UA College of Engineering Receives Gift from Leading Software Company

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.- ESI North America, a company that specializes in engineering software, recently donated its leading casting simulation software, ProCAST, to The University of Alabama College of Engineering. ESI is donating teaching and research licenses with a commercial value of $1.6 million to the University.

“The gift, which will be used in upper-level undergraduate and graduate metallurgical and materials engineering coursework, will provide students with cutting-edge software for casting process simulation,” said Dr. Srinath Viswanathan, Associate and FEF Professor in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. Casting is a process in which molten metal is poured into a mold to form a shape. ProCAST software allows for predictive evaluations of the entire casting process, including mold filling, solidification, microstructure, and thermo-mechanical simulations. It will enable students to rapidly visualize the effects of mold design. Students will also learn correct decision-making skills at early stages of the manufacturing process.

“This gift will allow our students to access state-of-the-art technology, which will in turn enable them to maintain a leadership role in the engineering community of tomorrow,” said Dr. Charles Karr, dean of the College of Engineering. “The ESI Group’s donation will give UA’s College of Engineering the opportunity to share technology that will enhance and raise the bar for our students’ educational experience and ability to compete in the global market.”

A pioneer and major actor in the field of digital simulation, ESI Group is the world’s leading software editor for the numerical simulation of design performance and manufacturing process engineering in applied mechanics.

“ESI is excited to enter into this collaboration with The University of Alabama and to support students,” said Michael Bloor, chief operating officer of ESI North America. “This contribution will enable students to expand their capabilities in the casting industry and provide them with the latest state-of-the-art technology.”

In 1837, The University of Alabama became the first university in the state to offer engineering classes and was one of the first five in the nation to do so. Today, the College of Engineering has about 1,800 students and more than 95 faculty. It has been fully accredited since accreditation standards were implemented in the 1930s.