Sheet metal plays a vital role across industries - from automotive body structures and aerospace panels to heavy engineering equipment, consumer electronics casings, and household appliances. Each application demands the right balance of strength, weight, and manufacturability, making material selection a critical step in the product development cycle.
At Altair, we simplify this complexity with the Altair® Material Data Center™. Our cloud-based platform empowers engineers to confidently select and validate materials for simulation-driven design of sheet metal components - saving time and improving product performance.
Key Selection Criteria:
To meet both functional and manufacturing needs, you might want to chose a material that aligns with the following properties:
- High tensile modulus for stiffness and structural integrity
- Low density to support light-weighting initiatives
- Detailed mechanical data, including stress-strain curves and Forming Limit Diagrams (FLD)
- Availability from preferred or certified material suppliers
Find the Perfect Match Using Advanced Search & Filters:
Altair® Material Data Center™ includes intuitive filtering tools and advanced search capabilities that help you pinpoint the ideal material based on both engineering needs and simulation compatibility:
- Filter by material type - e.g., steel, aluminum, titanium alloys.
- Search by numerical range - Set specific bounds for yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and more.
- Compare side-by-side - Evaluate multiple materials using interactive comparison charts.
Want to see it in action? Watch the workflow on YouTube -
Thus, whether you are simulating for crash safety, or manufacturability, Altair® Material Data Center™ provides the data you need to make informed decisions early in the design process. With just a few clicks, engineers can confidently identify materials that satisfy both functional requirements and simulation readiness.
Simulate with Confidence:
Once you've identified a candidate material, it's ready to be exported to Altair’s CAE ecosystem:
- OptiStruct for linear and nonlinear structural analysis (MAT1, MATS1)
- Radioss for crash and impact simulation (Law 36)
- Inspire Form for sheet metal forming process simulations
This seamless data flow enables true simulation-driven design from material selection to final validation.
Explore Altair® Material Data Center™ today and start making smarter, faster material decisions for your sheet metal designs. To access Altair® Material Data Center™, go to - https://materials.altairone.com/page/landing
