Newswise — July 9, 2013 – Warrendale, PA (USA): Practical guidance on gaining a competitive edge by greatly accelerating the development and manufacture of advanced materials at significantly reduced costs is the focus of Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME): Implementing ICME in the Aerospace, Automotive, and Maritime Industries—a groundbreaking study released today by The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) at the 2nd World Congress on ICME in Salt Lake City, Utah. The study is now available for free download on the TMS website at www.tms.org/icmestudy.
Currently, it takes about 10 to 20 years for a new material to evolve from a laboratory concept to commercial readiness. By tightly integrating personnel, computational models, physical experiments, design, and manufacturing processes across the product development cycle, an ICME approach to materials development can potentially cut this time in half, while also saving millions in development costs. Since 2008, when a U.S. National Academies of Sciences report first identified the power of ICME to revolutionize materials-intensive product development cycles, ICME efforts have focused, in large part, on raising awareness about the potential of this new materials science discipline, according to George Spanos, TMS Technical Director and Study Project Leader.
"There have been lots of symposia and articles published, but not a whole lot of new 'boots-on-the-ground' guidance on how to implement ICME-Accelerated Product Development Programs," said Spanos. "A strong message in this report is that we have the tools and expertise that we need to implement ICME in the short term. It's time to stop talking about ICME's value and move forward with realizing the benefits of this approach."
Spanos said that the new TMS report bridges the gap between theoretical discussion and real-world application of ICME by providing detailed, realistic frameworks for implementing ICME-Accelerated Product Development Programs within the next three years. Although developed with the needs of the automotive, aerospace, and maritime sectors in mind, the frameworks and recommendations are also highly portable to other industries. Specific study features include:
- Flow diagrams and extensive tables detailing: necessary actions throughout the product development cycle; entry and exit points of the ICME portions of the cycle; suggestions for computational models and tools to use at various steps; necessary skill sets and personnel; and key decision points.
- In-depth recommendations for addressing ICME implementation issues that cut across all industrial sectors. These include building a business case for ICME, effectively integrating design into the manufacturing and materials development process, and issues related to verification and validation.
- Identification of more than 50 near-term application opportunities for implementing ICME in the aerospace, automotive, and maritime industries.
The study was successfully completed within an aggressive timeframe—13 months from idea development to presentation at the ICME Congress—largely due to the commitment and efforts of nearly 50 leading scientists, engineers, and technical experts recruited by TMS to volunteer their time and talents to the project. "The volunteer study teams that made this project possible were models of ICME in action," said James J. Robinson, TMS Executive Director. "They deftly integrated the expertise and perspectives of professionals representing the entire product development cycle to produce an exceptional resource on a tight deadline in a cost-effective manner. I am proud of TMS's role in coordinating this effort, particularly since I believe it will be viewed as a milestone in the evolution of ICME as a discipline. However, it is these volunteer leaders who are responsible for the quality, value, and lasting impact of this work."
Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME): Implementing ICME in the Aerospace, Automotive, and Maritime Industries was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Naval Research and Air Force Research Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy—Vehicle Technologies Office), and the U.S. National Science Foundation (Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation) under a grant to TMS.
About TMS The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) is a member-driven international professional society dedicated to fostering the exchange of learning and ideas across the entire range of materials science and engineering, from minerals processing and primary metals production, to basic research and the advanced applications of materials. Included among its 12,000 professional and student members are metallurgical and materials engineers, scientists, researchers, educators, and administrators from more than 70 countries on six continents. For more information on TMS, visit www.tms.org.
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