Chapter 5 - Consideration and Selection of Materials

Abstract

Design criterion for a product based on either material or process is flawed. The choice of material is a major determinant for the successful functioning and feasible, low-cost manufacture of any product.Materials are at the core of all technological advances. This chapter highlights the importance of material selection in the product manufacturing process. Mastering the development, synthesis, and processing of materials opens opportunities and progress in such diverse fields as energy, telecommunication, multimedia, computers, construction, and transportation.The optimal selection of material used to construct or make the product leads to optimum properties and least overall cost of materials, ease of fabrication or manufacturability of the component or structure, and environmentally friendly materials.In each stage of thedesign process, the property, process, and environmental profiles can be considered concurrently. The selection of an appropriate material and its conversion into a useful product with the desired shape and properties is a complex process. The first step in the material selection process is the definition of the needs of the product. After developing a comprehensive list of requisite properties in a material, the properties are categorized according to their level of criticality. On the basis of the previous material family and their properties, a tentative pool of materials is made. The factors affecting the material selection process are identified and discussed.