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CES EduPack Software

The CES EduPack software is a Windows PC application that allows teachers and students to interact with the extensive property and processing information available in the CES Edupack database, and to apply that information in materials selection and other projects.

Browsing and searching materials infromation

With Browse, students locate the material or process in which they are interested in a simple-to-use tree hierarchy. They click to view the relevant datasheet, which describes the materials and lists its properties. They can then follow hyperlinks to related records (for example, to the processes that can act on a material) or to supporting information (for example, science notes defining a materials attribute).

With Search, students find materials and processes by name, trade name, application, or other key words. For instance, typing in ‘ABS’ finds this record.

The speed, interactivity, ease-of-use, and clear presentation make the CES EduPack software a very effective learning environment for students of materials and processes. This environment is made even more powerful through integrated materials analysis tools.

Materials selection

The Select tool provides systematic material and process selection. Students can apply a range of numerical and graphical selection criteria to identify which materials meet a specific design objective. The most powerful of these are material property charts (sometimes called Ashby charts). At an introductory level, the visual nature of the charts engages student interest in the relationships between materials families (such as metals, polymers and ceramics) and encourages self-learning through exploration of the materials data.

All of the materials at level 2 in a Materials Property Chart.

At a more advanced levels, students learn to select optimal materials or processes by specifying a set of design requirements in the form of constraints and objectives. Constraints screen out unsuitable candidates and may be as simple as ‘the material must be an electrical conductor’ or ‘the material must be able to be injection molded’. The software allows for multiple constraints to be added in different stages. Objectives are then used to rank suitable candidates from best to worst. Typical objectives are ‘minimize cost’ or ‘minimize weight’. Objectives may also be expressed as performance indices – such as 'density per unit modulus' or 'cost per unit volume per unit strength'. Material and process selection projects can be saved and retrieved for later reference or further development.

Eco Audit tool output - click for a larger image showing more of an eco audit reportThe Eco Audit tool - new in 2008!

The Eco Audit tool helps to teach key concepts in eco-design and aids project work to analyze the environmental impact of products. The user inputs information about product composition, usage, and transportation. This is then combined with with eco property data on the materials and processes used to make it, in order to produce a report that estimates the energy usage and CO2 output resulting from each stage in the product life cycle (illustrated, right).

The tool allows the user to identify which life phase(s) dominate the product's environmental impact. This is a valuable first step in considering how to reduce that impact. It also helps students to grasp ideas that are essential to rational eco design - for example, the need to analyze the full life cycle of a product, and to consider 'hidden' environmental costs such as the energy or CO2 output 'embodied' in producing a raw material, or the cost of disposal at end-of-life.

You can download "The CES EduPack Eco Audit Tool - A White Paper" as part of the EduPack information pack >>>

CES Constructor

CES Constructor is an optional software product, available with the EduPack, that lets you construct and edit your own EduPack databases. It is of particular use when applying CES EduPack's selection and analysis tools in research or in detailed final-year or postgraduate projects.

Software editions

For most courses in general engineering, materials and manufacturing, we recommend the CES EduPack Standard Edition package. This includes CES EduPack software and an extensive set of materials and processes data covering over 3,000 engineering materials.

Special editions are available that have been specially tailored for courses in Industrial and Product Design, Aerospace Engineering, Polymer Science, Bio Engineering, and Architecture and the Built Environment.

License options

You can choose an EduPack license to suit your own course and budget from a range of licensing options.

See a demonstration of the software...