Getting Started With Granta EduPack

Getting Started with Granta EduPack
Table of Contents
1 About these exercises................................................................................................. 4

2 About Granta EduPack ............................................................................................... 5
2.1 Main features and tools ............................................................................................ 5
2.2 Chart toolbar guide ................................................................................................... 6
3 Browsing and Searching ............................................................................................. 7

Exercise 1: Opening a database ....................................................................................... 7
Exercise 2: Browse material records ................................................................................ 8
Exercise 3: Browse process records ............................................................................... 10
Exercise 4: Searching ...................................................................................................... 10
4 Creating property charts .......................................................................................... 12

Exercise 5: Create a bar chart......................................................................................... 12
Exercise 6: Create a bubble chart ................................................................................... 13
5 Filtering and screening ............................................................................................. 15

Exercise 7: Selection using a Chart Stage ....................................................................... 15
Exercise 8: Selection using a Limit Stage ........................................................................ 17
Exercise 9: Selection using a Tree Stage......................................................................... 18
6 Putting it all together ............................................................................................... 19

Exercise 10: Combining filtering and charting tools ....................................................... 19
Exercise 11: Process selection ........................................................................................ 20
Exercise 12: Advanced selection using the Performance Index Finder.......................... 21
Exercise 13: Advanced selection with Comparison Tables............................................. 23
Exercise 14: Advanced selection with Find Similar and Limit Stage............................... 24
Exercise 15: Advanced selection with Find Similar and Nearness Settings.................... 27
Exercise 16: Calculate values for a Limit Stage using Engineering Solver ...................... 28
7 Saving, copying, and report writing ......................................................................... 29

Exercise 17: Adding comments and saving a project ..................................................... 29
Exercise 18: Copying charts, data and results lists ......................................................... 29
Exercise 19: Exporting Selection Reports ....................................................................... 30
© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. /2

8 Eco Audit tool ........................................................................................................... 31
Exercise 20: Define and audit a product ........................................................................ 31
Exercise 21: Compare products with Eco Audit ............................................................. 33
Exercise 22: Saving and exporting .................................................................................. 35
9 Synthesizer tool ........................................................................................................ 36

Exercise 23: Model hybrid materials with the Sandwich Panels model......................... 36
Exercise 24: Part Cost Estimator .................................................................................... 38
Exercise 25: Battery Designer......................................................................................... 41

1 About these exercises

The Getting Started exercises provide an overview of the key tools and features in Ansys Granta
EduPack, and form a set of tutorials to help you familiarize yourself with the software. You can
choose whether to work through them in order, or complete only the exercises relevant to you.
There are also Getting Started video tutorials for Granta EduPack. These can be used independently
of the exercises, or alongside them, to test and check your knowledge.
This set of exercises covers the main tools and features available in Granta EduPack 2022 R1 and
Granta EduPack 2022 R1 Introductory or later. Earlier versions may give different results, or not
include all features.
In this document:
❖ Each step of the exercises is shown on a gold background, like this.

More detailed instructions appear below the main instruction.
Text on elements in the software (such as buttons, dialogs and tabs) appears in bold,
like this. The names of records, datatables, and documents are emphasised like this.
Words and numbers that you type as you follow the instructions appear in
monotype, like this.
More resources to help you get started
For help using the software, or resources for teaching and learning, try:
Granta Edupack Help Learn Online FAQs: Ansys Learning Forum
If you can’t find the answer to your question above, email us at granta-education-team@ansys.com.

2 About Granta EduPack
2.1 Main features and tools

The main tools in Granta EduPack and Granta EduPack Introductory are:
Browse: Explore the database and retrieve records via a hierarchical index or tree.
Search: Find information via a full-text search of records.
Select: The central hub of Granta EduPack, used to apply the systematic material
selection methodology. A powerful selection engine that identifies records that meet an
array of design criteria and enables trade-offs between competing objectives.
Chart: Create charts and add formatting and labels to illustrate your point.
Eco Audit: Quickly estimate the energy usage and carbon footprint of a product over its
entire lifecycle, and study What If design scenarios.
The following tools and features are enabled in all advanced Level 3 databases included in Granta
EduPack (for example, Level 3 Aerospace and Level 3 Eco Design, but not Level 3):
Enhanced Eco Audit: The enhanced version of the tool also accounts for Secondary,
Joining, and Finishing processes, and includes a cost analysis.
Synthesizer: Estimate performance of materials by modelling new hybrid materials,

battery packs, or the part cost of a design; and compare these results with existing records.
Engineering Solver: Quickly calculate the required strength, stiffness or Shape Factor for
a given design, and include them in a Limit Stage.
Find Similar: Select materials based on how similar their properties are to a Reference
record.
Comparison Tables: Compare up to 20 records side-by-side, and highlight the differences

in their material properties from a Reference record.
Selection Reports: Easily record and summarise your complex selection project with an
automatically generated report.
The exercises for these advanced features are designed so that Introductory users can simply skip
them. You will also be prompted to change databases to one that supports the feature.

2.2 Chart toolbar guide

The chart toolbar is displayed between the stage title and chart area on the Chart tab.
Add an Create curve Highlight Highlight

index line Zoom out annotation favorite records Reference record*
Edit stage Delete all lines Add text Show results from Highlight
properties and boxes label all enabled stages user defined records
Perform a box Zoom to view Show material Highlight

selection by dragging all records family envelopes synthesized records
Select items and add Zoom in Create arrow Hide failed Find records near
record labels annotation records selected record
*Highlight Reference record and Highlight synthesized records are not available in Granta
EduPack Introductory, and the icon will always be grayed out.

