MMPDS

MMPDS (Metallic Materials Properties Development and Standardization) is the authoritative materials reference used across aerospace and defense engineering for validated material properties and design allowables. It is the direct successor to MIL-HDBK-5 and serves as a certification-grade source for metallic materials, particularly in regulated industries where traceability and statistical validation are mandatory.

Unlike general-purpose materials databases, MMPDS is not simply a collection of material properties. It provides statistically derived design allowables (A-basis and B-basis values) used in structural analysis and certification. These values are derived from rigorously tested datasets and follow strict methodologies approved by regulatory bodies such as the FAA.

The Matplus EDA platform at mmpds.eu provides structured digital access to MMPDS datasets, enabling engineers to search, filter, and extract material properties without navigating static handbook volumes. This significantly improves usability in modern engineering workflows where integration with simulation and analysis tools is essential.

MMPDS primarily covers metallic materials, including aluminum alloys, steels, titanium alloys, and superalloys commonly used in aerospace structures. It includes mechanical properties such as tensile strength, fatigue behavior, fracture toughness, and environmental effects across temperature ranges and corrosion conditions.

The database also contains fastener joint allowables covering more than 1,000 sheet metal and fastener combinations, making it the only publicly available worldwide source for FAR-compliant fastener data. A 2024 Volume II addition extends coverage to additive manufacturing and process-intensive joining technologies for next-generation aerospace structures.

Because of its statistical rigor and regulatory acceptance, MMPDS is widely used in aircraft structural design, certification programs, and safety-critical engineering applications where the use of non-approved material data is not acceptable.

Key Features

• Statistically based design allowables including A-basis, B-basis, and S-basis properties with defined statistical confidence levels
• FAA, DoD, and NASA recognition as the accepted source for material allowables in aircraft certification and structural analysis
• 176 material specifications covering aluminum alloys, steels, titanium alloys, and superalloys in commercial aerospace product forms
• Over 2,000 records of statistically derived design data including mechanical properties, temperature-dependent curves, fatigue data, and corrosion rankings
• Fastener joint allowables covering more than 1,000 sheet metal and fastener combinations, the only publicly available FAR-compliant fastener data source worldwide
• Volume II (2024) extending coverage to additive manufacturing and process-intensive joining technologies
• Matplus EDA platform providing searchable online access to MMPDS data with CAD and CAE system integration
• Chemical composition and substance declaration management within the EDA environment
• Regularly revised through the MMPDS General Coordinating Committee process with industry and government participation

Best For

Aerospace structural engineers, stress analysts, and materials engineers at aircraft manufacturers, MRO organizations, aerospace suppliers, and defense contractors who need FAA-accepted design allowable properties for metallic materials and fasteners used in aircraft certification, structural sizing, fatigue analysis, and continued airworthiness programs.

The Matplus EDA platform is particularly suited to organizations that want MMPDS data accessible in a structured digital environment integrated with engineering workflows, rather than navigating the handbook in document form.

Who It's Not For

Engineers outside the aerospace and defense sectors whose structural analysis work does not require FAA-accepted allowables, and who can use general engineering materials databases such as Total Materia, Granta Selector, or MatWeb for material selection and simulation property sourcing.

MMPDS covers a deliberately narrow but critical slice of material property data. Its 176 approved materials and strict statistical basis are specifically relevant to aerospace certification programs and not to general industrial design work.

Platform

• The MMPDS handbook is published in print and PDF through SAE International
• The Matplus EDA platform at mmpds.eu provides browser-based online access with structured search, CAD and CAE integration, and substance declaration management
• Available in English and German through Matplus GmbH
• Contact Matplus directly for EDA platform access and pricing

Pricing

The MMPDS handbook is available for purchase through SAE International, with pricing per edition. Access to the Matplus EDA platform with integrated MMPDS database access is available on a subscription basis through Matplus GmbH. Contact Matplus directly at mmpds.eu for current platform pricing by user count and access configuration.

Pros

• FAA, DoD, and NASA recognized as the only publicly available source for material allowables accepted for FAR compliance in aircraft certification programs
• Statistically rigorous A-basis and B-basis allowables provide defined confidence levels that engineering design standards require
• Fastener joint allowables section is the only publicly available worldwide source for FAR-compliant fastener data
• Regularly revised through the MMPDS General Coordinating Committee with industry and government participation, ensuring data currency
• 2024 Volume II addition extends coverage to additive manufacturing and process-intensive joining technologies for next-generation aerospace structures
• Matplus EDA platform makes handbook data searchable and integrable with engineering systems rather than requiring manual handbook navigation

Cons

• Scope is deliberately narrow, covering only aerospace-approved metallic materials and fasteners rather than the broad material universe found in general databases
• Material coverage limited to approximately 176 approved specifications, less comprehensive than Total Materia or Granta Selector for materials outside the approved aerospace set
• Pricing for the latest handbook edition and EDA platform access requires direct engagement with SAE International and Matplus respectively
• Volume II coverage of additive manufacturing allowables is early-stage, with the framework established but populated material entries limited pending data submission and approval
• Not a general simulation property database; MMPDS data is structured for structural sizing and certification analysis rather than direct FEA material card creation without engineering judgment in application

Rating

⭐ 4.6 / 5

Editorial Take

MMPDS is not optional in aerospace engineering. For certified aircraft structures, it is the dataset engineers are expected to use. Outside that regulatory context, most engineers are better served by lighter, faster materials databases unless certification-grade data is a specific program requirement.

Alternatives

Total Materia, Ansys Granta Selector, ASM Aerospace Specification Metals, ESDU Metallic Materials Data Handbook, CMH-17, Aerospace Structural Metals Handbook

Used In

• Aircraft structural sizing and certification analysis

• Fatigue and damage tolerance assessments

• Aerospace fastener joint analysis

• MRO and continued airworthiness material substantiation

• Defense aircraft and missile structural design

• Spacecraft and launch vehicle structural analysis

• Aerospace supplier structural documentation

Founded

2003 (MMPDS first published, replacing MIL-HDBK-5); Matplus EDA platform by Matplus GmbH