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Hybrid natural and glass fibers reinforced polymer composites material

selection using Analytical Hierarchy Process for automotive brake lever
design

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DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2013.04.072

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 Materials and Design 51 (2013) 484–492

Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect

Materials and Design

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/matdes

Hybrid natural and glass fibers reinforced polymer composites material

selection using Analytical Hierarchy Process for automotive brake lever
design
M.R. Mansor a,b, S.M. Sapuan a,⇑, E.S. Zainudin a, A.A. Nuraini a, A. Hambali c
a
Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
b
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia
c
Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Due to recent trend and increasing awareness towards sustainable product design, natural based fiber
Received 2 January 2013 materials are gaining a revival popularity to replace synthetic based fiber in the formulation of compos-
Accepted 19 April 2013 ites especially for automotive structural and semi structural applications. In this paper, the Analytical
Available online 28 April 2013
Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was utilized in the selection of the most suitable natural fiber to be
hybridized with glass fiber reinforced polymer composites for the design of a passenger vehicle center
Keywords: lever parking brake component. Thirteen (13) candidate natural based fiber materials for the hybridiza-
Hybrid polymer composites
tion process were selected and analyzed to determine their overall scores in three (3) main performance
Product design specifications
Material selection
indices according to the component product design specifications. Using the AHP method, the kenaf bast
Analytical Hierarchy Process fiber yields the highest scores and was selected as the best candidate material to formulate the hybrid
Automotive component design polymer composites for the automotive component construction. Sensitivity analysis was also performed
and results show that kenaf bast fiber emerged as the best candidate material in two out of three simu-
lated scenarios, which further validates the results gained through the AHP method.
Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Development of automotive components seldom requires the
consideration of three major factors which are the component geo-
metrical design selection, material selection and manufacturing
process selection, most critically in the early product design stage.
Designers faced many challenges to decide the optimum solution
in all of the above cases especially where multiple factors and mul-
tiple choices or alternatives have to be considered simultaneously.
However, the introduction of multi-criteria decision making
(MCDM) technique such as Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP),
Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution
(TOPSIS) and weighted property index method (WPIM) have
enabled a systematic and quantitative selection method to be per-
formed by designers to achieve the desired the optimum decision
[1–4].
Among the above methods, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)
has been extensively applied in various scenarios involving multi-
criteria decision making (MCDM) especially in automotive design
application. The use of AHP in material selection of natural fiber
polymer composites for automotive dashboard panel of passenger
⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +60 3 89466318; fax: +60 3 86567122.
E-mail address: sapuan@eng.upm.edu.my (S.M. Sapuan).
car was reported by Sapuan et al. where physical and mechanical
properties of the candidate materials were used as the criteria in
the selection process [5]. A part from that, Nepal et al. [6] demon-
strated the used of fuzzy set theory based Analytic Hierarchy Pro-
cess (fuzzy-AHP) framework for prioritizing subjective customer
satisfaction (CS) attributes in target planning during the concep-
tual vehicle design stage. The subjective CS attributes were
obtained from quality function deployment (QFD) analysis from
customers. Through AHP, a broad range of strategic and tactical
factors were given numerical weighting value and these weights
are then incorporated into target planning by identifying the gap
in the current CS level [6]. Hambali et al. [7] meanwhile reported
the use of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method at the con-
ceptual component design stage. The AHP method was embedded
into a new concept selection model called concurrent design con-
cept selection and material selection (CDCSMS) to assist designers
in selecting the most appropriate design concepts and materials for
automotive bumper beam composite components [7]. Ertay et al.
[8] also showed similar application of AHP in the vehicle design
stage. They studied the basic product planning stage of a car design
using a new approach where analytic network process (ANP), the
general form of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to pri-
oritize design requirements obtained through QFD by taking into
account the degree of the interdependence between the customer

