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Materials Selection and Design - Course 1 Introduction

The document discusses the importance of materials selection and design in mechanical engineering, emphasizing that material choice is as crucial as function and shape. It outlines the evolution of engineering materials, their general properties, and the systematic procedures used for material selection in modern design. Additionally, it highlights the relationship between function, material, process, and shape in creating effective technical systems.

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Rob
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20 views25 pages

Materials Selection and Design - Course 1 Introduction

The document discusses the importance of materials selection and design in mechanical engineering, emphasizing that material choice is as crucial as function and shape. It outlines the evolution of engineering materials, their general properties, and the systematic procedures used for material selection in modern design. Additionally, it highlights the relationship between function, material, process, and shape in creating effective technical systems.

Uploaded by

Rob
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Materials

Selection and
Design
Introduction
Design is a common word with elaborate meanings close to fashion, aesthetics,
culture, so on

Mechanical design is referred to as the design explained in the context of this


course
e.g. Mechanical components carry loads, conduct heat and electricity, they
are exposed to wear and corrosion, made of one or more materials, have
shape and must be manufactured

The selection of materials is as important in mechanical design as selection of


function, shape and process

Normally the choice of materials is dictated by the design


e.g. Turbine blades necessitate light, strong and wear resistant materials

Sometimes the new product is suggested or made possible by a new material


e.g. High purity glass enabled optical fibers

The vast number of materials developed in the modern ages enable designers
be as imaginative and open minded as possible for innovative designs based
on a wide range of material properties
Evolution of Engineering Materials
The development of the number and class of materials throughout history were
driven by the desire for greater performance

In prehistory the weapons which represented the peak of technology, were


made of wood and flint
Development of thermochemistry and metallurgy allowed copper, bronze and
iron swords until the middle ages
Invention of cast iron established the dominance of metals in engineering
In mid 20th century, “engineering materials” meant metals
Although ceramics and polymers have developed to a great extent since
1950, steel is the most widely used structural material in the world today
General Properties of Metals
Steel, aluminum, magnesium, zinc, cast iron, copper, lead, etc
• High electrical conductivity
• High heat conductivity
• Ductile
• Easily deformed
• High thermal shock resistance
• Suitable for structural and load bearing applications
• Alloys utilized for development of high performance metals
General Properties of Ceramics
Bricks, glass, refractory and abrasive ceramics
• Low electrical conductivity
• Low heat conductivity
• Brittle
• High wear resistance in high temperature applications
• Corrosion resistance
• Generally used as insulators and load bearing structures
• Advanced ceramics are utilized in integrated circuits and
optical applications due to the improvements on optical and
electrical properties
•Biocompatible materials
General Properties of Polymers
Elastomers, plastics, and adhesives
• Produced by polymerization of organic molecules into large
molecular structures
• Low electrical conductivity
• Low thermal resistance
• Low strength
• Light materials
General Properties of Composites
Comprised of two or more materials
• Carbon fiber reinforced polymer, polymer fiber reinforced HA
• Light
• Strong
• High fracture toughness
• High thermal shock resistance
Evolution of Engineering Materials
Examples to the evolution of materials in products

Competitive design requires the innovative use of new materials and the clever
exploitation of their special properties, both engineering and aesthetic
In old times materials selection process from a relatively small group of materials
relied on the experience of the designer

In modern ages when the development rate of new materials is the highest in
history, a systematic procedure is used instead that is robust, allows computer
implementation and compatible with other established tools of engineering
design

The methodology that will be discussed in materials selection and design


guides the engineer through obstacles faced using material and process
attributes given in material and process selection charts

The initial survey for potential candidate materials is simplified to a great extent
using this systematic procedure

It is important in the early stage of design, to examine the full materials menu,
not rejecting
options merely because they are unfamiliar
The design flow chart
It is essential to define the need for design precisely—to formulate a need
statement, often in this form: “A device is required to perform task X,” expressed
as a set of design requirements

