PZFlex® 2.3 Release
New Version Adds Memory, Wizard Tools and New Computational Elements

Mountain View, CA – January 21, 2010 – PZFlex® announced the release of a new version of its virtual prototyping software for commercial and academic use. PZFlex 2.3 includes new wizard tools and core computation module features, as well as a beta version of a rapid and simplified 1D Modeling Toolkit and expanded post-processing capability.

PZFlex brings sophisticated modeling to desktops and is indispensable to a variety of industries. The software was originally developed in the 1980s by international engineering firm Weidlinger Associates®, Inc. to model ultrasonic probes.

“Our aim is to make life easier for creative engineers in every industry. We’ve taken our knowledge of finite element modeling and typical devices, and we’ve upgraded the software to capture the essence of the problems many product design teams face,” said PZFlex Business Group Director Dr. Paul Reynolds. “PZFlex software’s power and accuracy clears the path for advancements in emerging technologies, including wireless, environmental and medical.”

“The latest version of PZFlex has enabled MSI to develop transducer designs more cost effectively by allowing a greater number of our transducer engineers to use it without the need for advanced training,” said Barry Doust, technical manager at Materials Systems Inc., a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of sub-systems, components and advanced materials for defense and commercial systems that uses PZFlex to design and develop transducers for sonar and industrial ultrasound.

The FlexLAB platform has been upgraded in PZFlex 2.3 to a true 64-bit environment to increase the memory available for inputting SolidWorks designs and provide more flexible material importation tools. The core computation module has been enhanced to include: acoustic force radiation, shock heating, dielectric loss, volume calculation, simplified model bending and geometry allocation, multiple drive functions, and other features requested by users. The new calculator function allows designers to manipulate Flex histories and other ASCII data more easily.

To view the full list of PZFlex v2.3 updates, click here

All PZFlex versions offer seamless interface with SolidWorks, one of the most popular CAD/CAM packages available for designing prototypes and sharing technical drawings with manufacturers.

In September 2009, Weidlinger announced the opening of its new U.K. sales office in Glasgow and the appointment of former Rolls-Royce principal technologist Gerry Harvey, Ph.D. as PZFlex Sales Manager, Europe.

Discounted pricing for PZFlex is available for academic use. For larger modeling problems, a stand-alone SPFlex module available with PZFlex serves the growing field of medical therapeutics, providing accurate modeling of wave propagation over thousands of wavelengths in all acoustic media (air, water, and tissue).

For PZFlex product support and sales, e-mail support@pzflex.com or call (650) 230 0210 (U.S.) or +44 (0)141 303 8303 (Europe).

Student Competition
The PZFlex® software group at Weidlinger Associates Inc., announced that Andrew Dawson, a PhD student at the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, won the first annual PZFlex Student Innovation Competition. The contest was initiated to “inspire novel uses for PZFlex software in solving today’s complex engineering problems” and to advance the use of virtual tools in as many industries as possible. The highly versatile and adaptable virtual prototyping software addresses primary markets totaling hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide. PZFlex users Dr. Charles DeSilets, CTO at Liposonix, Inc., and Dr. Rainer Schmitt, CTO at Sonovation served as judges, along with PZFlex Director Dr. Paul Reynolds.

Introducing PZFlex Standard
Weidlinger Associates has released its PZFlex 2.1™ 3D virtual-prototyping software in two versions—PZFlex Professional™ and PZFlex Standard™. PZFlex is the preferred software of industrial designers and academic researchers worldwide who are responsible for developing and improving ultrasonic and piezoelectric devices for biomedical, naval, and other industrial applications. The original Professional version has been serving large institutions and enterprises since the late 1980s; PZFlex Standard is targeted to mid-sized businesses and independent consultancies who require a more affordable version of the fastest and most accurate 3D virtual-prototyping software on the market.