CAMPUS (database)

CAMPUS (English acronym for Computer Aided Material Preselection by Uniform Standards - computer-aided material pre-selection) is a multilingual database for properties of plastics. It is the worldwide leader in terms of the degree of standardization and thus comparability of characteristics and supporting characteristic diagrams. CAMPUS to be based on the ISO 10350 for single-point data such as the density and the ISO 11403 for diagrams, such as the stress-strain diagram.

2.1 TPE properties
2.2 diagrams

History

Standardization activities

The early 1980s was the European market for plastic molding compounds very confusing. On the one hand, the number of types offered rose to 5,000 on up to 10,000, on the other hand, there were only about 2500 DIN standards, in the broadest sense dealt with plastic. In addition, the specification of a standard is not sufficient to accurately determine the test method and significantly affect the manufacturing of the specimens the result. In parallel, since the early 1980s, personal computers were relatively inexpensively and were also used for the creation of diverse data collections. This happened at the same time and initially completely uncoordinated with many users, processors and manufacturers of raw materials. Thus, massive posed the problem of comparability of the data.

For these reasons, in 1984 at the DIN Standards Committee plastics ( DIN - FNK ) to draw up a list of preferred test method (so-called core values catalog) started, which should satisfy the following boundary conditions:

Definition of key manufacturing conditions for a small number of sample body shapes
Selection of meaningful test methods with potential for international harmonization

At the international level, the proposal ISO TC61/SC1/WG4 with considerable contribution from Britain and France ( the so-called Tripartite Forum) has been developed and adopted in 1990 as ISO 10350 and ISO 11403. In the years after the standards have been revised several times, most recently in 2008 and 2003.

Software Development

In early 1987, a meeting of the working group on the standardization of test methods was expressed for the first time the thought in passing, to restore the fundamental set of values to the general recognition that develop in the several plastic manufacturers a database of uniformly structured. The idea was discussed within the companies BASF, Bayer, Hoechst and Hüls and found a number of other advantages:

Meet customer demand for data comparability
Replace variety of brochures and data sheets by a database
Faster update possible
Simplified preselection of suitable plastics ( search)
Setting of a standard for other manufacturers

In March 1987, first met experts from the four companies to define the requirements for the database to be developed in more detail:

Easy access: at the time this meant a PC application, which was distributed on diskette
Simple operation: self-explanatory menus and a help system that uniformly for all manufacturers
Separate data sets: the data maintenance is up to each manufacturer himself
Low cost: a then important argument against a central database
Wide applicability: IBM - compatible PCs fulfilled this best; Multilingualism is sought
Easy upgradeability: floppy disks could be an updated twice a year, which was an improvement on the brochure solution with several years interval. However, it was already seen that the central database, the floppy solution would surpass this point.

In another meeting thereof a specification was created and advise on the naming. They finally agreed on the acronym CAMPUS (Computer Aided Material Preselection by Uniform Standards), with pre-selection should emphasize that component testing is required for the final material selection next prüfkörperbezogenen data in most cases. The programming was commissioned and presented the result that version 1.2 CAMPUS, at a press conference on 23 February 1988 a public VDI -K session. It was also announced that in addition to the four founders acquire all other plastic manufacturing licenses and thus place them in their corresponding to the fundamental values of catalog data available to the customers. The license includes the obligation to publish exclusively determined strictly by reason of values and the references cited therein testing standards characteristics, and is used by the chemical industry promotion mbH ( CWFG ) awarded.

The response to CAMPUS was very positive in the art from the beginning and made possible the rapid spread and development of the system. In the autumn of 1989, a prototype version 2.0 was introduced at the plastics trade fair K'89, which was delivered from about mid-1990 and in addition to improved operating the possibilities for additional single-point of rheological and thermal analysis programs for the first time the appearance of functional dependencies of properties as a graph, for example, enabled in viscosity curves and temperature-dependent Zugversuchskurven. Due to limited space, a concept was introduced, in which, for these curves only a few reference points need to be stored, from which calculated during the display of curves with a spline function. Until August 1990 22 European plastics manufacturers had already licensed the new system, of which 14 own floppy offered.

Version 3.0 was a complete rewrite with a different data structure. She offered a hand, significantly more ease of use ( menu bars with mouse control, search profile, Designation, curve overlay, PostScript printing, configuration storage) through the use of more modern hardware, as well as a partially modified basic catalog of values for further developments in standardization. The product texts were expanded and the units could be switched between SI and the U.S. system now also. With this version, the globalization of CAMPUS began because of the hitherto exclusively European manufacturers and DuPont and Dow Chemical now joined in the USA.

In Asia, significant development activities began in 1995. Especially in Japan, the response was very strong. However, at that time in Japan widespread NEC -DOS allowed not a straight port, and vice versa CAMPUS software no representation of the kanji. This eventually gave place to the long-overdue development of a Windows version ( 4.0). Another important new feature in version 4 was the introduction of processing instructions. Since it until today are no ' normative basis, the text information for each form of mass specified separately and translated into all languages . In version 4.1 DSC curves and PVT data have been added.

In 1998, the website of CAMPUS launched at the address campusplastics.com, later came yet added campus.us. From then on there was a central point of contact for access to the data that had to be requested individually for each class member. Within a short time, all data sets were available for download, and also allowed a significantly faster update. Around the same time came the licensed MCBase on the market. It allows databases from different vendors together, allowing cross- searches, and the direct comparison of materials in tables and graphs. Also included with this software is an export interface, especially for CAE applications.

The next milestone of CAMPUS development was the inclusion of data on the chemical resistance in 2001. This stress is not standardized satisfactory in their complexity. The licensee therefore agreed on a list of chemicals for which they with simple icons (Smiley ), stop character, the resistance, mainly at 23 ° C, specify. The search is therefore easily possible, but does not replace a more precise analysis of concrete conditions of use for the respective plastic. In the same version of the class of TPEs was taken with its own properties in CAMPUS. For this purpose, the test conditions within the ISO standards had to be tuned to the requirements of the TPE. (see below)

Also the online offering of CAMPUS was extended parallel thereto. 2001 started WebView, an Internet application that allows you to view CAMPUS data. In contrast to the offline version can thus allows an even faster search and waives the installation, which is particularly beneficial for casual users. WebView has this not made redundant, since the functionality is somewhat smaller and many people have no permanent internet connection. In both cases, the cross-vendor search is possible only on the licensed variants MCBase or Material Data Center.

The 2004 released version 5 was given a more modern surface and put even more on the Internet. The WebUpdate function now allowed the update of the database by pressing a button. However, the thematic development proceeded more slowly, there was already at a high standard. New in version 5.0 were given in 1043 for a form of mass up to three base polymers and two fillers or reinforcing materials according to ISO. In version 5.1, this methodology has been extended to toughened and flame-retardant products. In addition, values for the thermal aging can be specified in version 5.1 for the first time.

In January 2010, Version 5.2 was released. In this version, the additional VDA guideline can be 232-201 " characteristic values for material selection of thermoplastics " corresponding data sheets displayed and printed. Among many characteristics already present before in CAMPUS thus also came new features added, such as for light resistance, chemical resistance and extended emission of low molecular weight substances (monomers, plasticizers, solvent residues).

Values catalog

The reason of values is divided into each part of the test specimen production, processing, technical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical, and "other " properties. Another group describes the behavior to external influences such as flammability, water and moisture absorption. All properties and specimens are in ISO 10350 as follows standardized: