Ansys was first conceived by John Swanson while working at the Westinghouse Astronuclear Laboratory in the 1960s. Ansys develops and markets engineering simulation software for use across the product life cycle. Ansys Mechanical finite element analysis software is used to simulate computer models of structures, electronics, or machine components for analyzing the strength, toughness, elasticity, temperature distribution, electromagnetism, fluid flow, and other attributes. Ansys is used to determine how a product will function with different specifications, without building test products or conducting crash tests. For example, Ansys software may simulate how a bridge will hold up after years of traffic, how to best process salmon in a cannery to reduce waste, or how to design a slide that uses less material without sacrificing safety.