2014 ANSYS Convergence Conference Series

Dear Desktop Engineering Reader:

The 2014 ANSYS Convergence Conference Series gets underway in a few days, and you should seriously consider attending one of the North American events (Chicago, Detroit, Houston and Santa Clara) or one of the conferences throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East if that is your home. I know what you’re thinking: The boss will nix the notion. You’ve been selling it wrong. We’ll get to that in a minute.

The basic formula for these one-day worldwide events is the same: Gather together engineering experts, thought leaders and everyday users like you, and swap information all day long. We’re talking about concurrent physics-specific tracks showing you how companies solve challenging engineering problems using software from ANSYS. You’ll hear keynote addresses from industry leaders and honchos from ANSYS, attend presentations from expert ANSYS users, and see an occasional new technology sneak preview. You’ll learn about best practices and industry trends, and you’ll be impressed by a lot of cool applications.

Great stuff. Still, convincing your boss that you should go to a user conference remains a tough sell. The boss sees your attendance as an easily quantifiable dollar cost: You’re gone from the office, mileage, food and all that. The boss knows that what you come back with may not lend itself to neatly rounded columns of dollars and dimes.

So, tell the boss what’s in it for the company, not you. That is, quantify your attendance at a user conference in terms of the value that you will bring back to the mother ship and map detailed value points to specific concerns at your outfit. Example: Say you want to go to the ANSYS event in Houston, May 22. What’s happening from 8 to 5 and how do you frame it to get Legree to agree to let you go?

Well, start your pitch by saying that you’ll hear from heavyweight users who use the same ANSYS engineering simulation solutions you use to solve some of your company’s nastiest product development issues. Since some ANSYS gurus will be there along with some ANSYS hardware and software partners, you can corner them to discover how their solutions might improve your processes. And you’ll also network with users in a variety of industries and probably meet somebody who works for an outfit that offers the type of engineering services your company needs to complete the boss’s Big Project.

That’s the intro. Now hand the boss a printout. Use bullets. At the ANSYS Convergence Conference in Houston, for example, you will take in sessions from experts at:

• Baker Hughes
• Dow Chemical
• GE Oil & Gas
• Louisiana State University
• Southwest Research Institute
• Technip
• Tridiagonal Solutions

• Sand Fines Erosion and Asset Integrity Management
• Dynamic Modeling of Fluid Structure Interactions (FSI) for 5k-3k Regulator BOP Valve
• FSI: Lowering Subsea Structure / Equipment in Splash Zone During Installation
• Improving Performance of Industrial Clarifiers
• Numerical Modeling of Proppant Flow in Fractured Reservoirs
• CFD Analysis of High-Rate Flow Near the Wellbore
• Fracture Mechanics Assessment of Cracks applied to HOV Hull Structures

The ANSYS web team has been updating the conference details by city as I write this, so check your local conference. The Santa Clara conference (May 9) has the final agenda available. Hold your mouse over a session to see its details. You can also contact ANSYS from the conference website and ask for the agenda. Better yet, you can check out the videos from last year’s events — look for the “2013 Highlights” tab on any page.

I am a huge fan of user conferences. You inevitably get answers to problems, discover strategies that have proven themselves successful elsewhere and collect tip after tip on how to use your tools better. Whether you’re a designer, engineer, analyst or engineering manager, an ANSYS Convergence Conference offers you the opportunity to hone your simulation skills. The knowledge you bring home actually does pay for itself throughout the year and, quite likely, your career. Learn more about the 2014 ANSYS Convergence Conference Series by hitting today’s Check it Out link.

Thanks, Pal.  – Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering

Go here to learn more about the 2014 ANSYS Convergence Conference Series.