NAFEMS is a not for profit organisation aimed at promoting best practices and also fostering education and awareness in the engineering analysis community. In line with its objectives to promote the effective use of simulation technologies, NAFEMS is continually seeking to create awareness of new analysis methodologies, deliver education & training, and stimulate the adoption of best practices and standards by offering a platform for continuous professional development.By the late 1970s and early 1980s, as computing power became more widely available, increasingly industry was starting to solve practical engineering problems using finite element analysis techniques.
There was however considerable concern that the accuracy of the methods, and software implementations, required to be verified in order to allow the results to be effectively used.
Following extensive lobbying, by industry and academia, the UK Government's Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) set up, and funded, a project within the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL), based in East Kilbride, Scotland, to investigate the issues.
As a result the National Agency for Finite Element Methods and Standards, quickly shortened to the acronym NAFEMS, was founded as a special interest group in 1983 with a specific objective namely:
"To promote the safe and reliable use of finite element and related technology"
In order to keep engineers abreast of the latest developments in the Analysis World the quarterly magazine BENCHmark was launched by NAFEMS in July 1987.
After seven years of seed funding by the UK government, and with the support of its industrial members, the decision was taken to launch NAFEMS Ltd as an independent not-for-profit company, owned by its member's in 1990.
The company celebrated its 10th Anniversary in 2000, and has developed both the scope of its technology focus and its membership well beyond the original vision.
Today NAFEMS and its members are involved in many different types of engineering simulation covering both products and processes. Membership continues to grow, now exceeding 700 corporate members in over 30 different countries. Steering groups have been set up in the UK, France, Germany, and the USA to co-ordinate local activities and interaction with members.
