Granta Design Updates GRANTA MI:Additive Manufacturing

granta-logoCAMBRIDGE, UK, Feb 15, 2017 – Granta Design announced the enhanced GRANTA MI:Additive Manufacturing software package to manage, analyze, and apply materials and process information for the effective development and production of additively-manufactured parts. New, easy-to-use graphical analysis tools plot material properties and process parameters against one another to identify trends. Users can manage and compare data from both experiments and simulation. New ‘workflow’ features enable controlled processes—example applications range from supporting build and test management for a specific project, to implementing request and approval processes enterprise-wide.

Gain greater insight into the relationships between material properties and additive manufacturing process parameters with MI:Mat Analyzer, a new app to enable advanced plotting and  graphical analysis.

Gain greater insight into the relationships between material properties and additive manufacturing process parameters with MI:Mat Analyzer, a new app to enable advanced plotting and graphical analysis.

Additive manufacturing (AM) promises to transform manufacturing – but only if you can ensure part performance, consistency, and quality. This requires deep understanding of process parameters and their impact on the material. MI:Additive Manufacturing is a package of tools built on the industry-leading GRANTA MI materials information management system. It includes a data structure (‘schema’) and information management capabilities that enable users to capture the full picture and manage data related to powders, builds, machine parameters, parts, and tests. They can consolidate this data, browse it through a fast, easy-to-use web interface, and share it across their organization with controlled access. But how do they mine the resulting rich information resource to extract that crucial understanding?

The new GRANTA MI:Mat Analyzer enables advanced plotting and graphical analysis of additive manufacturing information stored in GRANTA MI. Use the app to create multi-dimensional plots and relationship charts. Visualize and understand vital relationships between material properties and additive manufacturing process parameters. This insight can be used to modify process parameters for optimal results.

The MI:Additive Manufacturing package can integrate with a range of AM machines, including those from EOS, Arcam, and Renishaw. Granta also provides access to the Senvol Database, the leading reference resource, to search and compare materials based on properties, type, or compatible machines – enabling you to make the right choice first time.

When implementing GRANTA MI to support AM projects, the Granta Design Services team configures the available tools and technology to the exact needs of the project. Two recent examples were: creating a tool to handle specialized powder material management, taking account of blending and recycling effects; and building a parameter-set development tool, which manages the optimized process parameters. These tools and the expertise that built them are available for use by other clients.

Granta is actively participating in developing industry standards in AM, ensuring that the Granta schema is up to date and ready to manage and report data according to standards (e.g., ASTM F42) for future qualification or certification. The system can be configured to generate automated qualification reports.

Najib Baig, product manager – materials innovation at Granta, said “It is imperative to develop a business process strategy for additive manufacturing as early as possible. The GRANTA MI:Additive Manufacturing Package enables you to manage your process and dataflow, control your risks, and reduce your time-to-production.”

About Granta Design

Founded in 1994 as a spin-out from the University of Cambridge, Granta helps hundreds of engineering enterprises to manage information on the materials (metals, plastics, composites, and more) that are essential to their businesses. We help them to develop and apply material intelligence, making better materials decisions, saving time and money, and reducing risk as they optimize their products. We also provide supporting resources to thousands of university educators worldwide as they teach the next generation of engineers, scientists, and industrial designers about materials, processes, and sustainability.

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