Cambridge, UK and Leuven, Belgium – February 12, 2007

Granta and Econcore to Develop New Sandwich Materials Software Tool 

Granta Design and EconCore are to cooperate in the development of a software tool for sandwich material selection and optimization. The tool will enable users to explore the potential weight and cost savings offered by sandwich material combinations.

Material combinations, such as fiber-reinforced composites and sandwich constructions, enable the optimal use of each material component. Sandwich construction combines the in-plane properties of a skin material with the out-of-plane properties of a core material, leading to a more effective use of both materials. Maximizing performance per unit of cost can require designers to consider a complex balance of the different functions of, for example, the outer layers and center material of a plate or shell, against variables such as cost and weight. These designers need an easy way to compare potential sandwich material combinations against each other and against monolithic materials, and to select the optimal combination.

Granta applies its materials information technology expertise to help engineering organizations capture, analyze, and apply critical materials data. Granta’s Cambridge Engineering Selector technology is the world’s leading software-based method for the systematic selection of materials in engineering design. Granta combines this capability with unique materials data management and analysis tools, creating solutions that allow its customers to increase the efficiency of design, to gain valuable new insight, and to take better decisions in their specification and use of materials. The collaboration with EconCore aims to extend these benefits to organizations using or considering sandwich materials.

EconCore offers technologies for continuous production of most economic honeycomb cores from paper (TorHex) and thermoplastic materials (ThermHex). These allow further in-line processing of lightweight, cost efficient, and high quality sandwich panels and parts. In order to support customers and licensees in their application development EconCore has also started to develop a sandwich materials selection software tool for internal use. It enables a graphical comparison of the material efficiency of solid materials and different sandwich material combinations and allows users to study weight- and cost-saving factors.

Having a strong scientific background, both companies are committed to provide industry with a scientifically sound but easy to use software tool for comparing and selecting sandwich material combinations for specific applications with combined performance per cost and performance per weight targets.

About EconCore

EconCore NV provides core technologies for most economic, continuously produced sandwich panels and parts with honeycomb cores. The low production costs of EconCore honeycombs enable substitution of other cores and homogeneous panel materials. Our technologies for lightweight and cost-efficient components with TorHex (paper honeycomb) or ThermHex (thermoplastic honeycomb) can be used in a wide range of applications, e.g., in automotive, building and packaging industries as well as in furniture and aerospace industries. For specific application areas and material combinations we offer licences and support customers and licensees in their application development and integration of the EconCore technologies in existing production lines.

LINKS TO FURTHER INFORMATION:

Media resources page for high resolution image: www.grantadesign.com/news/media.htm
EconCore website: www.econcore.com