3 Browsing and Searching
Opening a database
On starting Granta EduPack, the Databases window will appear, showing all installed databases. The
following exercises use the MaterialUniverse and ProcessUniverse tables, which are found within all
Granta material databases. After clicking on a database name in the Databases window to select it,
the Homepage then opens to show a list of the available tables and a graphic for each subset.
From the homepage you can view more information on the database, select a subset, and access
online resources for students and educators.
❖ Select the Level 2 database

If a feature used in an exercise is not enabled in the Level 2 database, you will asked
to change to one that does as part of the exercise. Results and images may differ if
you complete an exercise using a different database.
❖ Read about the available data and applications

Click Database information to view a detailed description of the database.
Click the Back arrow to return to the homepage.
❖ Select a material subset

Click one of the subset icons, and notice that the Browse panel appears.
❖ Change to the ProcessUniverse table

Click ProcessUniverse and notice that the Browse tree in the left panel updates.

❖ Close the Homepage tab

Click the cross at the top of the Homepage tab. This page can be reopened at any
time by clicking Home on the main toolbar.
❖ Change to the MaterialUniverse table

With the Homepage closed, navigate to different tables using the Table list in the
Browse panel.
Browse Search Select
Table: MaterialUniverse
Subset: All materials
Browse material records
❖ Select the MaterialUniverse table and the All Materials subset
MaterialUniverse
Ceramics and glasses
Hybrids: composites, foams...
Metals and alloys
Polymers and elastomers
❖ Find the record for Stainless Steel

Double-click a folder in the browse tree to view the records and folders below it.
❖ Open the folder-level record for Polymers

Folder-level records provide a general overview of a material family, rather than
containing data on a specific material. They have their own icon: .

❖ Open the Polypropylene (PP) record

Double-click the record name in the tree to view the datasheet.
Click to view Science Notes for more information on the property and underlying
science.
Right-click the datasheet to see a menu with further actions, for example: Locate in
Browse tree, Copy or Print the datasheet, and Export the data in a CAD/CAE
package format.
❖ Find processes that can shape Polypropylene, by clicking the ProcessUniverse link
at the bottom of the datasheet.
Part of the Polypropylene Level 2 datasheet

Browse process records
❖ Browse ProcessUniverse: All Processes
Table: ProcessUniverse
Subset: All processes
ProcessUniverse
Joining
Shaping
Surface treatment
❖ Find the record for the shaping process Injection molding, thermoplastics
❖ Find the record for the surface treatment process Vapor metallizing (PVD)
❖ Find the record for the joining process Friction welding (metals)
❖ Find materials that can be die cast, using the link to MaterialUniverse at the
bottom of the datasheet for Gravity die casting
Searching
❖ Find the material Polylactide
Polylactide
❖ Find the process Vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM)
❖ Find materials used for “cutting tools”

The search matches text on a datasheet. For example, a search for “cutting
tools” would return all records with the phrase “cutting tools” in the record
description or supporting information.
© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. / 10

❖ Find the material Concrete

The search matches the record's folder name. If the search term appears in a folder
name, all records under that folder will be returned; for example, a search for
concrete would return all records in the folder named Cement and concrete e.g.
Plaster of Paris.
❖ Enter the search term alum*

Records containing the terms Alumina, Aluminum or Alumino are returned.
Advanced searches
The following search operators are available:
Operator Description
AND Finds records containing both the search terms, so steel AND alloy
returns only records containing both the words steel and alloy
OR Finds records containing either search term, so steel OR alloy returns
all records that contain steel, alloy, or both
NOT Finds records containing the first search term, but not the second, so
steel NOT alloy returns only records with the word steel but without
the word alloy
Phrase Search Finds the exact search term, so “steel alloy” will return only records
containing the exact phrase steel alloy
Parentheses Used to group search terms, so iron AND (ore OR cast) will return the
records containing iron and containing either ore, cast, or both
Wildcards Use ? as a wildcard single character, or * as a wildcard representing any

number of characters (these cannot be used as the first character in a
search string)
Note: AND operators are automatically added when a search has two or more terms
and no other operators have been entered.

4 Creating property charts

Bar charts and bubble charts are a great way to visualize and communicate material properties, as
well as being a key tool to support systematic materials selection.
Create a bar chart
❖ Select MaterialUniverse: All materials
Click Chart/Select, and then select MaterialUniverse: All materials.
❖ Create a bar chart of Young’s modulus (E)
Under Selection Stages, click Chart/Index.

Set the Y-axis attribute to Young's modulus, and click OK.
For a bar chart, you do not set an X-axis: leave its attribute set to <None>.
1. Selection Data
Select from: MaterialUniverse: All materials
2. Selection Stages
Chart Limit Tree
Chart Stage
Y-axis
Attribute: Young s modulus
❖ Explore the chart
Click Zoom in and then drag to zoom in on an area of the chart.

Click Zoom out to zoom out.
Click Autoscale to zoom back to view the whole chart again.
❖ Label records on the chart

Click a record on the chart and then drag to add and position a new data label.
To delete a data label, select it and press DELETE. To delete all labels in the chart,
press CTRL+A and then press DELETE.

Create a bubble chart
❖ Make a bubble chart plotting Young’s modulus (E) against Density (ρ)
Under Selection Stages, click Chart/Index.

