Integration of objective weighting methods for criteria and MCDM methods: application in material selection

Abstract

Determining weights for criteria is an extremely crucial step in the process of selecting an option based on multiple criteria, also known as Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM). This article presents the combination of five objective weighting methods for criteria with three MCDM methods in the context of material selection. The five objective weighting methods considered are Entropy, MEREC (Method based on the Removal Effects of Criteria), LOPCOW (Logarithmic Percentage Change-driven Objective Weighting), CRITIC (Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation), and MEAN. The three MCDM methods employed are MARA (Magnitude of the Area for the Ranking of Alternatives), RAM (Root Assessment Method), and PIV (Proximity Indexed Value). Material selection investigations were conducted in three different cases, including lubricant selection for two-stroke engines, material selection for manufacturing screw shafts, and material selection for manufacturing gears. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the stability of ranking the alternatives using different MCDM methods. The combinations of objective weighting methods and MCDM methods were evaluated based on factors such as consistency in identifying the best material type, range, average value, and median of each set of Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. Two significant findings were identified. First, the weights of criteria calculated using LOPCOW method appear to be inversely related to those calculated using the Entropy method. Second, among the three MCDM methods used, MARA was identified as the most suiTable for lubricant selection for two-stroke engines, RAM was found to be the most suiTable for material selection for screw shafts and gears. The best material type in each case was also determined