ADINA

ADINA is a commercial engineering simulation software brand developed from the finite-element research and software work of Dr. Klaus-Jürgen Bathe. The name is an acronym for Automatic Dynamic Incremental Nonlinear Analysis. Its principal software is used to model and solve difficult engineering problems involving structures, solids, fluids, heat transfer, and electromagnetic fields, including situations in which multiple physical effects interact. The technical origins of ADINA predate the company. Development began in 1974, after Bathe had worked as the principal developer of earlier finite-element programs including SAP IV and NONSAP. This work concentrated on reliable numerical procedures for nonlinear and dynamic analysis, areas in which engineers must account for large deformations, complex material behavior, changing loads, fluid interaction, and other effects that are difficult to represent with simplified calculations. In 1986, Bathe established ADINA R&D, Inc. in Massachusetts to develop and distribute the software commercially. The company maintained an in-house development model and built an international user base in both industry and academia. The ADINA suite is organized around several principal analytical capabilities. ADINA Structures addresses linear and nonlinear behavior in solids and structures. ADINA Thermal is designed for heat-transfer and related field problems. ADINA CFD handles computational fluid dynamics for compressible and incompressible flows, including flow problems with thermal effects. ADINA EM addresses electromagnetic phenomena. These capabilities can be coupled to analyze multiphysics systems, such as fluid–structure interaction, thermo-mechanical behavior, piezoelectric systems, Joule heating, mass-transfer coupling, and electromagnetic forces acting on fluids or structures. The software environment also includes tools for model preparation, visualization, and results analysis. The ADINA User Interface provides graphical pre-processing and post-processing functions, while ADINA-M supplies solid-modeling capabilities. The environment can import solid models and finite-element models in Nastran format, helping connect ADINA analyses with other computer-aided engineering and computer-aided design workflows. Femap can also be used in conjunction with ADINA data for structural, computational-fluid-dynamics, and fluid–structure-interaction work. ADINA's technology has also been distributed through an OEM relationship. In 2003, ADINA R&D entered an agreement with EDS under which selected nonlinear structural-analysis capabilities were incorporated into the NX Nastran product family. The resulting Advanced Nonlinear module, identified as Solution 601 for implicit analysis and Solution 701 for explicit analysis, extended access to portions of ADINA's nonlinear technology through Siemens PLM Software's engineering-analysis products. The company supported the academic finite-element community through a series of conferences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology focused on nonlinear finite-element analysis. Proceedings from these events were published by Elsevier in the journal Computers & Structures. On April 7, 2022, Bentley Systems acquired ADINA R&D, Inc. The acquisition placed the ADINA technology and business within Bentley's broader infrastructure-engineering software portfolio. ADINA therefore represents both a specialized simulation product family and an engineering-software company whose technology is intended for high-fidelity analysis rather than general-purpose business software.

ADINA's technical history began in 1974, when Klaus-Jürgen Bathe started developing the program after serving as principal developer of the finite-element systems SAP IV and NONSAP. The work focused on numerical methods for nonlinear and dynamic engineering analysis. Such methods are intended for problems in which material response, geometry, loading, or interactions between physical systems make straightforward linear calculations inadequate. Bathe founded ADINA R&D, Inc. in Massachusetts in 1986. The company developed and distributed the ADINA software internationally, retaining development work in-house and emphasizing reliable and efficient finite-element procedures. The resulting product family addressed structural mechanics, fluid flow, heat transfer, and electromagnetic analysis, while also allowing these disciplines to be coupled in multiphysics calculations. Examples include fluid–structure interaction, thermo-mechanical analysis, piezoelectric coupling, Joule heating, flow and mass-transfer coupling, and electromagnetic loading of fluids or structures. ADINA was designed as a broader engineering-analysis environment rather than only a solver. Its graphical ADINA User Interface supported model setup and interpretation of results, and ADINA-M provided solid-modeling functions. The software could import solid models and Nastran-format finite-element models, helping users connect it to established CAD and CAE workflows. Femap could also be used for pre-processing and post-processing ADINA data in structural, CFD, and fluid–structure-interaction applications. The technology gained an additional route to market through a 2003 OEM agreement with EDS. Selected ADINA nonlinear structural capabilities were incorporated into NX Nastran's Advanced Nonlinear module. The resulting implicit and explicit solutions were known as Solution 601 and Solution 701, respectively, and were subsequently associated with Siemens PLM Software's NX Nastran product family. ADINA R&D also participated in academic knowledge exchange. It sponsored twelve biennial conferences at MIT on nonlinear finite-element analysis, with proceedings published by Elsevier in Computers & Structures. These activities connected the commercial software with research and education in computational mechanics. On April 7, 2022, Bentley Systems acquired ADINA R&D, Inc. The transaction changed the company's ownership while preserving ADINA's identity as a specialized simulation technology. Within Bentley's portfolio, ADINA complements software used in infrastructure and engineering workflows by providing detailed analysis of structures, fluids, thermal behavior, electromagnetic effects, and coupled physical systems.

