Granta Design has announced the release of CES EduPack(tm) 2008, a new version of the world-leading teaching resource for materials in engineering, science, processing, and design. EduPack 2008 extends support for the many different ways in which this resource is now used by materials and process educators at 600 universities and colleges worldwide.
CES EduPack is based around a comprehensive database of materials property information and a set of innovative software tools, supported by textbooks and resources for lectures, projects, and exercises. This release has been directed by EduPack author, Professor Mike Ashby, and guided by feedback from users. Key themes are:
- Support for all teaching approaches – CES EduPack now includes detailed references to a range of standard materials texts (e.g., Callister, Askeland & Phulé, Budinski & Budinski). EduPack supports courses that use these and other texts, as well those using Professor Ashby’s own books.
- Enriching a broad range of engineering-related disciplines – CES EduPack 2008 adds Bio Engineering to existing editions for General and Mechanical Engineering, Polymers, Aerospace, Architecture, Design, and Eco Design.
- Valuable teaching and project tools – in addition to its materials property databases, materials selection software, and teaching resources, CES EduPack 2008 makes a new Eco Audit Tool available to every user.
- International users - French and German language support is improved.
"We’re delighted to once again deliver an EduPack release that combines innovations, such as the Eco Audit Tool and a Bio Materials database, with practical teaching resources to increase the relevance of the software across a broad range of subject areas," comments Granta’s Dr Patrick Coulter.
The new Eco Audit Tool calculates the energy and carbon footprint of a product at different stages in its life cycle, based on the materials and processes used to produce it and information about howit is transported and used. The tool allows the user to identify the life phase(s) that contribute most to the product's environmental impact, and thus to focus on the best strategies for reducing this impact. The aim of the tool is to introduce students to key concepts in eco-design and to support design for low carbon footprint and energy efficiency.
The new Bio Engineering edition of CES EduPack is based around a Bio Materials database that augments EduPack’s core database of engineering materials with new data covering: the basic building blocks of natural materials; soft and mineralized tissue; woods and wood-like materials; fibers; and man-made bio materials. The edition allows bio- and medical engineering students to: understand the properties of natural materials; compare the properties of natural and man made materials; explore bio-mimicry; and examine substitution - which materials will work best in, for example, implanted medical devices? A white paper detailing the database and its application can be downloaded from www.grantadesign.com/teaching/.
Materials educators will be able to discuss and use CES EduPack 2008 at a series of upcoming short courses titled "Teaching Engineering Materials" with Professor Mike Ashby:
March 7th at Massachusetts Institute of Technology March 11th at University of California, Berkeley April 7th at Cambridge University June 22nd at the ASEE Conference in Pittsburgh, PA