TECHNOLOGY NEWS:
New software for aluminium alloy property prediction
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL), UK, has developed a solution to the arduous and expensive task of obtaining reliable values for material properties for aluminium alloys. It comes in the form of the Virtual Measurement System (VMS), a software tool that allows engineers, material scientists and researchers working with aluminium alloys to predict key thermo-physical properties and simulate how specific materials will perform, without the need for expensive tests. The Virtual Measurement System for aluminium alloys is the first in a series of software tools that NPL is developing along side MTDATA, the original software produced for the calculation of phase equilibria from thermo-dynamic data.
VMS is aimed at non-specialist engineers working in foundry or similar industrial environments; it allows them to predict specific data at a click of a button. Its key features include:
- Complex calculations requiring no user intervention or prior knowledge of the basis behind the models;
- Results can be easily exported into an Excel™ spreadsheet, allowing the user to analyse the results further or combine them with other data;
- Choice of varying levels of accuracy of calculations depending on whether the user wants a quick look or a more precise value.
The National Physical Laboratory is an acknowledged world leader in the measurement and modelling of thermo-physical properties. With help from the Virtual Measurement System, companies can dramatically improve production through lower energy costs, lower scrap costs and even higher standards of product quality and consistency. This is relevant, not only in the processing of aluminium alloys, but across the spectrum of modelling throughout industry.
Company: |
National Physical Laboratory |
Country: |
UK |
Fax: |
+44 20 8943 6458 |
Email: |
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Website: |
www.npl.co.uk |