Set the Y-axis to Young’s modulus and set the X-axis to Density.
Leave the Axis Settings as default values to create a log-log plot.
1. Selection Data
2. Selection Stages
Chart Limit Tree
Chart Stage
X-axis Y-axis
Attribute: Density Attribute: Young s modulus

❖ Display family envelopes
Click Show Family Envelopes to look at how data for a given family of materials
cluster together.
❖ Label records on the chart

Hover the cursor over the record bubble to see the record name, and then label
some records (click over a record and drag).
Try adding labels from the Results list: right-click a record in the list, and select Label
on the shortcut menu, then drag the label where you want it on the chart.
If the new label isn’t visible at the current zoom, click Autoscale to display the
whole chart again.
❖ Delete this stage

Select the stage in the Selection Stages list and press DELETE.

5 Filtering and screening
Selection using a Chart Stage

When plotted on a Chart, records can also be filtered using the Index line and Box selection tools.
1 Bar chart
1. Selection Data
Box
Select from: MaterialUniverse: All materials selection
Yield strength
2. Selection Stages
Chart Limit Tree
2 Bubble chart
3. Results X out of Y pass Index line

Yield strength
Material 1
Material 2
Material 3
Material 4
Density
etc.
❖ Create a bar chart of Yield strength (σy)

Set the Y-axis to Yield strength (elastic limit).
❖ Use a Box selection to identify materials with high values of Yield strength
Click Box selection , then drag to define the selection box.

❖ Add Density (ρ) to the X-axis
Click Chart Settings , then go to the X-Axis tab and select Density as the X-axis
attribute. You can also double-click the chart axis to open the dialog.
❖ Use an Index line to identify materials with high values of specific strength, σy / ρ
Click Index and display lines .

Use the default Slope value of 1.
The objective of the line is set to Maximize the index by default, which will result in
selection of materials above the line, for high values of σy / ρ.
Click OK, then click the chart to position the line through a particular point.
Drag the line upwards to refine the selection to fewer materials.
❖ Add a Box selection to the chart to identify materials with low Density that
maximize the index.
❖ Rank the Results list by specific strength (Yield strength / Density)

Show: Stage 1: Yield strength v. Density
Rank by: Stage 1: Index value.
Example results: Bamboo, Cork, Rigid Polymer Foam (MD).
❖ Delete this stage

Select the stage in the Selection Stages list and press DELETE.

Selection using a Limit Stage
❖ Select materials with specific thermal and electrical properties.

Create a new Limit Stage with the following criteria:
Maximum service temperature > 200 °C
Thermal conductivity > 25 W/m.°C
Electrical resistivity > 1e15 μohm.cm
Use the limit bars for guidance on suitable values. Enter the limits – minimum or
maximum as appropriate – and click Apply.
You can change the units on the datasheet by going to the Units tab under Settings.
Example results: Aluminum nitride, Alumina, Silicon nitride.
1. Selection Data
Limit Stage
2. Selection Stages
Mechanical properties
Chart Limit Tree
Thermal properties
Min Max
3. Results X out of Y pass Max. service temp. 200 °C
Material 1
Thermal conductivity 25 W/m.°C
Material 2
Material 3
Electrical propertie s
Material 4
etc. Min Max
Electrical resistivity 1e15 μohm.cm
Limit
Guidance
❖ Filter the results further to select only materials which are resistant to
Hydrofluoric Acid (40%).
Under Durability: Acids, select Acceptable and Excellent for Hydrofluoric Acid (40%).
Click Apply. Silicon nitride should be the only passing record.

Selection using a Tree Stage

Using a Tree Stage, you can filter records by category based on their links to records in other data
tables, or based on the database hierarchy (tree). For example, you can filter records that are linked
to specific process record.
❖ Find materials that can be molded
Under Selection Stage, click Tree. In the Tree Stage dialog, select
ProcessUniverse and navigate to Molding.
Select the folder, click Insert, then click OK.
❖ Click Show to view a list of MaterialUniverse records to which this process folder
is linked.
Double-click a record name to view its datasheet.
1. Selection Data
2. Selection Stages
Tree stage for processes
Chart Limit Tree Casting

Joining
Shaping Deformation
Process
Surface Machining
3. Results X out of Y pass treatmen t Molding
Material 1
Material 2
Material 3
Material 4
etc.
❖ Delete this stage.
❖ Find processes which can join Ferrous Metals and alloys

In the Selection Project panel, under Selection Data, select ProcessUniverse: Joining.
In the Tree Stage dialog, select MaterialUniverse, expand Metals and alloys, select
Ferrous, and then click Insert followed by OK.
Click Show to view the linked records.

6 Putting it all together
Combining filtering and charting tools
1. Selection Data
1 Limit stage
Select from: MaterialUniverse: All materials Min Max
Density 2000
Yield strength 60
2. Selection Stages
T-co nductivity 10
Chart Limit Tree

2 Tree stage
Casting
3. Results X out of Y pass; ranked by PRICE Forming
Join
Defo rmation
Material 1 Process Shape
Machining
Material 2
Surface
Molding
Material 3
Powder
Material 4
etc.
3 Chart stage
Price
❖ Choose the data table

Select from: MaterialUniverse: All materials.
❖ Select materials with specific physical, mechanical, and thermal properties.

Create a Limit Stage with the following criteria:
Density < 2000 kg/m^3
Yield strength (elastic limit) > 60 MPa
Thermal conductivity < 10 W/m.°C
❖ Filter the results to find those that can be Thermoformed

Create a Tree Stage and Insert ProcessUniverse > Shaping > Molding > Thermoplastic
molding > Thermoforming.

