GRANTA MI:Toolbox

GRANTA MI:Toolbox is a quick, powerful, and easy-to-use Windows application that helps you to import and process data in order to build your materials database.

MI:Toolbox makes it quick and easy to capture and process large amounts of test data—a process which may otherwise be very time-consuming, or which may even be neglected entirely, resulting in the loss of valuable information. Using its simple 'Wizard' style interface you can, for example, rapidly import test data from existing spreadsheets.

MI:Toolbox also provides an environment in which materials experts can extract data from the database, perform any of a broad range of specialist materials analyses, and import the results back to the database—ensuring that all of the source data and details of the methods applied are captured for future traceability. Granta integrates a range of supporting analysis modules in the MI:Metals Lab and MI:Composites Lab products. Your organization's own analysis tools can also be integrated with MI:Toolbox.

MI:Toolbox is used to import data from an Instron test machine (one of the text files being imported is shown) into a GRANTA MI database (the contents of the database are shown in the left hand panel)—click for a larger image.

Data import and export

MI:Toolbox tools include:

• Text file import template generator—enables you to configure GRANTA MI to import any text file (e.g., test machine output, results from analysis software...)
• Spreadsheet import / export template generator—enables you to configure GRANTA MI to import any Excel file and to export to Excel.
• NEW in GRANTA MI Version 5 are tools to enhance this process originally developed as the 'gRRappler' software by materials engineers at Rolls-Royce. These can analyze the structure of your database (the 'schema') and automatically generate the template files that are required in order to transfer proprietary data to and from Excel. The tools are designed to deal with the complex, functional data typically found in aerospace engineering
• Bulk data importer—you can easily import large amounts of legacy data
• Importers for MTS and Instron file formats—ready-made importers for some popular test machines (illustrated above—but, remember, you can generate your own importers, enabling capture of data from any machine with text output)

Data processing and analysis

MI:Toolbox supports the processing of data and its analysis using specialist materials engineering methods. Features include:

• Automatic link creation—allows you to analyze a database (or group of records) and automatically create links between related data. For example, test records could be automatically linked to the record describing the material on which the test was performed, based on the value of a batch number in the test record. Automating creation of these links not only saves time, it also guarantees that key relationships are identified accurately—a vital feature in industries (such as aerospace) where the pedigree of information is important
• Statistical calculations—you can compute statistical data for a group of records in a GRANTA MI database. This enables quick generation of summary data and is often used for data-checking
• Lab data analysis—you can analye properties such as creep, fatigue, and tensile strength for a group of records. Analysis functionality is provided by a series of calculation modules, available through the MI:Metals Lab and MI:Composites Lab products. Or your organization's own analysis software can be integrated. The user selects the relevant records within MI:Toolbox, chooses the relevant calculation module, is prompted to fill in required input parameters for the calculation, and then launches the calculation. This typically opens an Excel spreadsheet which reports results and allows them to be refined and manipulated. Finally, MI:Toolbox can be used to import results into the database.

MI:Toolbox is designed to enable fast, efficient processing and analysis of data, including connection to specialist materials engineering tools. The MI:Toolbox interface ensures that advanced data management and analysis tasks can be performed with ease, using standard productivity tools in the familiar Windows environment. MI:Toolbox helps to ensure that raw and processed data and analysis results are all captured in the database, and that the vital relationships between all of this data are recorded and maintained.