MTS INTRODUCES GROUNDBREAKING FUNCTIONALITY FOR ITS AEROSPACE
STRUCTURAL TESTING CONTROL AND DATA ACQUISITION SOFTWARE
Advanced AeroPro 4.1 software features state-of-the-art “calculations in the loop” functionality, a
new database of constants, and enhanced import and export capabilities
Eden Prairie, Minn., April 5, 2005 – MTS Systems Corporation (NASDAQ: MTSC) today announced groundbreaking new functionality for AeroPro™ software, its proven control and data acquisition software for aerospace structural testing. AeroPro 4.1 includes a number of productivity enhancing features — such as state-of-the-art “calculations in the loop” functionality, a database of constants, and enhanced import and export capabilities — designed to address the aerospace industry’s most complex and demanding structural testing needs.
“As the complexity of aerospace structural testing continues to increase, the opportunities and challenges facing test engineers become even greater,” said Sidney W. Emery, Jr., MTS chairman and chief executive officer. “Customers can harness the full power and potential of these new opportunities with our next-generation AeroPro software. Its latest innovations were driven by MTS’ extensive testing background, including our experience with the more than 5,000 MTS test channels currently active worldwide.”
AeroPro 4.1’s new features and functionality were developed in close cooperation with MTS customers around the world and represent the latest evolution in aerospace structural testing. The primary new capabilities of the software include the following:
• A “calculations in the loop” feature offers users unprecedented control over their tests by allowing them to introduce mathematical models into the control loop. This capability facilitates increased testing flexibility since users can now generate calculated inputs and outputs and manipulate signals in real-time based on live test data.
• A new database of constants speeds and simplifies test equation development for AeroPro users. Engineers can utilize the constants and material properties provided, modify them or create their own, and then add the constants to their tests as variables. In this way, customers can reuse complex equations simply by changing the values in a few key variables.
• Enhanced import and export functionality allows AeroPro users to recall any type of historical testing data — including test profiles and procedures, load conditions, calculated channel configurations, calibration information, system resource information and results data — and incorporate it into or compare it to current tests. The software’s configuration wizard enables engineers to create tests in a spreadsheet format, and then automatically generate the necessary configuration and calibration files during the import process.
“The new features in AeroPro 4.1 will enable test labs to more quickly set up and complete structural tests, which is critical as the demands for cost-effective testing and fast delivery of products to market continue to increase,” said Arlin Nelson, MTS systems engineer. “Additionally, this new version of AeroPro will enable better management, reuse and analysis of the growing amount of data generated during tests. This software will help labs fully leverage today’s computing power to optimize product development and testing processes.”
AeroPro 4.1 includes the following additional advanced control and data acquisition features:
• Custom scripts to automate system and control panel commands, which can be launched by a click of the mouse or an event that occurs during testing.
• An mV/V calibration method for full-bridge data acquisition channels.
• Tare offsets for data acquisition channels.
• Support for stabilization inputs.
• An increased capacity for the number of inputs per channel, allowing users to work with up to five inputs per channel.
• Automatic valve balancing.
• Ability to append auto-build load conditions to an existing load condition table.
• Automatic strain prediction data displays.
About MTS Systems Corporation
MTS Systems Corporation is a leading global supplier of test systems and industrial position sensors. The Company’s testing hardware and software solutions help customers accelerate and improve their design, development, and manufacturing processes and are used for determining the mechanical behavior of materials, products, and structures. MTS’ high performance position sensors provide controls for a variety of industrial and vehicular applications. MTS had 1,615 employees and revenue of $367 million for the fiscal year ended October 2, 2004. Additional information on MTS can be found on the worldwide web at http://www.mts.com.
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