FINDLAY, Ohio—Making the correct material choices for a given application can be a challenge.
Thanks to Endurica L.L.C., it just got a little easier, after the fatigue testing firm on Oct. 13 released Companion, a web app that compares rubber compound durability properties.
"Forty percent of product failures can be attributed to poor materials selection decisions," said Will Mars, founder and president of Endurica. "When engineers can easily explore the relationships between material properties and durability, the result is better decisions. Our aim with Companion is to bridge the gaps between materials engineering and product engineering."
Mars will offer a free webinar detailing the use and functions of the app Oct. 22 at 9 a.m.
Companion functions by using Endurica's patented Critical Plane Analysis in conjunction with specific material properties that are entered by a user.
Users further can define the application using the mode of deformation (tension, compression, shear); limits of the dynamic loading cycle (maximum and minimum); mode of control (stress control vs. strain control); and temperature.
Companion then plots stress-strain and crack growth behavior, sensitivity to crack precursor size, strain life and crack orientation.
"Our fatigue solvers are now widely used in rubber product engineering, but materials selection has such a huge impact on durability that we see a need to bring these ideas and tools to materials development teams," Mars said. "The material properties and concepts in Companion are exactly the same as those used in our product simulation tools, but the user experience in the app is centered around the materials selection decision."
The basic version of Companion is free, with other features available via a monthly or annual subscription.