Noran Engineering Inc. (NEi, Westminster, Calif.) has announced new technology for NEi Nastran, NEiFusion and NEiWorks that the company says will enhance analysis and simulation at the CAD design stage. Among the new features are Design Optimization, which can be used to find solutions when typical design parameters run counter to each other (e.g., solutions to structures that are both strong and lightweight) and Automatic Surface Contact Generation, which the company says is essential to effect real-world fidelity in modeling assemblies and impacts. Other new tools include Automatic Impact Analysis, used in a variety of areas from military projectiles to product packaging to drop testing of consumer electronic products, and Hyperelastic and Composite Material modeling. Additionally, digital prototyping technology developed for the CAD design stage enables product engineers to visualize the response of their designs to structural and thermal loads before investing in physical prototypes and testing.