Theory Reality
Design and Materials Selection Examples
A device is required to cut hard materials
with
• High elastic modulus
• High deformation resistance
• High fracture toughness
Candidate: High carbon steel
Handle requirements
• Easy manufacture
• Availability
• Light
• Aesthetic
Candidate: Wood
Design and Materials Selection
Examples
A device is required to rotate in the Rolls-Royce turbofan
engine with

• High stiffness

• High toughness

• High thermal shock resistance

• High wear, oxidation and corrosion resistance,


• Low density
Candidate: Ni alloys
Design and Materials Selection
Examples
A device is required to facilitate ignition in combustion engines
With
• Thermal shock resistance
• Wear, corrosion and oxidation resistance,
• Resistant to chemical attack by S and Pb
Candidate: alumina coated tungsten
The function structure

Analogy: the operative systems of a robot - engine, cpu, electrical signaling

The function structure is a systems approach to the analysis of a technical


system
This approach helps structure thinking about alternative designs
The product is called a technical system
A technical system consists of subassemblies and components, put together in
a way that performs the required task

Analogy: the limbs of a robot - head, body, arms, legs, etc.

The analysis of a technical system as a breakdown into assemblies and


components
Material and process selection is at the component level
Basic Definitions
Original design: Design involving a new idea or working principle (e.g. the ballpoint
pen)

Adaptive or developmental design: Adaptive design takes an existing concept and


seeks an incremental advance in performance through a refinement of the working
principle (polymers replacing metals in household appliances)
The motive for redesigning it may be to enhance performance, to reduce cost, or to
adapt it to changing market conditions

Variant design: Design involving a change of scale or dimension or detailing


without a change of function or the method of achieving it (e.g. the scaling up of
boilers)
Design Tools enable the modeling and optimization of a design, easing the routine
aspects of each phase
Function modelers suggest viable function structures
Configuration optimizers suggest or refine shapes
Geometric and 3D solid modeling packages allow visualization and create files that
can be downloaded to numerically controlled prototyping and manufacturing
systems

Information about materials is needed at each stage, but at very different levels of
breadth and precision
The materials input does not end with the establishment of production
Products fail in service, and failures contain information
It is an uncompetitive manufacturer who does not collect and analyze data on
failures
Often this points to the misuse of a material, one that redesign or reselection can
eliminate

Failure analysis is a useful way to replace or improve a design

Many commercial ships failed catastrophically after World War II due to selection
of welded steel with low fracture toughness
The selection of material is tied in with function, process and shape

Function influences material choice primarily

Material choice influences processes through the material’s ability to be cast or


molded or welded or heat-treated

Process determines shape; size; precision; and, of course, cost

Specification of shape may restrict the choice of material and process; but equally
the specification of process may limit the material choice and the accessible
shapes
The more sophisticated the design, the tighter the specifications and the greater
the interactions
Example product – Cork opener

The market need – A device is required to allow access to wine in a corked bottle with
convenience, at modest cost, and without contaminating the wine
Concepts - The devices act to remove the cork by axial traction (pulling); to remove it
by shear tractions; to push it out from below; to pulverize it; and to bypass it altogether
by knocking the neck off the bottle

Embodiments - Sketches for devices based on axial traction


The first is a direct pull; the other three use levered pull, geared pull, and
spring-assisted pull
Example product – Cork opener

The embodiments identify the functional requirements for each component of the
device, which might be expressed in statements such as
■ A cheap screw to transmit a prescribed load to the cork
■ A light lever to carry a prescribed bending moment
■ A slender elastic blade that will not buckle when driven between the cork and the
bottle neck
■ A thin, hollow needle, stiff and strong enough to penetrate a cork

The functional requirements of each component are the inputs to the materials
selection process which lead directly to the property limits and material indices
Detail - The final choice of material and process forms part of the detailed stage

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