Using an effective simplified continuum model for diblock copolymers, surfactants, and liquid crystals, the response of lamellar systems upon dilation and compression along the layer normal is investigated by large-scale parallelized dissipative particle dynamics like stabilized molecular dynamics simulation. We demonstrate dilation induced long-lived undulations and give clear evidence for introduction or elimination of a layer by the creation and movement of dislocation under higher dilation or compression strain. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.