Software assists with materials decision-making.

Press Release Summary:



Suited for designers and manufacturers, CES Selector 2007 combines data on mechanical, physical, economic, and eco-properties of material with graphical software for analysis and selection. In addition to price estimate data for over 3,000 materials, program includes features that enable materials to be ranked based on cost/unit of function, allowing users to identify and compare optimal materials for complex combinations of properties.



Original Press Release:



CES Selector 2007 a Major Step Forward for Materials Decision-Making



New software for cost analysis, product design, and optimizing eco-properties

Cambridge, UK, July 25 - Granta Design has announced a new release of CES Selector(TM), the unique PC-based software for the selection of engineering materials and manufacturing processes. CES Selector helps product designers and manufacturers to avoid cost, innovate, and meet environmental and other regulations. The new CES Selector 2007 version adds capabilities for applications including cost analysis, medical devices, plastics and elastomers, eco-design, and guiding and communicating materials decisions.

CES Selector combines data on the mechanical, physical, economic, and eco-properties of materials with powerful graphical software for analysis and selection developed at Cambridge University and Granta. The 2007 version features new price estimate data for over 3,000 materials, generated using an improved and updated price model. Together with new software features enabling materials to be easily ranked based on 'cost per unit of function', this allows users to quickly identify and compare optimal materials for complex combinations of properties. For example, cost per unit stiffness could be assessed to help choose an appropriate material for a light, cheap panel. CES Selector is ideal for identifying substitute materials - such as a lower-cost grade of plastic, or an alloy with lower nickel content.

New specialist data is also available for medical plastics, thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), and the eco-properties of materials. These allow CES Selector to find the best materials for a medical device or food contact application, to navigate the fast-
moving and commercially important field of TPEs, and to estimate more accurately the environmental impact of product designs.

New communication, usability, and documentation features not only make CES Selector easier to use, but also improve even further its outstanding graphical presentation of analysis results. These graphical capabilities help materials teams or designers wishing to present or discuss selection decisions, as well as materials producers wishing to position products against competitive offerings.

"Manufacturers must make the right choices when selecting or substituting materials. Materials producers need help in positioning their products," says Professor Mike Ashby of Cambridge University and Granta. "With its extensive new data and improved analysis, presentation, and usability, CES Selector offers more help than ever in tackling such commercially significant problems."

About CES Selector and GRANTA MI
CES Selector, based on the Cambridge Engineering Selector (CES) technology, is a unique tool for the rational selection of engineering materials - metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, woods - and of manufacturing processes - shaping, finishing,
joining, and surface treatment. Specialist editions support eco-design (CES Eco Selector), plastics selection (CES Polymer Selector), medical devices (CES Medical Polymer Selector), and high performance engineering (CES Aero Selector). Each CES Selector combines extensive information on materials and process properties with software offering a suite of powerful tools for analyzing that information and using it to select materials.

CES Selector is a Windows® application appropriate for materials experts, engineers, designers, or materials marketers who need to conduct materials selection, substitution analyses, or to communicate their results. For organizations needing to manage materials data and to deploy materials data and analysis tools
enterprise-wide via a web browser-based interface, GRANTA MI(TM) is an appropriate solution. CES Selector and GRANTA MI are used in tandem to marshal materials data, for in-depth analysis of materials options and strategies, and to implement the resulting decisions across the business.

About Granta
Granta Design Limited is the materials information technology expert. Granta develops the leading software for materials information management in engineering enterprises, and the leading teaching toolkit for materials engineering education. Granta
serves sectors as diverse as aerospace, defense, energy, medical devices, automotive, motorsports, manufacture of consumer and industrial equipment, publishing, and materials production. Customers realize multi-million dollar benefits in reduced cost,
enhanced performance, improved quality, and speedier design. Granta was founded in 1994 as a spinout from the University of Cambridge and the work of Professor Mike Ashby and Dr David Cebon.

CES, Cambridge Engineering Selector, and GRANTA MI are trademarks of Granta Design Limited.

LINKS TO FURTHER INFORMATION:
Granta: www.grantadesign.com
CES Selector: www.grantadesign.com/products/ces/
Supporting images: grantadesign.com/news/media.htm#ces2007

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