however, since they cannot afford popular codes, I may loose my expertise in popular codes.

What do you think?

Thank you very much,
AAY

 

[johnhors]

AAY

I find it strange that you think NE/Nastran and Femap are not popular codes. If anything I would say that Femap is MORE popular than Patran. Patran is most certainly in it's death throes (especially in Europe where I know of half a dozen major companies have dropped it in favour of Hypermesh), MSC are well aware of this and have 150 programmers in India (probably the only place in the world where you could do this) developing a new pre and post processor to replace it.

And as for NE/Nastran, there have been many posts in this forum stating how excellent it is, and is a very popular replacement for MSC/Nastran and don't ignore NX/Nastran either. Both of these alternative brands of Nastran use Femap for pre and post processing.

I would turn your last statement about "losing expertise" in popular codes on it's head and state that you would be "gaining expertise". IMHO I have used Patran and find it archaic, awkward, cumbersome, qwerky, very problematic importing Catia geometry, suffers from "mesh insanity" and (on a PC) very unstable with it's high rate of crashes and OpenGL plotting screw ups! when compared with other softwares like Cadfix which suffers from none of the afore mentioned problems.

 

[GBor]

My experience with FEMAP is somewhat limited, but I would echo johnhors is saying that NE/Nastran and NX/Nastran are taking a good market share...and with good reason. MSC/Nastran is too expensive for what it does...or perhaps moreso for what it DOESN'T do. FEMAP is versatile. It takes a little getting used to it, but the learning curve for an experienced analyst is sharp...you'll pick it up quickly and be better prepared for the next job.

 

[feajob]

Johnhors and GBor,

Thank you for your replies. You are right, my initial statment is incorrect. I am not familiar with NE/Nastran and FEMAP, but this does not mean that they are not popular. In Noth America, usually big Aerospace Companies ask for experience with Patran & Nastran, that's why I thought they are popular codes.

I am agree with Johnhors, there are many problems with Patran and for this reason, I use Hypermesh and Patran for pre-processing in my current job. If MSC buys Hypermesh then the combination of Patran and Hypermesh will be a good code.

I understood from other posts, NE/Nastran costs 1/3 of MSC.Nastran and its performance is similar. I think that for structural analysis they are very similar and this is my field, I not sure about thermal analysis.

AAY

 

[GBor]

FEAjob,

The experience that I've had with NE/Nastran suggests that it can stand with MSC on any of the capabilities that MSC has. I used to work for a large corporation that had MSC Nastran and started to use NE/Nastran. I wasn't a big user of either, but what I did, NE/Nastran performed just as well. I used the thermal processor and the linear statics with composite materials. I've used the non-linear processor of NE/Nastran and compared it with two other FE codes...the comparison was very good, but neither of the other two were MSC Nastran.

Garland

Garland E. Borowski, PE
Borowski Engineering & Analytical Services, Inc.

http://www.borowskiengineering.com

 

[ThomasH]

johnhors,

Just out of curiosity, from where does the information that Patran is on it's way out come. I mean there is a new Patran 2005 r2 just out so I'm a bit surpriced. Is there any official information on this?

Personally I work with FEMAP but I will not say which of the two is better. FEMAP is, as far as I know, better intergrated in Windows. Patran can for some applications produce a better mesh as far as I know. I think given a choice it is very much a matter of "opinion".

Still, it would be interresting to know what MSC is doing since they are big on the market. And I don't think that's a matter of opinion.

Regards

Thomas

 

[johnhors]

ThomasH

From a MSC employee !

Reading between the lines though, I think that MSC are very worried about Dassault taking over Abaqus, as from a recent NAFEMS conference in Amsterdam attended by all players in the field, the talk was based around how well each of the vendors products integrated into Catia V5, with MSC not apparently mentioning Patran once. MSC of course state that they are not unduly bothered about the Abaqus to Catia link up.

 

[dmacx]

I think that just because MSC is over priced and uses this to make their customers feel good when they lower their prices to what NEi charges should not be used against NEi. We have both MSC (Nastran and Patran) and NEi Nastran (with FEMAP) here (I work for the USAF) and the trend is moving away from MSC towards NEi. I will spare all of the reasons why now but let me say that smart companies do not use price alone when comparing FEA products (or any products for that matter). Yes, NEiNastran was less expensive and that made it an easier sell to my management, but the real justification was in its capabilities and the NEi support for the product which continue to justify the move away from MSC. I would not be surprised if MSC tries to lower their prices to compete on their level. Unfortunately that alone will not work for us.

 

[fkmeyers]

I agree completely with dmacx. I would recommend taking the job with the 15% raise. If anything your skills will improve and you will become more marketable. You will always have the MSC and Patran experience.