CAMBRIDGE, UK, Feb 15, 2018 – Granta Design announced that it has released to the additive manufacturing (AM) community key details of the ‘Schema’ (the underlying data structures) behind its AM data management solution. The GRANTA MI:Additive Manufacturing Package is the industry-leading software for managing data within AM development projects. In publishing the Schema information, Granta aims to encourage projects to systematically manage AM data and to support development of Standards. The information is available in an “Additive Manufacturing Schema Summary Document”, available for download from the Granta website.
Granta Design Additive Manufacturing Schema map
GRANTA MI:Additive Manufacturing has been under development since 2010, when AM technology itself was more commonly known as “rapid prototyping”. At this early stage, Granta identified this complex materials domain as a prime technology area where robust, pedigreed, and version-controlled data would be required to support design and manufacturing. Since then, Granta has built tools to support the optimization of AM processes and the robust data management needed to enable part qualification and certification. This has been a collaborative process: working within industry projects such as the European Union’s AMAZE, with members of the Material Data Management Consortium (MDMC), and with the leading engineering enterprises who now use Granta software for this purpose. Granta also actively engages in standardization activities, for example, through SAE and ASTM.
Publication of the Schema Summary Document aims to broaden this collaborative approach. The Document identifies many of the attributes needed to describe AM processes, and proposes best practice for organizing these attributes in a database. This information can help in planning AM projects and in the discussion of Standards. Its publication will increase awareness of the need for these important activities, and support their adoption. Organizations engaged in AM data management and/or Standards definition can request a copy of the Summary Document by completing a form on the Granta website. In return, Granta asks that they engage in collaborative discussions on the topic and provide feedback on the Schema.
“In talking to organizations that are planning AM projects, we often find that they understand the importance of capturing, sharing, and analyzing the right property and process data, but don’t know where to begin in planning this activity,” said Najib Baig, product manager, Material Innovation at Granta Design. “Sharing some key aspects of our Schema will help AM project managers and Standards groups to think through what data they may need to manage, and how.”
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. They help them to develop and apply material intelligence, making better materials decisions, saving time and money, and reducing risk as they optimize their products. They 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.
For more information, visit www.grantadesign.com.