Airplanes old and new share many of the same types of components. One is a nacelle, or engine housing, with an inlet lip skin that ensures smooth air flow. However, not all planes have similarly shaped lip skins.

Fläkt Woods knows its fans—industrial fans, that is. The company is one of the leading manufacturers of air-handling units and air-terminal devices for nonresidential buildings.

MADISON, WI—Researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison and Drexel University are developing a rich set of computational tools that would allow manufacturers to account for the material complexity of a sophisticated product within a single computer model.

BOSTON—GrabCAD, an online community for sharing CAD expertise, is sponsing a contest to design a steering wheel for a supersonic car. A $1,000 prize will be awarded to the winning entry. Designs must be submitted by Jan. 31.