Materials and processes

• A successful product – One that perform well, is good

value for money and gives pleasure to the user. Uses the
best materials for the job and fully exploits their potential
and characteristics.
• Families of materials - metals, polymers, ceramics and
composites.
• Profile of properties.
• Family likeness – need to know to decide which family to
choose /decide to be used for a given design.
• Choosing material is only half the story . The other half is
the choice of a process route to shape, join and finish it.

* 1
 The materials tree :
The menu of engineering materials
Steel
Cast iron
Metal
Alumina Cu Alloy
Silicon Carbide Zn Alloy
Ti Alloy
Ceramics
Silicon Nitride PE, PP,
Composite
Zirconia PET,PC,PEEK
Sandwiches
Hybrids Polymers
Polyester
Segmented
Phenolics
structures
Epoxies
Soda glass Lattices
Borosilicate forms Isoprene
glass Neoprene
Butyl rubber
Glasses
Silica glass Elastome
Glass ceramic
rs
* Natural rubber
Silicon

2
 ORGANIZING PROCESSES
Raw materials

Primary shaping
Molding Deformation Special
Casting Powder Composite
methods Methods Methods
Methods Methods forming
Injection Rolling Rapid
Sand Sintering Hand lay up
Compression Forging prototype
Die HIPing Filament wind
Blow Drawing Lay up
investment Slip casting RTM
moulding Electro form

Secondary processes

Machining Heat treat

Cut, turn, plane Quench, temper,
Drill, grind Age harden

* 3
 Joining
Surface treatment

Fastening Welding Polishing Plating

Riveting Heat bonding Texturing Metallizing

Snap fits Adhesives Anodize Painting

Friction bonds Cements Chromizing Printing

Finished Products

* 4
Kingdom Family Class Member Attributes

Compression
Joining Casting
Rotation
Material
Process Deformation
Shape
Shaping Transfer
Size range
Molding
Minimum section
Injection
Tolerence
Composite
Roughness
Surface Form
Minimum batch size
Treatment Powder
Cost model
Extrusion
Documentation
Prototype
Resin Casting

Thermoforming A Process record

Blow molding

The
* taxonomy of the kingdom of process with part of the shaping family expanded

5
 Process – property Interaction

• Processing can change properties.

e.g forging
(harder to annealing)
•Stretching
Polyethylene – fibre
Rubber – vulcanizing
• Composites
Resin and fibre reinforced
•Joining
Welding
•Surface treatment
Electroplating
Carburizing

* 6
 Computer aided information management
for materials and processes

1. Classification
Records of every member for materials and processes
• Software
• Materials and properties
Physical attributes
Economic attributes
Typical uses
• The process
2. Documentation
Content of records
Structured data.

* 7
 Matching material to design - Strategic thinking
The design flow chart
Market Need
Problem definition

Material data Needs Concept

Explore working Process data
Choice of material Principles Needs
Family
Metal, ceramics.. Embodiment Choice of process
Define general family
Choice of material Layout and scale Casting, moulding
Class Choice of process
Steel, al alloy etc.. Detail Class
Optimize form Die cast, sand cast
Choice of single Manufacture and assembly Choice of single
Material Process
6061 Al, Pressure die cast
304 Stainless steel
Product specifications

* 8
 The interaction between design requirements
Materials, shape and process.

Design Requirement
Requirement
Required property Required
profile
shape
Constraints
Material Process choice

Cost Consequences

Eco-impact
Decision
Final Choice

* 9
 The design process
Original design
Original design starts from scratch.
Involved new idea or working principle.
Can be stimulated by new materials.
The starting point may be market need or new idea.
A need must be established before it can be met.
At the conceptual design stage all options are open.
• Alternative concept
• Sizing
• Operation
• Materials
• Processes.
• Redesign

* 10
 The strategy applied to materials

All materials

Translate design for requirements

Express as function , constraints, objectives and free variables

Screen using constraint

Eliminate materials cannot do the job

Rank using objective

Find the screened materials that do the job best

Seek Documentation
Research the family history of top ranked candidates

Final material choice

* 11
Function, Constraints, Objectives and free variables

Function
• What does the component do ?
Constraints
• What non negotiable conditions must be met ?
Objectives
• What is to be maximized or minimized ?
Free variable
• What parameters of the problem is the designer free to change
 Common constraints and objectives

Common constraints Common objectives

Meet a target value of Minimize
• Stiffness Cost
• Strength Mass
• Fracture toughness Volume
• Thermal conductivity Impact on the environment
• Electrical resistivity Heat loss
• Magnetic remanence
• Optical transparency Maximize
• Cost Energy storage
• Mass Heat flow

* 13
Translation for the Redesigned CD case
Function
• Contain and Protect a CD
Constraints
• Optically clear
• Able to be injection moulded
• Recyclable
• Tougher than polystyrene
• Dimensions identical with PS case
Objective
• Minimum cost
Free variable
• Choice of Material

* 14
Investment casting
Casting Work
Powder Metallurgy
 Howrah Bridge Kolkata West Bengal (1943)

Corroded by Saliva mixed with betel and lime- Reuters

Air Bags problem in Honda

Toyota Pedal Assembly