Granta Design has extended its Granta MI software. The new capabilities, developed in collaboration with Rowan Technology Group, focus on the complex compliance, regulatory, and risk factors relating to restricted substances. Coatings are critical in many engineering applications, enabling designers to control mechanical, electrical, thermal, and other properties, as well as the look and feel of a product. Designers need to choose a coating that not only meets functional and cost requirements, but also avoids problems with manufacture, supply, or restricted substance regulations, such as the European Union’s REACH.
Rowan Technology Group has helped Granta to compile the coatings data module, a dataset that can be added to corporate materials databases stored in the Granta MI system. The module covers more than 100 coatings of types including anodising, corrosion inhibitor, conversion, CVD, electro/electroless plate, heat treat, primer, PVD, topcoat, and thermal spray. Traditional coatings such as cadmium plate with chromate-conversion are included, as well as new and alternative coatings such as aluminium and low-hydrogen embrittlement zinc-nickel, with trivalent and non-chrome sealers. Each coating is described in a well-referenced record detailing more than 60 technical, restricted substance, substitution, cost, and other properties.
Within Granta MI, this data can be integrated with an existing database of more than 6,000 restricted substances and 60 regulations, legislations, and industry standards that impact these substances. Related substances, materials, coatings, legislations, and company material and process specifications are linked.
