A materials engineer uses ICMD, a new materials design and engineering software platform from QuesTek. (Photo: Business Wire)
Daido Steel will use QuesTek’s ICMD software-as-a-service platform to speed up materials design and qualification.
NAGOYA, Japan—QuesTek Innovations reported that Daido Steel will employ a new materials design and engineering software platform from QuesTek to design, develop, and deploy novel materials.
The ICMD® software platform, described by QuesTek as “uniquely comprehensive,” will help Daido drive core initiatives, such as sustainability and new market opportunities, through materials innovation, QuesTek said in a release.
A major manufacturer of specialty steel, particularly for the automotive industry, Daido is working to facilitate the manufacturing of fuel-efficient engines and the electric vehicle transition. The ICMD platform is expected to be a powerful tool for Daido as the company, originally founded in 1916 as Electric Steel Manufacturing Co., Ltd., undergoes a digital transformation.
“Sustainability is a core value of our organization, as we continue to honor our 2013 commitment to a 50 percent reduction of our CO2 emissions by 2030,” according to a statement by Daido Steel. “ICMD® will streamline our materials R&D process to be greener and more efficient, as well as enabling our engineers to develop lighter, more fuel-efficient materials that reduce or eliminate the environmental impact of rare earth elements.”
The ICMD platform is said to fully embody the physics-based modeling approach to materials engineering pioneered by QuesTek. Where useful, ICMD also employs AI, machine learning (ML), and design for testing (DFT) techniques. It is reported to dramatically speed up the process of developing and qualifying new materials, or optimizing existing alloy systems, by enabling engineers to predict material properties and performance with a very high degree of accuracy.
“Nothing as comprehensive or powerful as ICMD® exists in the materials engineering software marketplace, and it was developed with industry leaders like Daido Steel in mind,” said QuesTek Innovations COO Bill Mahoney, in a statement. “We are thrilled that Daido will be relying on ICMD® to help shape its next chapter of innovation, and we look forward to the world-changing materials solutions the company develops as a result.”
The ICMD platform was launched in 2023 after extensive testing by QuesTek’s early evaluation users, including SpaceX and MIT. Daido Steel is the first major Japanese firm to subscribe to the SaaS since it became available in Japan in October, QuesTek said in the release.
QuesTek, a pioneer in the field of integrated computational materials engineering (ICME), aims to empower innovators by resolving materials-based challenges. Its Materials by Design® technologies have enabled new products and new thresholds of performance across a wide range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, medical devices, consumer electronics, and luxury goods, the company said.
Daido Steel consists of the parent company and 62 consolidated subsidiaries in the fields of specialty steel, high-performance materials, and magnetic materials, parts for automobiles and industrial equipment, engineering, trading, and service. Daido Steel is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, and its U.S. subsidiary, Daido Steel (America) Inc., is based in Schaumburg, Illinois.
QuesTek Innovations is the primary operating subsidiary of QuesTek International LLC and is headquartered in Evanston, Illinois.