Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science widens access to half a century of metals research

Cambridge, UK – Jan 30, 2012 – Granta Design today announced an agreement with Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) to provide searchable access to metals property data from NIMS. This world-leading data-set results from years of continuous testing of metals including steels (e.g., carbon steels, low alloy steels, high chromium steels, and austenitic stainless steels) as well as a wide range of alloys (e.g., Iron-based, Nickel-based, and Cobalt-based alloys). It includes the raw numerical data from detailed creep measurements and fatigue data, which is crucial for materials engineers considering safety and long-term reliability in the energy fields.

NIMS is world-renowned for its expertise on the long-term behavior of metallic materials. This behavior is critical for power stations and processing plants, and the data generated by NIMS is important for design, maintenance, and overhaul.
The results of about fifty years of research data (the original research body, the National Research Institute for Metals, was established in 1956) have, until now, only been generally available as published graphs and figures. For the first time, users will be able to access and use the underlying raw numerical data. The data will be available through the leading materials information management system, GRANTA MI™, which gives easy web browser-based access and allows users to search, plot, and export data for use in Computer Aided Engineering (CAE).

NIMS has already made an independent study of distribution methods that allow more active use of this valuable data. Under this agreement, NIMS will supply creep and fatigue characteristics data to Granta, which has a proven record in the development and sales of materials information systems. Wider access to this data will enable the engineering community to make an even greater contribution to the creation of a safe, secure, and sustainable society at the global level.

Granta will be making the NIMS data available as a GRANTA MI data module later in 2012. Installing GRANTA MI on a corporate network can also provide fast, integrated, enterprise-wide access to in-house and other reference data, complementing the NIMS dataset.

Dr. Toshio Ogata, Station Director of the Materials Information Station at NIMS, commented that he “expects this agreement to provide the opportunity for use of data that NIMS has accumulated in a wide range of fields, from energy to transportation equipment and structures.”

"This is great news for anyone who needs materials property data in energy and processing plant applications,” commented Granta’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr Patrick Coulter. “We are delighted to be working with NIMS to make this leading source of materials information more widely available, and to add this valuable creep and fatigue data to our extensive portfolio of property data on metals, alloys, and other materials.”

ABOUT GRANTA DESIGN

Granta Design Limited are the materials information technology experts. Granta develops the leading software for materials information management in engineering enterprises, and the leading teaching resource for materials engineering education. Granta serves sectors as diverse as aerospace, defense, energy, medical devices, automotive, manufacture of consumer and industrial equipment, materials production, and publishing. Customers realize multi-million dollar benefits in reduced cost, enhanced product performance, improved quality, and faster design turnaround. Granta was founded in 1994 as a spinout from the University of Cambridge and the work of Professors Mike Ashby and David Cebon.

ABOUT NIMS

NIMS is Japan's sole Independent Administrative Institution (IAI) specializing in materials science. NIMS was created through the merger of two National Research Institutes, NRIM (National Research Institute of Metals) and NIRIM (National Institute for Research in Inorganic Materials), in April 2001. NIMS is charged with the task of comprehensive management of basic research and development of materials science and to advance the level of expertise in the field. To do this, NIMS also reaches out to other research centers in Japan and around the world. NIMS has its headquarter in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, and has research centers some of which focus on special research and international activities. NIMS has 1,489 staff in total (as of Oct.1, 2011. Fixed-term employees included).

LINKS TO FURTHER INFORMATION

NIMS: http://www.nims.go.jp/eng/

Granta: http://www.grantadesign.com

GRANTA MI: http://www.grantadesign.com/products/mi/

Supporting images: http://www.grantadesign.com/news/media.htm

GRANTA MI is a trademark of Granta Design Limited.

Contact: 
Beth Cope
Technical Marketing Communications
Granta Design Limited
+44-1223-218029 / +1-800-241-1546

beth.cope@grantadesign.com