Solvay (Brussels, Belgium)  and MultiMechanics (Omaha, NE, US) announced May 17 they have partnered to develop a material simulation software platform that could reduce the time and cost of developing and certifying new materials by 40%. Currently, the time and cost to a material supplier to develop and certify a new structural aerospace material can take five years and up to $50M, while the cost to the OEM to certify the material can be even higher.

Scientists at Solvay were looking for a simulation tool that could:

• Process inputs such as fiber volume fraction, fiber orientation, interface effects, resin ductility, material variability
• Handle the amount of explicit inputs required in order to properly define and test new materials
• Quickly provide insight into how changes at the constituent material level affect overall mechanical performance at the composite level
• Shorten the feedback loop from new constituent synthesis to composite property determination

MultiMechanics partnered with Solvay to address these challenges, and in 2017, Solvay Ventures co-invested $1.9 million to speed up the development of the MultiMechanics solution. Since then, MultiMechanics has enabled the Solvay team to understand their materials on a deeper level, expedite the material development process, and enter into new markets. The team can now send new material designs to be physically tested with greater confidence that their new design will pass testing. They also have insight into exactly how, when, and where damage will occur, and how they can mitigate it. 

“We are confident this software can accelerate innovation in complex materials and the penetration of composites in the automotive and aerospace industries,” says Nicolas Cudré Mauroux, chief technology officer at Solvay. “The accuracy and speed afforded by MultiMechanics, and its efficient integration with commonly used commercial finite element software packages, is changing the way we develop new materials and interact with our customers.”