Selection Process Overview
At concept (preliminary) level
Analyze material requirements (from PDS)
Conditions of service and operating environment
Translate conditions to material properties
Screen for candidate materials
Compare reqd properties with a materials database to
select candidate materials
During embodiment phase
Analysis of candidate materials in terms of
tradeoffs in performance, cost, manufacturability
Material Selection and Design
Selecting an appropriate material is a critical part of almost all
engineering designs.
A methodology for selecting materials and processes which is
driven by design, uses as inputs the functional requirements
of the design.
There are many factors to consider
Mechanical Properties:
Strength, stiffness, ductility, fracture toughness , fatigue, creep
Physical Properties:
Density, melting point, thermal/electrical conductivity
Other
Cost, corrosion, formability, etc
Material Selection
Basic Methods
Translation:
express design requirements as constraints
and objectives.
Screening:
eliminate materials that cannot do the job.
Ranking:
find materials that best do the work using
performance indices.
Research Supporting Info:
handbooks, expert systems, web, etc.
Translation
(express design requirements as constraints and objectives)
Function: What does the component do?
Objective: What essentials conditions must be met?
Constraints: What is to be maximized or minimized?
Free Variables: Identify which design variables are
free?
Which can be modified?
Which are desirable?
Screening
(Eliminate materials that cannot do the job)
Need an effective way to evaluate a large
range of material properties and classes.
Methods to evaluate materials
Material Bar Charts
Material Property Charts
(for example, density vs. Youngs Modulus)
Material Bar Charts
WC
Steel
Copper
CFRP
Alumina
GFRP
Aluminum
Zinc
PEEK
Glass
PP
Fibreboard
Lead
PTFE
Metals
Polymers
Ceramics
Hybrids
Material Selection Charts
Screening Example:
Heat Sink for Power Electronics
Function:
Heat sink
Constraints:
operate at 200 C
be electrical insulator
conduct heat well
Retain materials with:
1. Max service temp > 200 C
Therefore
2. Good insulator,
or R > 1019 mohm.cm
3. Good T-conductor or T-conduct. > 100 W/m.K
Free variable:
Choice of material
Screening using Bar Charts
(max service temperature >200oC)
WC
Steel
Copper
Alumina
CFRP
PEEK
Glass
PP
2000C
GFRP
Aluminium
PTFE
Fibreboard
Zinc
Lead
Metals
Composites
Polymers
Ceramics
Screening using Material Property Charts
19m.cm)
(>100W/m.K,
>10
e
Screening using Property
Charts
R=1019
=100
Ranking
(find the materials that do the job best)
What if multiple materials remain after screening?
Which one is best?
What if there are multiple material parameters for
evaluation?
Use the Material Performance Index
Start with Translation
Rank on Objectives because objectives define performance
metrics
Example: Tie Rod
Function:
Support a tensile load
Objective:
Minimize mass
Constraints:
Required length (L)
Load carrying capability w/o failure
Free Variables:
Cross-sectional area
Material
Write design requirements as equations.
Objective
m = A*L*
Constraint
F/A < sy
Eliminate free variable
m FL (/sy)
therefore, minimize weight by maximizing sy /
Using the Performance Index
Method
1) Identify function, constraints, objective and free
variables (as before)
2) Write equation for objective (the Performance
Equation)
3) Define combination of material properties that
maximize performance (the Material Index)
4) Use these for ranking
The Performance Equation
Functional
P
requiremen ts, F
or
Geometric Material
parameters, G properties, P
P= f (F,G,M)
Use constraint to eliminate free variable
Performance equation for Tie Rod example
m FL (/sy)
Example: material for stiff, light beam
Function:
Support a bending load
Objective
Minimize mass
Constraints
Length
Carry load F with minimal deflection
Free Variables
Cross-sectional area
Material
Deflection, d
Beam has length = L and area = A
Objective:
m = AL
Constraint:
CEI
S 3
d
L
Beam Example cont
Objective:
m = AL
Constraint:
CEI
S 3
d
L
Solve for m substitute
and rearrange.
4 F
m
1/ 2
L5 / 2
1/ 2 1/ 2
C
Material Indices
Minimize weight by minimizing
or by maximizing
E 1/ 2
1/ 2
E
Material Index Calculation Process Flow
(Each combination has a characterizing material index)
Function
Beam
Strength specified
Tie Rod
Column
Shaft
Index
Constraints
Objective
Minimize cost
Stiffness specified
Minimize weight
Fatigue limit
Maximum energy
Storage
Geometry specified
Could be mechanical,
thermal, electrical
Minimum
eco-impact
E 1/ 2
M
Material Index Examples
An objective defines a performance metric
For example mass or resistance
Equation for performance metric contains
material properties
Sometimes a single property*
Sometimes a combination*
*either is a material index
Material Index Examples
Material Indices for a Beam
Loading
Objective:
minimize mass
Performance Metric:
mass
Stiffness
Limited
Strength
Limited
Tension
E/
sf /
Bending
E1/2/
sf 2/3/
Torsion
G1/2/
sf 2/3/
Maximize indices
Optimized Selection using Material Indices
and Property Charts
Example:
Tension load,
strength limited
Maximize: M = s/
In log space:
log s = log + log M
This is a set of lines
with slope =1
Materials above the
line are candidates
Source
Material Selection in Mechanical Design,
Michael F. Ashby, Butterworth-Heinemann
