Material

Selection in
Design

Submitted to: Prof. K.K. Dutta

Submitted by: Bhavesh J. Lunashiya

17BE02D60
 What is Material Selection?
 It is the foundation of all engineering applications and design.

 It is the step in the process of designing any physical object.

The main goal of material selection is to minimize cost while meeting product
performance goals.

How To Select a Material

 Material selection is a step in the process of designing any physical

object.
 The main goal of material selection is to minimize cost while meeting
product performance goals.
 Systematic selection of the best material for a given application begins
with properties and costs of candidate materials.
 Material selection is a step in the process of designing any physical
object.
 In the context of product design, the main goal of material selection is to
minimize cost while meeting product performance goals.
 Systematic selection of the best material for a given application begins
with properties and costs of candidate materials.

functional?
manufacturable
?

relative
performance
?
 Criteria when selecting material:

• Thermal stress

• Mechanical stress

• Chemical stress

• Physiological harmlessness

• Thermal conduction / insulation

• Electrical requirements

• Optical requirements

• Fire behaviour

• Weather resistance

• Radiation exposure

• Special specifications

 When Selecting a Material for a Particular Design

• Mechanical properties
• Wear of materials
• Corrosion
• Ability to manufacture
 Mechanical properties

• Cost

When a certain design is going to be actually produced it must be

subjected to a number of manufacturing practices depending on the
material and the design process.

• It’s important for any material which is going to be subjected to

mechanical forces in use.

• These forces cause the material to deform (i.e. change shape) and may
cause it to fail (i.e. break).
Examples of Failures

A 737 engine; one of the turbine blades broke away and exited through the
engine casing, nearly taking someone’s head off!
 Types of Materials

 Ceramics

A ceramic is a non-metallic material composed of

Inorganic molecules, normally prepared by heating

And subsequent cooling.

 Polymers/ Plastics

Plastics/polymers are made up of millions of

Repeated links to make a long molecule.

 Metals

Metals are materials that are easily shaped by forming.

They are excellent conductors of electricity and heat.

Metals have an orderly arrangement of atoms,

Resulting in a crystalline structure.

 Composites

Composites are the mixture of two materials,

Which in combination, offer superior properties

To the materials alone.

Properties of Materials
 When studying materials and especially when selecting materials for a project / design,
it is important to understand key properties.

 The expected level of performance from the material

Metallic and Nonmetallic Materials

 It is the most common, and useful classification of a material.

 Metallic materials are those which are metals.

 The most common metals are iron, steel, bronze, copper and aluminum.

 The nonmetallic group includes materials such as wood, brick, concrete, rubber and
plastic.

Physical and Mechanical Properties

In order to distinguish one material from another the physical properties are considered as
the:
 Color
 Density
 Specific heat
 Coefficient of thermal expansion/ conductivity
 Electrical conductivity
 Strength and hardness.
Stress and Strain

Strength

Tensile Strength.

Ductility

Plasticity

Elasticity

 The design requirements

Here is a list of the categories of the requirements to consider when selecting a material for a
component or a joint between components:

1. Performance requirements
2. Reliability requirements
3. Size, shape, and mass requirements
4. Cost requirements
5. Manufacturing requirements
6. Industry standards
7. Government regulations
8. Intellectual property requirements
9. Sustainability requirements

Time and money; Focus and discipline

This list of different types of requirements to consider might seem long. It might take a bit of
time to come up with a complete description of all the requirements for your next project.
However, it will speed up the process of evaluating materials and suppliers that are identified
based on the complete set of requirements. Consider the time and money associated with
evaluating materials and suppliers that are found to be unsuitable.

It takes a bit of focus and discipline to implement this process, but the rewards of fewer
problems and faster implementation or design are well worth it.
Thank you