Paris, France - February 28, 2008 – ESI Group (ESIN FR0004110310), world-leading supplier and pioneer of Simulation-Based Design solutions for prototyping and manufacturing processes, announces a two-day expert training program on Fracture Mechanics, to be held March 31 to April 1, 2008 in Lyon, France.

This course follows the Springback Seminar held in Switzerland last October for Metal Forming processes and the Solidification Course held yearly for Casting processes, in a series of Expert Courses on advanced simulation topics. Thanks to a team of carefully selected international experts, participants learn to overcome industrial challenges and acquire the best practices in that discipline.

The Fracture Seminar is an advanced training course providing a deeper understanding of the modeling of ductile and brittle fracture and its application to industrial processes. Dr. Argiris Kamoulakos, ESI Group Scientific Director, details the course outline: "Starting with the basic principles of fracture mechanics, the course will present methods for failure modeling, structural integrity prediction and safety margin assessment using simulation. Through consideration of various materials: plastics, composites and metals, participants will gain insight on modeling plastic crack formation, elasticity and conductivity of contacting surfaces, impact damage and crush energy absorption. Participants will have the unique opportunity to use these expert guidelines for a better control of fracture applied to industrial cases."

This expert course will benefit from the collaboration of prominent research authorities coming from Europe, America and Asia, such as Professor Frank McClintock (Retired, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), Professor Jean-Baptiste Leblond (Member of the Académie des Sciences, Professor at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, France), Professor Mark Kachanov (Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University, USA), Dr. Alastair Johnson (German Aerospace Institute – DLR), Dr. Masahiro Fujii (Ube Industries Ltd., Japan) and Philippe Gilles (AREVA International Expert, France).

Learning from the latest advances in fracture mechanics will allow CAE engineers and model designers to solve their engineering challenges using FEA technology by accurately predicting and controlling the risk of damage and failure. It will help participants better understand the “physics behind the screen” in order to make optimal design decisions and achieve faster production.

The fracture course is a scientific event addressing engineers and scientists from industry and research centers wishing to improve their knowledge in the field of fracture mechanics and its application in Virtual Performance Simulations. Participants should ideally possess a University Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Aero, Marine, Civil, Materials, etc.). Industry specialists will also have the opportunity of networking with other fellow experts and share industrial experiences during the two-day course.

For the detailed agenda, practical information, and to register please visit:
www.esi-group.com/fractureseminar or send an email to training@esi-group.com.

We recommend that you register soon: participation is limited to the first 35 registrations to ensure that this remains an intimate learning experience. The seminar will be conducted in English.

Learn about other ESI Group training opportunities at: www.esi-group.com/training

About ESI Group

ESI Group is a world-leading supplier and pioneer of digital simulation software for prototyping and manufacturing processes that take into account the physics of materials. ESI Group has developed an extensive suite of coherent, industry-oriented applications to realistically simulate a product’s behavior during testing, to fine-tune manufacturing processes in accordance with desired product performance, and to evaluate the environment’s impact on product performance. ESI Group’s offer represents a unique collaborative solution with an open virtual engineering environment known as the Virtual Try-Out Space, enabling virtual prototypes to be improved in a continuous and collaborative manner while eliminating the need for physical prototypes during product development. The company employs over 700 high-level specialists worldwide covering more than 30 countries. ESI Group is listed in compartment C of Euronext Paris. For further information, visit www.esi-group.com.

ESI Group - Press Relations    
Amy de Rouvray
+33 (0)1 41 73 59 01
Amy.de.Rouvray@esi-group.com