❖ Rank the results by Price and find the three cheapest materials
Create a Chart Stage with a bar chart of Price on the Y-Axis. On the chart, all
materials that fail one or more stages are grayed out. The Results panel lists the
materials that pass all stages by default.
In the Rank by menu, select Stage 3: Price.
Process selection
The Chart, Limit, and Tree selection stages can be used to filter ProcessUniverse records in the same
way as for MaterialUniverse.
❖ Select the data table

Select from: ProcessUniverse: Shaping.
❖ Find Primary shaping processes to make a component with specific shape,

physical, and economic properties.
Add a Limit Stage with five criteria:
Shape Dished sheet
Mass range 10 - 12 kg
Range of section thickness 4 mm
Process characteristics Primary shaping process
Economic batch size > 1000
❖ Filter the results to only include Thermoplastic materials

Add a Tree Stage and Insert MaterialUniverse > Polymers and Elastomers > Polymers
> Thermoplastics.
Example results: Rotational molding, Compression molding, Thermoforming.

1. Selection Data
1 Limit stage
Select from: ProcessUniverse: Shaping
Shape
Dished sheet ✓
2. Selection Stages
Economic compatibility
Chart Limit Tree Eco nomic b atch s iz e (units) 1000
Physical and quality attributes
Mass range 10 12 kg
Range of s ection thickness 4 4 mm
Process characteristics
Primary shaping processes ✓
2 Tree stage
Ceramics
Hybrid s
Material
Metals Elastomers Thermoplastics
Polymers
Polymers Thermos ets
Advanced selection using the Performance Index Finder
Note: The Performance Index Finder is only enabled in Level 3 databases.

The Performance Index Finder is a tool which lets you plot performance indices on a chart for a given
design situation, without having to derive an index from first principles.
In this exercise, you will use the Performance Index Finder to find the materials best suited for a
beam, loaded in bending, that is part of a low-cost, low-weight, strength-limited design.
❖ Select a Level 3 database and data table

Click Change… under Selection Data to change the database to Level 3.
Select from: MaterialUniverse: All bulk materials.
❖ Create a chart using the Performance Index Finder
Click Chart/Index, then select the Performance Index Finder radio button.

❖ Enter the Component Definition for the Y-Axis

Function and Loading: Beam in bending
Limiting Constraint: Strength
Optimize: Mass
Keep the default values for Free and Fixed Variables, and Axis Settings.
❖ Enter the Component Definition for the X-Axis

Go to the X-Axis tab and select Performance Index Finder. Set the following values:
Function and Loading: Beam in bending
Limiting Constraint: Strength
Optimize: Cost
Keep the default values for Free and Fixed Variables, and Axis Settings.
❖ View the chart

Click OK to view the chart.
Materials in the bottom-left corner are best suited for a low-weight, low-cost,
strength-limited design.

Advanced selection with Comparison Tables
Note: Comparison Tables are only enabled in the advanced Level 3 databases; the
option will be grayed out or not appear at all if you have opened any of the databases
available in Granta EduPack Introductory, including Level 3.
In industry, materials selection projects are often required to find a replacement for an existing
material, due to changes in the design or manufacture of the component, or because of supply chain
issues. Comparison Tables allow you to compare several different records at once, and highlight
differences between them.
❖ Change the database to one where Comparison Tables are enabled

Change the database and table to Level 3 Polymer, MaterialUniverse: All materials.
❖ Add an unfilled PP (Polypropylene) and an unfilled high-density PE (Polyethylene)

record to a Comparison Table.
Find an example of each in the Browse tree, then right-click and select Add to
Comparison Table.
MaterialUniverse
...
Polymers: plastics, elastomers
Plastics
Thermoplastics
PP (Polypropylene)
Unfilled
Set as Reference
Random copolymer, high flow Add to Comparison Table
...
❖ Set the high-density PE as the Reference record

Hover over the record name in the comparison table header and click
Set as Reference .
Note: Reference record is another feature enabled in the advanced Level 3 databases.
Setting a Reference record allows you to easily identify it in the browse tree and on
charts, and compare other records to it using Comparison Tables and Find Similar (see
the next exercise and the software Help for more information).

❖ Show the differences relative to the Reference record as percentages
Click Change in the Comparison Table toolbar.

Note that these are differences in the range values, not the averages.
❖ Clear the Comparison Table and Reference record

Click Tools on the main toolbar, then select Comparison Table > Clear >
MaterialUniverse. Repeat for the Reference record.
Tools
Reference Record
Comparison Table Clear All Tables
... View MaterialUniverse
Advanced selection with Find Similar and Limit Stage
Note: Find Similar is only enabled in the advanced Level 3 databases. This exercise
assumes you are using the Level 3 Polymer database from the last exercise.
❖ Open the record for Polypropylene (Copolymer, Conductive, 5% Carbon powder)
❖ Find records similar to it
Click Find Similar at the top of the datasheet tab. Polypropylene (Copolymer,
Conductive, 5% Carbon powder) will become the Reference record.
Use the default weightings to calculate nearness; do not open the Nearness Settings
dialog.

