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Committee on Integrated Computational Materials Engineering: Developing a Roadmap for a Grand Challenge in Materials

The National Materials Advisory Board has formed the Committee on Integrated Computational Materials Engineering to identify critical paths forward and propose a strategy to facilitate innovation in the interdisciplinary field of computational materials engineering; improve knowledge sharing among researchers, developers, and designers across the research programs supported by the federal government; and identify the challenges associated with gaps in knowledge and understanding.

Closely coupling computational models for manufacturing process and engineering design has many important benefits, including decreased time and reduced cost to develop new products and enhanced durability. The missing link, however, has been lack of the robust materials models required to bridge these disciplines. Because of its complexity and broad scope, materials engineering is a decade or more behind other engineering disciplines in developing a core set of computational tools available to practicing engineers. Finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics are central to undergraduate curricula in mechanical engineering and are routinely used by practicing engineers in manufacturing and engineering design. There is no analogous computational tool available to materials engineers despite major accomplishments in computational materials science.

The vision for Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) is the development of a comprehensive, integrated suite of verified computational materials models linked to models for simulating manufacturing processes and engineering design. Such a suite of tools in a robust, user-friendly computational environment would enable simultaneous optimization of manufacturing process and component design, materials selection or rapid materials development. A strategy to develop ICME could include initiatives in several areas: Methods and Tools; Databases and Informatics; Dissemination and Infrastructure.

In carrying out this study the committee will identify critical paths forward and propose a strategy to facilitate innovation in this interdisciplinary field; improve knowledge sharing among researchers, developers, and designers across the research programs supported by the federal government; identify the challenges associated with gaps in knowledge and understanding. Issues that might be considered include: workforce and educational needs for progressing the identified goals for the field; the separate roles of professional societies, software firms and academic institutions in development and maintenance of the infrastructure, and identifying the connections between research in computational materials engineering and other fields, in particular, emerging software and web-based technologies.

1. The exploration of the benefits and promise of integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) to materials research through a series of case studies of compelling materials research themes that are enabled by recent advances and accomplishments in the field of computational materials.

2. An assessment of the benefits of a comprehensive ICME capability to the national priorities.

3. The establishment of a strategy for the development and maintenance of an ICME infrastructure, including databases and model integration activities. This should include both near-term and long-range goals, likely participants and responsible agents of change.

Tresa M. Pollock, University of Michigan, Chair
John Allison, Ford Research Laboratory, Vice Chair
Daniel Backman, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Mary Boyce, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mark Gersh, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company
Elizabeth A. Holm, Sandia National Laboratories
Richard LeSar, Iowa State University
Mike Long, Linux Networx Inc
Adam Powell, Veryst Engineering, LLC
Jack J. Schirra, Pratt & Whitney
Deborah DeMania Whitis, GE Aircraft Engines
Christopher Woodward, Air Force Research Laboratory

The biographies of the committee can be viewed at the NRC Current Projects System.

Meeting dates for the Committee on Integrated Computations Materials Engineering are shown below. Information on the agendas is available on the NRC’s Current Project System.

First Meeting: November 30 – December 1, 2006 in Washington, DC

Second Meeting March 13 – March 14, 2007 in Washington, DC

Third Meeting May 29 – May 31, 2007 in Irvine, CA

Final Meeting October 18 – October 19, 2007, in Irvine, CA

CICME is actively pursuing community comments and feedback. Please consider submitting your thoughts to the committee in any of the following way:

By Email: Send comments directly to the committee at icme@nas.edu Please bear in mind that all information submitted to the committee in writing will be made publicly available.

ICME Study Committee Town Hall: CICME held a town hall meeting at the TMS meeting in Orlando on February 28th. The town meeting followed the ICME technical session and provided the research community an opportunity to hear about the project, meet with committee members, and provide input and perspective to the study. The committee members present included Tresa Pollock, CICME Chair, and John Allison, CICME Vice-Chair. The NMAB is grateful to TMS for their cooperation in organizing this town hall meeting.