Solvay and e-Xstream partnership open sources MMI Technyl® Design for automotive OEMs to speed up metal to plastic substitution

Partnership is set to revolutionize predictive simulation by offering access to more than 50 polyamide materials and 7,600 data files
Luxembourg - May 8, 2014 --- Solvay Engineering Plastics, a global leader in polyamide solutions, and e-Xstream engineering, an MSC Software Company, have formed a partnership to open source MMI* Technyl® Design for automotive OEMs. MMI Technyl® Design is an advanced simulation service that offers industry players a tool to meet the challenges of light-weighting, a key driver for metal replacement especially in the automotive industry.

MMI Technyl® Design is a technological solution powered by Digimat, The advanced material modeling platform developed and supported by e-Xstream. It allies an extremely comprehensive encrypted database exceeding 7,600 files and allows for a wide range of calculations when integrated with injection molding process modeling. A powerful and high-performance product creating value throughout the design process, it accurately predicts the performance of injection-molded parts which, when replacing metals, ultimately contributes to weight reduction and part production costs.

"We knew we had to aggressively develop and demonstrate the benefits of advanced predictive technology to increase its acceptance and value for customers and to do so have been working closely with Solvay,” comments Roger Assaker, CEO of e-Xstream. "Together we have developed and validated the technology to create a radically new business model aimed at boosting our customers' confidence in plastic material selection for metal replacement solutions offering lower production and part costs and, importantly, to speed up time to market."

® Technyl is a registered trademark of Solvay.
*MMI (Multi-scale modeling, Mechanical calculation, Injection molding simulation) is powered by DIGIMAT™ software from e- Xstream engineering.

About e-Xstream engineering
Founded in 2003, e-Xstream engineering, an MSC Software Company is a software and engineering services company 100% focused on the multi-scale modeling of composite materials and structures. The company helps customers, material suppliers, and material users across many industries reduce the cost and time needed to engineer innovative materials and products using Digimat, the nonlinear multi-scale material and structure-modeling platform. Since September 2012, e-Xstream engineering is a wholly owned subsidiary of MSC Software Corporation.

About Solvay Engineering Plastics
Engineering Plastics, the global specialist in polyamide-based engineering plastics, has for the past 60 years developed, manufactured and marketed, under the brand Technyl®, a complete range of high performance plastics for the automotive, electrical, construction and consumer goods markets. With a growth strategy bolstered by six production sites worldwide, Engineering Plastics employs its expertise and innovation capabilities in order to more closely serve the needs of its customers, through a global network of technical and R&D centers. Learn more at WWW.TECHNYL.COM.

About Solvay
As an international chemical group, Solvay assists industries in finding and implementing ever more responsible and value-creating solutions. Solvay generates 90% of its net sales in activities where it is among the world's top three players. It serves many markets, varying from energy and the environment to automotive and aerospace or electricity and electronics, with one goal: to raise the performance of its clients and improve society's quality of life. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 29,400 people in 56 countries and has generated 9.9 billion euros in net sales in 2013. Solvay SA (SOLB) is listed on NYSE EURONEXT in Brussels and Paris (Bloomberg: SOLB:BB – Reuters: SOLB.BR).

Press contact:
Mira Toth
Email: mira.toth@e-Xstream.com
Tel: +352 26176607 EXT 21