❖ Compare the current material with the nearest alternative

Select one of the closest records from the list of results, PP (copolymer, 10% talc),
and open a comparison table by clicking Comparison….
PP (copolymer, conducti...
PP (copolymer, conductive, 5% carbon powder)
Layout: All attributes Find Similar
Records similar to: PP (copolymer, conductive, 5% carbon powder)
Name Nearness (%)

✓ PP (copolymer, conductive, 5% carbon powder) 100
✓ PP (copolymer, 10% talc) 94
PP (copolymer, 20% calcium carbonate) 94
PP (impact copolymer, high flow) 94
etc.
Comparison...
Comparison
Comparison - MaterialUniverse
PP (carbon) PP (talc)
Compressive strength (MPa) 23.4 29.1
Density (kg/m^3) 961 966
Electrical resistivity (μohm.cm) 3.16e11 7.14e23
The Comparison Table is highlighted where there is a difference between the original (reference)
and alternative materials. The nearest materials in the results have similar physical properties to the
reference material (density, yield strength, Young’s modulus). However, the original material may
have been chosen for its other characteristics. In this case, the polymer is conductive (has a low
electrical resistivity).
To find materials which have all the properties we need, we can proceed in one of two ways:
• Adjust the Nearness Settings to prioritise the material properties most important to our
application (see Exercise 16).
• Use the results from Find Similar as the basis of a Selection Project. In this case, you can use
a Limit Stage to filter on the additional requirement for conductivity.

❖ Create a Selection Project using the results

In the Records similar to dialog, click Selection Project. The results are loaded into a
new project, ranked by nearness.
❖ Filter the results for an Electrical resistivity that is equal to or lower than that of
the reference material
Create a Limit Stage, and set the maximum value for electrical resistivity to 3.16e12,
which is the maximum value for the reference record. Apply the stage.
Records similar to: PP (copolymer, conductive, 5% carbon powder)
Name Nearness (%)

✓ PP (copolymer, conductive, 5% carbon powder) 100
✓ PP (copolymer, 10% talc) 94
PP (copolymer, 20% calcium carbonate) 94
PP (impact copolymer, high flow) 94
etc.
Selection Project...
2. Selection Stages
Chart/Index Limit Tree
Limit Stage
Electrical properties
Min Max Reference

Electrical resistivit y 3.16e12 μohm.cm 3.16e10 – 3.16e12
Example results, with Nearness (%):

• PP (10-12%, stainless steel fiber) - 86%
• PP (10% carbon fiber) - 82%
• ABS (40% aluminum flake) - 79%

Advanced selection with Find Similar and Nearness Settings

Instead of filtering on additional attributes, you can change the criteria used for calculating nearness
to take account of different requirements.
Note: Find Similar is only enabled in the advanced Level 3 databases. This exercise
assumes you are using the Level 3 Polymer database from the last exercise.
❖ Find records similar to Polypropylene (Copolymer, Conductive, 5%

Carbon powder)
Open the datasheet and click Find Similar.
❖ Re-calculate the list of alternative materials, taking Electrical resistivity into

account and prioritizing results with a resistivity that is the same or lower than
the reference material
Click the Nearness settings link on the Records Similar to dialog.
Under Electrical Properties, select Electrical resistivity. Set it to 100% when Same or
lower, and increase the Weighting factor to 2.
Click OK to generate the new results.
Note: These results are conceptually different to those from the previous exercise. We
have ranked similar materials, taking into account the resistivity, but there is not a fixed
upper limit as there was when filtering using the Limit Stage. Materials with a higher
resistivity than the reference will still be included in these results.

Calculate values for a Limit Stage using Engineering Solver

Design requirements are often specified in terms of geometry, loading, and maximum deflections.
The Engineering Solver tool converts these engineering requirements into material properties, which
can then be applied in a Limit Stage to screen for suitable materials.
Note: Engineering Solver is only enabled in the advanced Level 3 databases. This
exercise assumes you are using the Level 3 Polymer database from the last exercise.
❖ Open the Engineering Solver.
Click Solver on the main toolbar.
❖ Select the loading geometry Beam in Bending

This model estimates the minimum strength, stiffness and Shape Factor values
required for a beam with the specified geometry and load conditions.
❖ Enter the geometry for an I-beam with the following dimensions:
Use the Cross-section list to select I-section. Enter the following

dimensions and use the drop-down lists at the end of each line to select
the correct units:
Breadth, b = 100 mm; Depth, d = 250 mm; Thickness, t = 10 mm;
Web thickness, tw = 10 mm; Length, l = 5 m.
❖ Enter the design parameters for a cantilever with an end load of 5 kN

Load condition = Cantilever End load; Load = 5 kN; Safety factor = 1.5; Maximum
deflection = 50 mm.
The results are populated automatically. You should see that the minimum required
Young’s Modulus is 133 GPa and the minimum Yield Strength is 108 MPa.
Keep the Engineering Solver dialog open.
❖ Select materials based on the results from Engineering Solver

Create a new Limit stage using MaterialUniverse: All bulk materials, and enter the
minimum Young’s modulus and Yield strength (elastic limit) estimated by the Solver.
You can copy and paste from the dialog using CTRL+C and CTRL+V.
Make sure the units in the Engineering Solver and Limit Stage match; change the
results units in the Engineering Solver dialog if they do not.
Over a third of the materials in the database meet the requirements. Typically, you
would apply more constraints and selection stages to narrow the list further.
❖ Delete this stage, and Change database back to Level 2

7 Saving, copying, and report writing
Adding comments and saving a project

You can add comments (Notes) to a selection project as a reminder of why you have applied certain
constraints and objectives. Comments are displayed on mouse-over in the stage tab, and are saved in
the project file.
Notes can be added to each selection stage as below, or to the overall project (in Project Settings).
2. Selection Stages
Chart Limit Tree
Stage
Limit
Stage Settings
Stage
Title Limit
Notes
❖ Click Notes in the stage window heading to open the Stage Settings dialog,
then enter some comments in the Notes box.
❖ Save your project

On the File menu, click Save Project. Give the project a filename and folder location;
the project will be saved with the file extension .ces.
Copying charts, data and results lists

Charts, records, and results lists can be copied and pasted into a document in another application
such as Microsoft® Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Powerpoint, or Notepad.
❖ Copy a chart into a document

To copy a chart to the clipboard: in the chart window, right-click the chart and select
Copy on the shortcut menu, or press CTRL+C.
You can then paste the chart image from your clipboard into the document as a
device-independent bitmap.

