Cambridge, UK –  June 16, 2014 -- At this week’s PTC Live Global (Boston, MA, June 15-19, Booth 304), Granta Design will be demonstrating a new materials data integration application for the PTC® Windchill® PLM system. This is the latest in the growing list of leading CAD, CAE, and PLM software supported by dedicated GRANTA MI:Materials Gateway™ applications. As a PTC ‘Gold partner’, Granta has already provided such applications for Pro/ENGINEER® and Creo®.This integrated, traceable access to corporate materials knowledge, together with tools to apply it, benefits engineers, managers, and costing, environmental, or other specialists when they review individual products or look across product families. 

MI:Materials Gateway applications have become the standard way to provide fast, fully traceable access to the quality materials data required for accurate design, simulation, and product lifecycle management (PLM). Granta has worked with some of the world’s top engineering enterprises to develop best practice in managing, accessing, and applying materials property information. Materials data is 'living' data. It is constantly evolving as new tests, analyses, and research are carried out, or as reference sources are updated. Effective management of the detailed lifecycle of every property for each of a company's materials requires the specialist tools of  GRANTA MI™, the leading materials information management system. Integration with GRANTA MI can also give access to an unrivalled catalog of materials reference data on thousands of metals, plastics, ceramics, composites, and natural materials.

Image: Reviewing the Windchill Bill of Materials in MI:Materials Gateway.

PTC Windchill offers complete know-how on all product content and business processes throughout the product and service lifecycle. The integration with Granta’s materials knowledge management tools enables users to choose and assign applicable materials to parts being managed within Windchill. At any time, via the live connection to the materials records in the database, authorized users can access additional data on the specific version of the assigned materials—for example for non-linear simulation, cost analysis, or environmental impact assessment. Benefits include quick and easy report generating which can quantifiably highlight the implications of materials choices, by combining materials knowledge from GRANTA MI with Windchill application data (“where is this material used?”) across multiple products.

Users of PTC’s Creo can already access an MI:Materials Gateway with embedded tools to search and select materials, determine accurate mass roll-ups, and explore eco-design or restricted substances implications. CAD users can quickly and easily make optimal materials decisions using approved and reliable data.  Associated attributes such as surface treatment specifications can be automatically imported both to 3D models and to 2D drawings, saving time while supporting traceability and consistency.

Preparing for his presentation at PTC Live Global (on Tuesday, June 17, 3:45pm), Granta’s Dr. Arthur Fairfull explained that, “historically, materials property information has been the ‘poor relation’ in terms of its management and integration within virtual product development. We are delighted that our partnership with PTC will enable engineering enterprises in a variety of industries to take advantage of these new capabilities within Windchill, making a significant difference to the application of material intelligence.”

For media information, issued press releases and supporting images: www.grantadesign.com/news/media.htm

GRANTA MI:Materials Gateway: www.grantadesign.com/gateway

GRANTA MI:Materials Gateway for Windchill: www.grantadesign.com/products/mi/windchill

GRANTA MI: www.grantadesign.com/products/mi/

Media Contact:    
Dr. Beth Cope,
Technical Marketing Communications   
Granta Design Limited,  
UK +44-1223-518895,
USA +1-800-241-1546
Email Contact    

About Granta Design Ltd

Granta are the materials information technology experts.  The company develops market leading software for managing materials and process information in engineering enterprises, and a series of tools for applying that data to key materials and product design decisions.  Granta serves sectors as diverse as aerospace, defense, energy, medical devices, automotive, motorsports, manufacture of consumer and industrial equipment, materials production, and publishing. Customers realize multi-million dollar benefits in reduced cost, enhanced product performance, improved quality, and faster design turnaround.

Granta was founded in 1994 as a spinout from the University of Cambridge and the work of Professors Mike Ashby and David Cebon. For further information go on line to www.grantadesign.com  

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GRANTA MI™ is a trademark of Granta Design