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Collaborative projects

Granta is currently involved in the following collaborative projects.

Consortium collaborations

Granta consortia are industry collaborations that help to ensure our software solutions meet the needs of engineering enteprises. Members get formal input to Granta development plans as well as benefits of networking and early access to technology. They are:

	The Material Data Management Consortium (MDMC) - focused on best practice materials data management for aerospace, defense, and energy.
	The Materials Strategy Consortium - developing software for systematic materials selection, substitution, and cost optimization.
	The Environmental Materials Information Technology (EMIT) Consortium - helping engineering enterprises to address environmental objectives and regulations during design.

European Framework Programme projects

Grants is a member of the following EU collaborative projects.

Manudirect project

A European Nanotechnologies Project that aims to provide industry with a new platform for manufacturing using a high productivity, high resolution, direct, one step laser sintering process. Granta helps to manage materials data relating to the project and to model the behavior of micro-managed materials.

Manudirect website >>>

Step-Up

"Step Up in Polymer Based Rapid Manufacturing Processes" aims to provide a wide variety of innovative Selective Laser Sintering systems to enable the creation of "final components" through the employment of innovative nano-charged polymers. A mechano-chemical approach is used for the development of these innovative nanocomposites. Granta is undertaking  materials eco-design and selection activities and collaborating on SLS materials data modeling, as well as providing materials data handling for the project partners.

Step-Up website >>>

NanoMicro

The NanoMicro project aims to provide manufacturing industry with an entirely nano-micro-manufacturing platform, by way of a new micron-scale resolution and an innovative direct parallel-deposition process. The process will be able to deliver a layer-wise manufacturing approach using highly focalized powder/heat fluxes. Granta is undertaking materials design and selection activities for the project partners, balancing ecological materials selection criteria with product cost.

NanoMicro website >>>

Supersonic

The basic scientific and technological aim of the Supersonic project is the generation of nanostructured coatings. A powerful new deposition technology (Cold Gas Spray) is being adopted to generate innovative multifunctional "reactive" nanophased powders, allowing their transfer onto the substrate in the form of coatings with very little or no change of crystal structure and properties. Granta is undertaking the materials eco-design and selection activities for the project and building a database for nano-deposited coatings.

Supersonic website >>>

Other collaborative projects

Samulet

The Samulet industry-academic collaborative programme is led by Rolls-Royce and involves other high-profile manufacturers, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), and several of the UK’s top universities. Funding from industry, the UK Technology Strategy Board and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is expected to total £90m. SAMULET aims to ensure that the aero-engine industry remains competitive in the face of new 2020 emissions targets for aircraft and that it is in a position to manufacture engines for the next generation of civil aircraft.Granta are providing materials eco-design and selection activities.

Samulet press release (PDF) >>>

MI-21

Granta materials database technology supports the MI-21 project. Metals Information for the 21st Century (MI-21) is an information service that brings together, online, key data from the comprehensive knowledge bases of the World Metal Index (WMI) and TWI (The Welding Institute). This combination provides a powerful resource for information on metallic materials and consumables used in the manufacturing industry.

MI-21 website >>>

MatML

Initiated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), MatML (Materials Markup Language) is a standard for electronic exchange of materials property information. It is based on XML (eXtensible Markup Language) principles. Granta participates in the MatML Coordination Committee whichs steers the project.

MatML website >>>