Finding the precise material for an application used to mean trial and error — with an emphasis on the error. For decades, developing a novel material was a lengthy and costly process. Enter material science. A rapidly growing field, material science has the capacity to accelerate product development and resolve manufacturing challenges. One of the newest developments in material science is Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME), the process of designing materials and optimizing existing ones with the specific properties needed to deliver superior performance in highly sensitive operations. ICME can speed development timeframes by using applied science and mathematics in lieu of experimentation. There’s a Material for That ICME is helping companies move toward a material development process that applies physics-based mechanistic models to reduce iterations. Developing the right material means carefully determining what microstructure is needed to achieve an application’s necessary properties (e.g., strength, temperature/corrosion, and resistance) and then simulating what material chemistry and thermal processing is needed to obtain that engineered microstructure. One of the leaders in the field of ICME, QuesTek Innovations excels in modeling how microstructures evolve through processing and how it impacts final properties, using a combination of computational tools, real-world prototyping, and advanced materials characterization techniques. Jeff Grabowski, director of business development at QuesTek spoke during last month’s meeting of AMT - The Association of Manufacturing Technology’s Technology Issues Committee, hosted by Denison Industries at their facility in Denison, Texas.QuesTek spoke during last month’s meeting of AMT - The Association of Manufacturing Technology’s Technology Issues Committee, hosted by Denison Industries at their facility in Denison, Texas. Solutions in Action Grabowski discussed how QuesTek combines ICME with experimentation to make material development less costly, quicker, and easier. They are resolving critical industry and government challenges with innovative materials. “QuesTek was an early pioneer of ICME technologies, and we are recognized as a global leader in this space,” notes Grabowski. “The world’s most innovative organizations and companies hire us to bring a deep metallurgical understanding to their priorities and challenges, developing game-changing materials and manufacturing solutions. We are designing new materials and improving existing materials. We are always engaged in a wide variety of programs working with a diverse set of clients on material and manufacturing challenges and how we can meet those challenges.” For instance, QuesTek was called upon in 2012 to design a bespoke Ni-based superalloy for SpaceX. The goal of the project was to achieve a very specific set of strength, temperature resistance, and burn resistance properties to allow SpaceX’s new rocket engine to mix liquid methane and liquid oxygen. Combining these chemicals results in higher temperatures but also enables greater thrust. QuesTek used ICME to quickly suggest a novel composition range that has now become SpaceX’s work horse material for the Raptor Engines for the Starship. QuesTek’s work has also helped other notable companies achieve strategic goals, including Apple, championship F1 teams, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Rolls Royce, and other leaders across the industry. DIY for Materials In addition to material development, QuesTek has applied its 30 years of experience in the field to develop a Software-as-a-Service platform called ICMD (Integrated Computational Materials Design). Hosted on AWS with ISO security, ICMD lets clients input proprietary data privately to further calibrate existing models and optimize materials, enabling faster qualification — particularly valuable for additive manufacturing. This also provides added security for companies that do not wish to reveal proprietary information but need assistance with material design. No more Trial and Error As computational speed and capacity continue to expand, the power of ICME will undoubtedly grow. Finding the right material for any manufacturing application no longer has to be costly or time-consuming. Let ICME do the dirty work — and move from trial and error to tried and true. Information presented during AMT’s Technology Issues Committee Meeting.
Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) is a new method for designing and optimizing materials with precise properties to boost performance in sensitive applications.
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