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DST Presents STURDY Simulator Research at NAFEMS World Congress

Paper on furniture safety simulation technology showcases innovative approach to regulatory compliance through advanced multi-body dynamics

(Salzburg, Austria) May 19, 2025 – Design Simulation Technologies, Inc. (DST; www.design-simulation.com) today presented groundbreaking research on furniture safety simulation at the prestigious NAFEMS World Congress 2025 in Salzburg, Austria. The paper, titled "Development of a Simulation Tool to Address the Requirements of the STURDY Act," demonstrates how advanced multi-body dynamics (MBD) simulation technology can revolutionize furniture design compliance and safety testing.

Presented by Alan Wegienka, President of DST, the research addresses a critical safety issue that has resulted in 470 child deaths since 2000 due to furniture tip-over accidents. The paper introduces the STURDY Simulator, an innovative tool that enables Clothing Storage Unit (CSU) designers to quickly and accurately evaluate design stability using virtual testing methods integrated directly within existing CAD systems.

The NAFEMS World Congress, recognized as the premier international conference for numerical modeling and simulation, brings together leading engineers, researchers, and software developers from around the world. The acceptance and presentation of DST's research at this venue underscores the significance and technical merit of the STURDY Simulator approach to addressing regulatory compliance challenges.

"Presenting our STURDY Simulator research at NAFEMS World Congress validates our innovative approach to making advanced simulation technology accessible for regulatory compliance," said Alan Wegienka, President of DST and author of the presented paper. "The feedback from the international engineering community has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly regarding our success in packaging sophisticated multi-body dynamics into a tool that furniture designers can use without requiring simulation expertise."

The research demonstrates how the STURDY Simulator addresses the regulatory requirements established by the STURDY Act (Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth), which mandates stability testing for furniture sold in the United States. Traditional compliance testing requires expensive physical prototypes and time-intensive laboratory procedures. The STURDY Simulator enables virtual testing that can be completed in minutes, dramatically reducing development costs and time-to-market while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Key technical contributions highlighted in the NAFEMS presentation include:

• Integration of advanced MBD solver technology with mainstream CAD systems
• Automated execution of all three ASTM F2057-23 stability test scenarios
• Sophisticated physics modeling that goes beyond basic compliance requirements
• User-friendly interface designed for non-simulation experts
• Real-time design evaluation enabling rapid design iteration
• Comprehensive reporting capabilities for regulatory documentation

The presentation emphasized how the STURDY Simulator democratizes access to advanced simulation technology, particularly benefiting smaller furniture manufacturers who lack dedicated simulation expertise. By embedding complex multi-body dynamics calculations within familiar CAD environments, the tool enables designers to perform sophisticated stability analyses without requiring extensive training or specialized software knowledge.

The research has generated significant interest from the international engineering simulation community, with attendees noting the innovative approach to regulatory compliance simulation and the potential for similar applications in other safety-critical industries.

"The recognition of our research by the NAFEMS community reinforces DST's leadership in developing practical simulation solutions for real-world engineering challenges," added Wegienka. "This presentation opens new opportunities for collaboration with international partners and validates our approach to making advanced simulation accessible across diverse industries."

The STURDY Simulator, developed in collaboration with Widom Associates, is currently available as an Autodesk Inventor module and represents DST's continued commitment to developing physics-based simulation tools that address critical safety and regulatory requirements across multiple industries.

About NAFEMS World Congress

The NAFEMS World Congress is the premier international conference dedicated to numerical modeling and simulation engineering. Held biennially, the congress brings together leading researchers, engineers, and software developers to share advances in computational engineering and simulation technology. NAFEMS is the International Association for the Engineering Modelling, Analysis & Simulation Community.

About DST

DST develops physics-based simulation software. The company's products are used by engineering professionals to build and test virtual models of their mechanical designs, and by STEM educators and students in the classroom to teach and learn about physics and engineering kinematics, dynamics, and machine design.

With DST's SimWise 4D, Working Model 2D, and Dynamic Designer products, users evaluate design performance by conducting complete, accurate simulations. Engineers, professors and students can quickly perform "what-if" analyses, find and correct design problems, plus refine and validate designs without the need for physical prototypes.

Students in high school and college use Interactive Physics, DST's award-winning educational software, to explore and understand the physical world through simulation.

DST develops, markets, and supports these software tools for commercial and academic users worldwide. Selected DST products are available from leading CAD suppliers and CAE resellers. Learn more by visiting the DST website at www.design-simulation.com.