Granta Design announced a new software solution and service that supports a rigorous, auditable composite qualification process, particularly where data traceability is important for regulatory and other purposes. New software tools for capturing, processing, and reporting on composite data have been added to the existing GRANTA MI:Composites software package. These were first demonstrated at last week's JEC Europe Show. A new Granta service helps companies configure and deploy this technology to support their qualification workflows, e.g., for test requests, test matrix generation, capture of composites data, analysis, and management reporting.
The GRANTA MI:Composites software package was developed with input from leading aerospace companies, based on the industry-leading GRANTA MI™ materials information management platform. It enables engineering enterprises to manage all of the valuable, but complex, data associated with composite materials: their layup, cure cycle, directional properties, and the properties and history of their constituent parts. New qualification tools have been added to the package to help with key tasks in the composite qualification process—such as defining a test program, or importing data from test machines to a central database. These tools are available via a new service for Granta clients.
This new Composites Qualification Service configures a GRANTA MI:Composites software package for a user organization’s specific needs. For example, Granta experts will quickly set up data import tools so that they automatically process data from a specific test machine. By taking advantage of this new service, OEMs build a system that makes it faster and easier to define test programs and to capture, analyze, and use their results. They ensure a systematic, documented process, from test request to design allowable. They reduce errors and delays and protect vital corporate intellectual property. A key point is that all of the data generated during qualification, and its vital inter-relationships, are captured, enabling full traceability, and future re-use.
"Our composites qualification software and service started as a customer-driven project to manage composites qualification workflows," commented Dan Williams, Product Manager at Granta Design. "These materials pose significant data management challenges, making it essential to use a systematic approach and the right, specialist tools. Our ongoing work with composites-focused industries has provided invaluable insight into these challenges, and has helped us develop practical solutions that save time, protect valuable IP, and provide a robust basis for qualifying composite systems."
A collaborative approach is central to this ongoing development. The Materials Data Management Consortium (MDMC) provides guidance through its dedicated Composites Project Group. MDMC members include Airbus Helicopters, Boeing, NASA, and Rolls-Royce. Granta recently extended its partnership with the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP), making one of the world’s most comprehensive resources of composite design and test data available to Granta users. This enables comparison and analysis alongside in-house data, and thus faster, more reliable qualification of composite systems. And Granta’s new Automotive Material Intelligence Consortium (members include General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, and PSA Peugeot Citroën) is also taking an interest in managing data for composites, alongside other materials.
