Ford?s atom by atom design improves performance and quality

Computational materials engineering is anything but simple. It involves analyzing the properties of metal, sometimes down to its very atoms, to determine how they will alter during the manufacturing process. At Ford, a blended team of engineers and scientists is using this approach to develop software models that predict when and how those changes will occur, and performs computer simulations that eliminate the need for physical tests. It?s such a complex field, in fact, that when Ford entered it back in the late 1990s, team members like John Allison were initially doubted before they were heralded as leaders in a new field in materials research.