DELFT, The Netherlands, April 28 /PRNewswire/ --     TASS, the vehicle safety specialist, is unleashing a rebranded website at
http://www.tass-safe.com. The new web supports the launch of the company's
new MADYMO V7.0 software. MADYMO is the industry-standard software for
occupant safety design and virtual crash testing, renowned for its high speed
and quality dummy models.

The slogan, "Beyond Safe, TASS-safe", has been developed as the new
branding concept of TASS, reflecting its pioneering work in developing
virtual crash tests - where the real world and virtual reality literally
collide. The rebranding exercise has been overseen by ElcaMedia
(http://www.elcamedia.com), a specialist multimedia agency headquartered in
Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, which rebranded entire visual identity of TASS
and redesigned the MADYMO software packaging.

The latest version of the MADYMO software goes the extra mile in helping
engineers ensure that a vehicle meets increasingly stringent safety
legislation, and can calculate a car's `star rating' for safety requirements
such as Euro NCAP.

One historical weakness of the virtual safety testing process is that
project teams use different specialist tools to simulate the response of the
vehicle and the occupant safety aspects in crash situations. A headache when
it comes to compatibility, cross-validation and data transfer. With the
latest version of MADYMO, TASS offers the best of both worlds: automated
coupling between its MADYMO occupant safety software and the major finite
element analysis (FE) systems used for vehicle crash simulations.

Coupling brings the ability to use the same MADYMO dummy model in both
restraint and vehicle structural design. As a result, one of the European
manufacturers has reported a 25% reduction in the time taken to safety test a
whole vehicle by adopting the coupling approach.

Today, coupling is available between MADYMO and LS-DYNA, PAM-CRASH,
RADIOSS and ABAQUS. And a dedicated user interface means FE users don't need
to learn MADYMO: they simply enter the desired model into a plug-and-play
desktop application to run their chosen test.

With MADYMO V7.0, TASS customers can now purchase MADYMO 'tokens' to gear
the type and number of MADYMO modules to their fluctuating simulation needs.
For example, the tokens give access to modules that engineers would need only
occasionally without having to purchase a separate license, providing maximum
flexibility and value for money. Also, tokens that would normally be
dedicated to pre&post-processing can be used to temporarily increase
simulation capabilities when needed.

What's more, in the latest version of the MADYMO software the Human Model
has been extended with active muscles, helping safety designers to map and
understand what happens with real people in real accidents so they can
further enhance their safety system.

Notes for Editors: About TASS

TASS is the leading supplier of advanced safety design software solutions
for the automotive, aviation and other transport industries. Building on over
30 years of experience in software development, safety engineering and crash
testing, allows us to deliver world-class products and a wide range of
engineering services to meet your safety requirements. Our aim is to make
transport systems beyond safe. We want them to be TASS-safe. Tass is a part
of TNO automotive.