❖ Copy a datasheet into a document

To copy a datasheet to the clipboard: display the datasheet, then right-click the
datasheet and select Copy on the shortcut menu, or press CTRL+C.
You can then paste the data from your clipboard into the document.
❖ Copy results into a document

To copy results to the clipboard, use SHIFT+click or CTRL+click to highlight the
records you want, then right-click and select Copy on the shortcut menu, or press
CTRL+C.
To select all results in the list, right-click and select Select All on the shortcut menu,
or press CTRL+A.
You can then paste the results from your clipboard into the document.
❖ Edit the document you have created
Exporting Selection Reports
Note: Selection Reports are only enabled in the advanced Level 3 databases (e.g Level 3
Eco Design); the option will not appear if you have opened any of the databases
available in Granta EduPack Introductory, including Level 3.
❖ Generate a Selection Report
Click Selection… at the bottom of the Chart/Select pane.
❖ Export the report as a PDF

Click Export and select PDF. Selection Reports can be exported as a PDF, a
Microsoft® Word document, or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
4. Reports
Comparison Selection
Report
Project Summary
Excel
PDF
Word

8 Eco Audit tool
The Eco Audit tool estimates the energy used and CO2 produced during the four key life phases
of a product (material, manufacture, use, and end of life) and transport, and identifies which phase
has the dominant contribution. This is the starting point for eco-aware product design, as it identifies
which parameters need to be targeted to reduce the eco-footprint of the product.
The next few exercises will take you through a case study for a brand of bottled mineral water. It is
sold in 1 liter PET bottles with polypropylene caps. A bottle weighs 40 grams; the cap 1 gram. Bottles
and caps are molded, filled, and transported 550 km from the French Alps to England by 14 tonne
truck, refrigerated for 2 days and then sold. The overall life of the bottle is one year.
An example product file for this case study is installed with Granta EduPack in the Samples folder,
with the filename Level 2 - Bottle PET.prd. Eco Audit .prd files can only be opened and saved from the
Eco Audit tab, and are saved separately from selection project files (.ces).
Note: The Enhanced Eco Audit tool contains warnings about restricted substances,
and options to include a cost analysis or a secondary process in the audit. For more
information on these advanced features, see the Help or the teaching resources on
Granta’s Education Hub.
Define and audit a product

To view an explanation of the calculations used at each stage, click the Help icon in the header.
❖ Enter material, manufacture, and end of life details
Bill of materials (BoM) and primary processing method.

Com ponent Recycled Mas s Prim ary
Qty nam e Material content (kg) process End of life
100 Bottle PET ... Virgin (0%) 0.0 4 Polymer m oldi Recycle
Mat erialUniverse Polymer extrusion Landfill

Virgin (0%)
Ceramics and glasses Polymer molding Combust
Electrical components Downcycle
Hybrids: composit es, ... Recycle
Metals and alloys
Re-manufacture
Polymers: plastics, elas
Reuse
Thermoplastics
None
PET
100 Cap PP Virgin (0%) 0.001 Polym er m oldi Landfill
100 Dead weight 1 None

❖ Enter transport details

Transportation from site of manufacture to point of sale.
Name Transport type Distance (km)
Filling plant to retailer 14 tonne (2 axle) truck 550
Ocean freight
Rail freight
14 tonne truck
(2 axle) truck
Air freight – long haul
...
❖ Enter Product life and Country of use

Expected product lifetime and geographic region where it will be used.
Product life: 1 years
Country of use: United Kingdom
France
Germany
United Kingdom
K ingdom
...
❖ Enter details of energy consumption during product use

Energy is used to refrigerate the product at point of sale (average energy required to
refrigerate 100 bottles at 4°C = 0.12kW). Enter this under Static Mode.
(This product is not part of a vehicle, so there is no Mobile Mode entry.)
Product uses the follow ing energy:
Energy input and output: Electric to mechanical (electric motors)
Power rating: 0.12 kW

Electric to thermal
Electric to mechanical (electric motors)
Usage: 2 days per year
Electric to chemical (lead acid battery)
...
Usage: 24 hours per day
❖ View the Summary Chart and Eco Audit Report

Click Summary chart. The chart enables rapid identification of the dominant life
phase. Toggle between plots of energy usage or CO2 footprint.
For this product, Material is the dominant life phase. Each life phase can be clicked
to show guidance on strategies to reduce its impact.

Click Detailed report to view a component-by-component breakdown of each life

phase. The Report can be saved as a PDF or Word document.
Compare products with Eco Audit

This exercise assumes you have completed Exercise 20: Define and audit a product.
❖ Create a copy of your product for comparison

Click Compare with on the Product Definition tab and select Copy of current
product.
Eco Audit Project
Product definition
New Open Save Compare with
C opy of cur re nt pr oduct
N ew produc t
Sa ve d product ...
❖ Change the Product name to PET Bottle (Recycled)
❖ Change the Recycled content value for PET to 35%

Click in the box to manually type in a value.

❖ Generate the Summary chart
The first life energy (not including EoL potential) is reduced by 12%.
Note: The Summary chart can be copied into a document or printed using Copy and
Print at the top of the chart window.

