9360176, PI-Sokol: In the materials industry, the product design is documented using hard copy material specifications. Whereas the majority of discrete manufacturers have the availability of computerized tools like Computer Aided Design, material suppliers are primarily paper based. Since the material specification is the "hub" of all engineering activity, the totally paper based specifications have been a major obstacle to implementing concurrent engineering in the material industry. This research will seek to define a conceptual design for the implementation of a computerized material specification system i.e., a concurrent engineering design system for material suppliers. The six month technical effort is structured to formulate the design with the assistance of two "industry partners" (a major titanium suppler and a major composite material supplier). The proposed solution has strong commercial application at material suppliers such as steel, nickel, titanium, and composites companies; as well as the basic industries such as forging and casting companies.
