Presenting the results of an ambitious project, this book summarizes the efforts towards an open, web-based modular and extendable simulation platform for materials engineering that allows simulations bridging several length scales. In so doing, it covers processes along the entire value chain and even describes such different classes of materials as metallic alloys and polymers. It comprehensively describes all structural ideas, the underlying concepts, standard specifications, the verification results obtained for different test cases and additionally how to utilize the platform as a user and how to join it as a provider.
A resource for researchers, users and simulation software providers alike, the monograph provides an overview of the current status, serves as a generic manual for prospective users, and offers insights into the inner modular structure of the simulation platform.


Georg J. Schmitz earned his PhD in Materials Science in 1991 from RWTH Aachen University in the area of microstructure control in high temperature superconductors. At present he is senior scientist at ACCESS e.V., a private, non-profit research centre at the RWTH Aachen University. His research interests comprise microstructure formation in multi-component alloys, modeling of solidification phenomena, phase-field models and thermodynamics. He is the official agent for Thermo-Calc Software AB in Germany and provides global support for MICRESS?. At the RWTH Aachen University he coordinates an interdisciplinary team working on the subject of this book. Dr. Schmitz has been appointed as expert evaluator by the European Commission and acted as assessor for the Australian Research Council and the Royal Society, London. He is active member of the TMS committee on ICME, referee for several international journals and associate editor of Materials Transactions. Dr. Schmitz has published more than 100 scientific articles and filed 14 patents.

Ulrich Prahl received his PhD in Engineering Sciences in 2002 from RWTH Aachen University on the area of damage and failure prediction of high-strength fine grain pipeline steels. This work has been performed in the framework of the joined program 'Integrative Material Modelling' which aimed the development of materials models on various length scales. Since 2002 he is working as senior scientist at the department of ferrous metallurgy at RWTH Aachen University where he is heading the scientific working group 'Material Simulation'. Dr. Prahl is vice-coordinator in the AixViPMaP project which aims the definition of a modular integrative platform for the modelling of material processes on various length scales along the entire process chain. He has published more than 70 scientific articles.