Saving and exporting

Eco Audit product definitions and reports do not form part of a selection project, and need to be
saved separately.
❖ Save your product definition
Eco Audit Project
Product definition Report
❖ Generate an Eco Audit Report

Click the Report tab (or click Detailed Report on the Product definition tab).
❖ Export the report as a PDF

Click on the disk icon at the top of the Report tab, and select PDF.
You will require a PDF reader such as Adobe Reader to view the exported report.
Eco Audit Project
Product definition Report
Ex ce l
PD F
Word

9 Synthesizer tool
Note: The Synthesizer tool is only enabled in the advanced Level 3 databases (e.g Level
3 Eco Design); the toolbar icon will be grayed out if you have opened any of the
databases available in Granta EduPack Introductory, including Level 3.
The Synthesizer tool is designed for use in the early stage of product development. It consists of
three types of model: hybrid models, for estimating the performance of novel materials and
structures; Part Cost Estimator, for calculating the cost of a component based on the materials and
processes used; and Battery Designer, for comparing early-stage battery module and pack designs.
Synthesized records produced using the Synthesizer tool can then be compared with existing records
in the MaterialUniverse database using selection stages.
Model hybrid materials with the Sandwich Panels model

Hybrid materials and structures combine the benefits of two or more materials to produce new
materials that exhibit unique combinations of properties. For example, both composite materials and
sandwich panels are commonly used to create strong, lightweight structures.
❖ You will need to use an advanced Level 3 database for this exercise.
Change the database to Level 3 Polymer.
❖ Plot Young’s modulus (E) against Density (ρ) using the MaterialUniverse: All bulk
materials subset
As in Exercise 6.
❖ Use the Sandwich Panels model to create synthesized records for a family of
hybrid materials
Click Synthesizer on the toolbar (or click Tools > Synthesizer on the menu bar).
Select the Sandwich Panels – Balanced model.
Synthesizer
❖ Set the Source Record values

Face-sheet: Aluminum, 6061, T6 (wrought)
Core: Polymethacrylimide foam (rigid, 0.200)
Click Browse (…) and locate the records in the browse tree.

❖ Keep the default values for Model Variables and Model Parameters, and set the
following Record Naming values:
Face-sheet: Al
Core: Rohacell
❖ Create the synthesized records

Click Create and then Finish. The new synthesized records are shown in the Results
list and on the Chart Stage.
Note: Click the blue Help icon or press F1 in the Synthesizer tool dialog to view further
information about the current model type, including details of the calculations used.
❖ Plot an Index line corresponding to a lightweight, stiff panel in bending: E1/3/ρ
Click Index and display lines , enter a slope value of 3, and select maximize the
index. Click on the plot area to place the index line, then click and drag to change its
position.
❖ Add labels to the source records and some of the synthesized records
You can click individual records on the chart and drag to place a label.
You can also add labels from the Results list: select one or more records in the list,
right-click and select Label on the shortcut menu, then drag the labels where you
want them on the chart.
Click the Highlight synthesized records button to help you identify the
synthesized records on the chart.
Use the Zoom controls and to zoom in to the area of interest on the chart.

❖ Navigate to your synthesized records in the Browse panel

Synthesized records appear on the browse tree under My Records and may be
edited or deleted in a similar way to User Defined records.
MaterialUniverse
...
My records
Synthesized
...
20mm core
0.05mm Al face-sheet Add Record

0.0834mm Al face-sheet Edit Record
Delete Record
❖ Delete the Chart Stage
Part Cost Estimator

The Part Cost Estimator is a Synthesizer model that calculates the total cost of a component based
on the material and processing costs.
❖ You will need to use an advanced Level 3 database for this exercise
❖ Use the Part Cost Estimator to compare the cost of a component when
manufactured as an injection-molded polymer, or a rolled and pressed metal
Click Synthesizer on the toolbar. In the dialog, select Cost – Part cost estimator.
❖ Enter the Component Details for the first component

Material: PP (copolymer, 20% talc)
Value of scrap material: 10%
Part mass: 6.4
Part length: 10
Batch size: 1000 - 1E6
Number of values: 10
For this exercise, the units of part mass and part length do not matter.
❖ Enter the Primary Shaping Process values

Primary process: Injection molding (thermoplastics)
Availability: Custom form
Part complexity: Standard
Use the default values for Load factor, Overhead rate, and Capital write-off time.

❖ Set the Record Naming values

Material: PP
Primary process: molded
❖ Create the new records

Click Create. Keep the Part Cost Estimator dialog open.
❖ Enter Component Details for the second component

In the Part Cost Estimator dialog, click Previous and change the Component Details:
Material: YS170 hot rolled (a high strength, drawing quality steel)
Part mass: 10
Use the existing values for scrap material value, part length, batch size, and number
of values (these are retained from the first material processing chain input).
❖ Enter Primary Shaping Process values

Primary process: Hot shape rolling
Use the existing values for the remaining properties.
❖ Enter details for the Secondary Shaping Process

Select Include secondary process, and enter the following value:
Secondary process: Press forming
Use the default values for Part complexity, Amount of scrap, and Scrap recycled.
❖ Enter the Record Naming values

Material: Steel
Primary process: rolled
Secondary process: pressed
❖ Click Create and then Finish to create the records and close the Part Cost
Estimator
Synthesized records created using Part Cost Estimator are appended to the
MaterialUniverse browse tree under My records > Synthesized > Part cost estimator.

