The Speaking of Simulation series explores how leading organisations in the NAFEMS community integrate various simulation techniques into their work. In this instalment, the spotlight falls on material characterisation. Many organisations begin by consulting standard databases or supplier data to guide initial modelling decisions. If such data proves insufficient, targeted testing is carried out, either in-house or via external partnerships, to fill the gaps. The so-called building-block approach is frequently adopted, starting with smaller-scale coupon tests before validating the results at higher scales. Strict audit trails and adherence to industry or internal standards help maintain accuracy, especially when regulatory compliance is required. Effective data management further enables the reuse of newly acquired properties, fostering continuous improvement and consistency across projects.

To handle inherent material variability, many organisations combine statistical assessments with practical considerations around cost and time. Identifying the most influential parameters is usually the first step, followed by repeated tests to capture both intrinsic and measurement-related variability. Where resources are limited, worst-case or typical conditions may be used to ensure safe outcomes. Robust approaches, such as Monte Carlo simulations with multi-scale models, help to quantify, while supplier qualification and controlled production parameters can reduce variability.

Following the building-block approach, many organisations start with small-scale tests to establish fundamental material properties and then move to larger-scale experiments to capture more complex effects. This strategy helps link microstructural characteristics, such as phase transformations or fibre orientations, to overall structural behaviour. In practice, it often means using simplified models for early design iterations and reserving more detailed, computationally intensive methods for final validation.

Recent developments include advanced materials designed for specific conditions, such as those optimised for additive manufacturing, as well as automated workflows that streamline data collection and model fitting. Organisations are investigating how ML techniques can speed up simulations and provide real-time adjustments to processes. Improvements in image capture and correlation methods make it easier to observe detailed material behaviours. Greater computing power continues to open the door for complex analyses that were not feasible before, speeding up routine tasks and making more accurate predictions possible.

Machine learning could potentially accelerate material characterisation by highlighting the most informative tests to conduct or by automating time-consuming tasks, such as outlier identification via clustering algorithms. It also acts as a powerful companion to physics-based models, rapidly analysing large datasets and predicting material behaviour under varying conditions.

In this article, a panel of experts from leading organisations and research institutions were interviewed to share their views on material characterisation:

• Dr. Steven M. Arnold, Technical Lead for Multiscale Modeling, Materials and Structures Division, at NASA Glenn Research Center, Member of the NAFEMS Americas Steering Committee and the NAFEMS Simulation Data Management Working Group.

• Trevor Dutton, Owner of Dutton Simulation, Member of the NAFEMS Manufacturing Process Simulation Working Group.

• Dr. Goran Fernlund, President at Convergent Manufacturing Technologies, Emeritus at The University of British Columbia.

• Dr. Javier Rodriguez, Technical Director at Principia Ingenieros Consultores, Member of the NAFEMS Impact, Shock and Crash Working Group.

• Dr. Joseph D Schaefer, Technical Fellow at The Boeing Company, Member of the NAFEMS Composites Working Group.

• Sjoerd van der Veen, Senior Expert in Numerical Simulation of Manufacturing Processes and Material Modelling at Airbus, Chair of the NAFEMS Manufacturing Process Simulation Working Group.

• Dr. Anas Yaghi, Principal Modelling & Simulation Engineer at TWI, Vice-Chair of the NAFEMS Manufacturing Process Simulation Working Group.

This article appeared in the April 2025 Issue of BENCHMARK.