1. 2022Acquisition by Bentley Systems

   Bentley Systems acquired ADINA R&D, Inc. on April 7, bringing the company and its software into Bentley's portfolio.

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2. 2003OEM relationship with EDS

   Selected ADINA nonlinear structural capabilities were made available through the NX Nastran Advanced Nonlinear module.

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3. 1986ADINA R&D is founded

   Bathe founded ADINA R&D, Inc. in Massachusetts to develop and distribute the ADINA engineering simulation program.

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4. 1974Development of ADINA begins

   Klaus-Jürgen Bathe began developing the software after his work on the SAP IV and NONSAP finite-element programs.

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A specialist, high-fidelity engineering simulation platform focused on nonlinear finite-element analysis and tightly coupled multiphysics problems for industrial and academic users.

• ADINA StructuresStructural simulation

  The structural-analysis component of ADINA is intended for linear and nonlinear analysis of solids and structures. It supports engineering studies in which deformation, material response, dynamic loading, or other nonlinear effects must be represented through finite-element methods.

• ADINA ThermalThermal simulation

  ADINA Thermal addresses heat-transfer problems and related field analyses. Its thermal capabilities can also participate in coupled calculations where temperature affects structural behavior or interacts with other physical fields.

• ADINA CFDComputational fluid dynamics

  ADINA CFD is used to analyze compressible and incompressible fluid flows, including flows involving heat transfer. It can be coupled with structural and other solvers for fluid–structure-interaction and broader multiphysics studies.

• ADINA EMElectromagnetic simulation

  ADINA EM provides analysis of electromagnetic phenomena and can be combined with structural, thermal, and fluid calculations. Coupled applications include electromagnetic forces and Joule-heating effects.

• ADINA User Interface and ADINA-MEngineering modeling and visualization

  The ADINA User Interface supplies graphical pre-processing and post-processing functions, while ADINA-M provides solid-modeling capabilities. Together they support geometry preparation, finite-element model setup, data import, and interpretation of simulation results.

• NX Nastran Advanced Nonlinear Solution 601/701OEM nonlinear structural analysis2003

  Through the 2003 OEM arrangement with EDS, selected ADINA nonlinear structural-analysis technology was offered in NX Nastran as the Advanced Nonlinear module. Solution 601 refers to implicit analysis and Solution 701 to explicit analysis.

• 2022Sell ADINA R&D to Bentley SystemsM&A

  ADINA R&D operated as a specialized engineering-simulation software company with an established international user base.

  What changed. Bentley Systems acquired ADINA R&D, Inc. on April 7, 2022.

  Aftermath. ADINA became part of Bentley Systems' software portfolio while continuing to represent specialized structural, fluid, thermal, electromagnetic, and multiphysics analysis capabilities.

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• 2003Adopt an OEM distribution strategy with EDSStrategy

  ADINA R&D sought to make selected nonlinear structural-analysis capabilities available within a widely used commercial CAE product.

  What changed. The company signed an OEM agreement with EDS, allowing portions of ADINA's technology to be incorporated into NX Nastran's Advanced Nonlinear module.

  Aftermath. The resulting capabilities were marketed as NX Nastran Solutions 601 and 701 and later associated with Siemens PLM Software.

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• 2022Bentley Systems acquires ADINA R&D

  Bentley Systems acquired ADINA R&D, Inc., bringing the ADINA engineering simulation technology and business into Bentley's software portfolio.

  M&A
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• 2003ADINA R&D enters OEM agreement with EDS

  An OEM agreement enabled selected ADINA nonlinear structural-analysis capabilities to be offered through the NX Nastran Advanced Nonlinear module, later identified as Solutions 601 and 701.

  M&A
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1. ADINA
2. ADINA official website