❖ Create a bubble chart to compare the two material processing chains

Select MaterialUniverse: All bulk materials, click Chart, and set the following x- and
y-axis values:
Category: Part cost estimator
X-Axis Attribute: Batch size
Y-Axis Attribute: Part cost
❖ Change the Record color for easy comparison of the two processing chains
Navigate to My records > Synthesized > Part cost estimator. Right-click the PP,
molded subfolder, click Record color, and click a color to change the record color for
all records in that folder.
❖ Delete the Chart Stage

Battery Designer
Battery Designer is a Synthesizer model that estimates the performance of battery module and pack
designs based on the materials, battery cell type, and thermal management system used.
❖ You will need to use an advanced Level 3 database for this exercise
❖ Create a bubble chart to compare individual battery cells.

On the Chart/Select panel, Select from: Battery Cells: All Cells.
Click Chart/Index and set the following x- and y-axis values:
Category: General
X-Axis Attribute: Specific power
Y-Axis Attribute: Specific energy
Charts of Specific energy against Specific power are also known as Ragone plots.
By default, this will display all cells in the Battery Cells table, as well as any
synthesized Module and Pack records in the Selection Project.
❖ Use the Battery Designer to estimate the performance of an example multi-cell

module configuration
Click Synthesizer on the toolbar. In the dialog, select Battery Designer - Cell to
Module (by number of cells).

❖ Under Module, enter the name and battery cell type

Name: Test Module 1
Battery Cell: Lithium-ion (NCA) Cylindrical 3500 mAh
❖ Set the Number of cells and target Discharge Current

Number of cells in series: 10
Number of cells in parallel: 2
Discharge current: 7A
❖ Select a custom Configuration

Check the Or custom configuration checkbox.
Make sure the Pre-defined module checkbox is not selected.
❖ Set Packaging materials and dimensions:

Casing material: PC (high viscosity, molding and extrusion)
Wall thickness: 3 mm
Insulation material: PC foam (rigid, closed cell, 0.65)
Insulation thickness: 3 mm
Cell spacing: 1 mm
❖ Select a Thermal management system (TMS)

Cooling system type: Passive air cooling
❖ Click Create and then Finish to create the synthesized record and close the
Battery Designer
Synthesized records created using Battery Designer are appended to the Battery
Cells table under My records > Synthesized > Modules.
❖ Go back to the bubble chart

The new Module record is now displayed on the Ragone plot.

❖ Now create some Module records based on desired performance, and compare
them to the existing Module
Click Synthesizer and in the dialog, select Battery Designer - Cell to Module (by
performance).
❖ Enter the Module details:

Name: Test Module 2
Battery Cell: Lithium-ion (NCA) Cylindrical 3500 mAh
❖ Set the target Performance:

Should last for at least 60-240 min
Number of values: 10
with Current 7 A
and Voltage 36 V
❖ Select custom Configuration
❖ Set the Packaging materials and dimensions:

Casing material: PC (high viscosity, molding and extrusion)
Wall thickness: 3 mm
Insulation material: PC foam (rigid, closed cell, 0.65)
Insulation thickness: 3 mm
Cell spacing: 1 mm
❖ Set the Thermal management system (TMS)

Cooling system type: Passive air cooling
❖ Create Module records

Click Create and then Finish.
❖ Compare Module records using the bubble chart

All the synthesized Modules can now be compared with each other and with
individual cells.
You can also open Module datasheets to view other calculated properties associated
with that module, for example predicted operating temperature and discharge time.

To reproduce this chart:

• Set Lithium-ion (NCA) Cylindrical 3500 mAh as the Reference record.
• Select Highlight Synthesized Records and Highlight Reference Record
on the Chart toolbar.
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© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
We welcome your feedback on this document. Please let us know if anything is unclear, if you spot an error, or have an idea
for new content, by emailing granta-docs@ansys.com
Document version: EDU22-GSF.01

Last updated: January 2022

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1 About these exercises................................................................................................. 4

3 Browsing and Searching ............................................................................................. 7

4 Creating property charts .......................................................................................... 12

5 Filtering and screening ............................................................................................. 15

6 Putting it all together ............................................................................................... 19

7 Saving, copying, and report writing ......................................................................... 29

© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. /2

9 Synthesizer tool ........................................................................................................ 36

© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. /3

1 About these exercises

❖ Each step of the exercises is shown on a gold background, like this.

More resources to help you get started

Granta Edupack Help Learn Online FAQs: Ansys Learning Forum

© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. /4

2 About Granta EduPack

2.1 Main features and tools

Search: Find information via a full-text search of records.

Synthesizer: Estimate performance of materials by modelling new hybrid materials,

Comparison Tables: Compare up to 20 records side-by-side, and highlight the differences

© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. /5

2.2 Chart toolbar guide

Add an Create curve Highlight Highlight

Perform a box Zoom to view Show material Highlight

© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. /6

3 Browsing and Searching

❖ Select the Level 2 database

❖ Read about the available data and applications

❖ Select a material subset

❖ Change to the ProcessUniverse table

© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. /7

❖ Close the Homepage tab

❖ Change to the MaterialUniverse table

Browse Search Select

Subset: All materials

Browse material records

❖ Select the MaterialUniverse table and the All Materials subset

Browse Search Select

Subset: All materials

❖ Find the record for Stainless Steel

❖ Open the folder-level record for Polymers

© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. /8

❖ Open the Polypropylene (PP) record

Part of the Polypropylene Level 2 datasheet

© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. /9

Browse process records

❖ Browse ProcessUniverse: All Processes

Browse Search Select

Subset: All processes

❖ Find the material Polylactide

Browse Search Select

❖ Find the process Vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM)

❖ Find materials used for “cutting tools”

© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. / 10

❖ Find the material Concrete

❖ Enter the search term alum*

Wildcards Use ? as a wildcard single character, or * as a wildcard representing any

© 2022 ANSYS, Inc. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. / 11

4 Creating property charts