0261-3069/$ - see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2013.04.072
 M.R. Mansor et al. / Materials and Design 51 (2013) 484–492
needs and design requirements and the inner dependence among
them [8].
A part from direct design application, AHP method are also
widely used in other related activities such as manufacturing sys-
tem, quality engineering and automotive supplier selection. Abdi
and Labiba [9] demonstrated the use of AHP for structuring the
decision making process for the selection of a manufacturing sys-
tem among feasible alternatives based on the Reconfigurable Man-
ufacturing System (RMS). The AHP model developed highlights
manufacturing responsiveness as a new economic objective along
with classical objectives such as low cost and high quality for the
RMS [9]. Putri and Yusof [10] also reported the use of AHP in their
proposed model for the implementation of quality engineering to
automotive industries in general, and Malaysia and Indonesia in
particular. In their model, a proposed conceptual model using
AHP approach is established. They found that the AHP approach
used in is a very useful technique in solving complicated and
unstructured problems that may have interactions and correlations
among different objectives [10]. Percin [11] in the other hand re-
ported an integration of an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and
multi-objective pre-emptive goal programming (PGP) to consider
both quantitative and qualitative factors in selecting the best sup-
pliers in automotive manufacturing industries in Turkey and allo-
cating the optimum order quantities among them. Percin [11]
findings demonstrate that the integrated AHP–PGP model can be
useful to all firms in their supplier selection decisions.
In this project, the AHP method is implemented for material
selection purpose of hybrid natural fiber/glass fiber reinforced
polymer composites for automotive component application during
the initial conceptual product design stage. The aim is to identify
the most appropriate candidate natural fiber material to be hybrid-
ized with glass fiber reinforced polymer composites for the auto-
motive component construction based on multiple performance
requirements such as functional performance, weight and product
cost. The product design specifications of the automotive parking
brake lever component were first formulated based on the func-
tional performance and sustainability requirements. Introduction
of ecodesign criteria into the product development stage is per-
formed to cater both user satisfaction and environmental needs
all in the same time. Thus, the new product design specification
will be more holistic in nature, a part from complying with various
sustainability related standards imposed to automotive manufac-
tures recently.
In the later material selection stage, thirteen (13) types of nat-
ural fiber materials were identified as the alternative materials to
be incorporated with the component design. The alternative mate-
rials were compared and rated in term of preference to each other
with respect to the given design requirements using pair-wise
comparison technique introduced in the AHP method. The compar-
ison data were later synthesized to obtain the overall rank between
the candidate materials using the priority vector values. Finally,
the consistency ratio values were calculated to measure the degree
of consistency for the judgments made to increase the accuracy
and confidence level of the obtained results. Sensitivity analysis
was also performed later on using the AHP tools to simulate
what-if scenario for validating the proposed solution obtained at
the end of the material selection process.
2. Product design specifications
A new product design specification (PDS) as proposed by Pugh
[12] was first developed for the parking brake lever component
using hybrid kenaf/glass fiber reinforced polypropylene compos-
ites. The PDS document was formulated based on market research
on various automotive related components available in the
485
literature review such as bumper beam, clutch pedal and instru-
ment panel. A part from that, design for sustainability require-
ments was also incorporated to the PDS document to strike a
balance between environmental needs with the product functional
performance that will benefit both the product user and the envi-
ronment in the same time throughout the whole product life-cycle
[13]. Based upon ecodesign or design for sustainability tools cur-
rently available such as the Ecodesign Strategies Wheel by Brezet
and Van Hemel [14] and the Ten Golden Rules for ecodesign by
Luttropp and Lagerstedt [15], several ecodesign strategies were
considered such as the application of low impact materials through
the selection of non-hazardous, non-exhaustible and recyclable
materials for the component construction [16].
Market research was conducted based on journals, websites and
patents for various automotive products. The main objectives are
to study what are the key elements embodied in the automotive
product design as well as to identify the similarities in the product
design specification elements for automotive applications. Among
the automotive product designs identified are interior body com-
ponents such as interior panel and pedal [17–19] and exterior body
components such as bumper beam and bonnet [20–23].
The market research results show that various PDS elements are
involved in automotive product design depending many factors
such the nature of operation for the component (type of loading
condition subjected to the component) [24], structural perfor-
mances [25–27], design standard and regulations [28,29], and the
interaction between the component and its environment based
on the location of the component (either at the interior or exterior
of the vehicle) [30–32]. A part from that, market research results
also revealed the several PDS element associated with recent trend
in automotive design such as design for sustainability as indicated
through weight reduction [33–35], product disposal consideration
to meet the vehicle end-of-life targets [36–38] and reducing cost
[39,40].
2.1. Product design specification for automotive parking brake lever
Based on the information gathered from market research, the
PDS for automotive parking brake lever is formulated. A part from
that, several automotive design standards associated with the
parking brake design were also included which are ECE 74/60
(Clause 5.3) and ECE-R21 (Clause 5.3) for parking lever’s hip point
location with respect to the front seat hop point and EEC 78/632
(Clause 5.3.2) for parking brake lever edge radius and cut section
area, EU DIRECTIVE 2000/53/EC (Article 2) for EU vehicle end-of-
life requirements of percentage of components to be reuse or recy-
cled and safe for disposal, and US National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
(FMVSS) No. 571.135 for light vehicle brake system [41–43]. In to-
tal, for the automotive parking brake lever design, six (6) major
elements were selected which are performance, weight, standard,
disposal, environment and cost. The major elements are then cate-
gorized into eleven (11) sub-elements for more specific description
which are strength, stiffness, density, parking brake lever testing
standard, reuse and recyclability, safe for disposal, corrosion resis-
tance, water absorption, raw material cost and manufacturing cost.
Summary of the parking brake lever product design specifications
is shown in Fig. 1.
3. Material selection of hybrid natural and glass fibers
reinforced polymer composites using AHP: a case study on
automotive parking brake lever component
Parking brake system a secondary braking system used to hold a
parked vehicle in position safely. In general, there are three types
486 M.R. Mansor et al. / Materials and Design 51 (2013) 484–492
Fig. 1. Automotive parking brake lever product design specifications.
of automotive parking brake levers designs which are the center le-
ver type, stick type and pedal type. For lightweight passenger vehi-
cles, the most common design used in is the center lever type
(Fig. 2a), which is hand operated by the driver. The center lever
parking brake design is provided with a ratchet locking mechanism
to maintain the lever at a position to which it was set, until
released.
In this case study, a center lever parking brake design used for a
Malaysian passenger car model was selected as the subject for
material substitution using AHP method. The actual parking brake
system assembly selected is made from six major components,
which are the brake lever, bottom mounting, lock or ratchet, rod,
spring and release button (Fig. 2b). Based on the manufacturer
information, the existing brake lever is made from automotive
grade SPHC hot-rolled mild steel and coated to increase its corro-
sion resistance during operation. The aim is to identify and propose
the most appropriate new candidate material using hybrid natural
fiber/glass fiber polymer composites for the parking brake lever
component that will provide lightweight property while in the
same time able to retain the required structural strength for safe,
effective operations compared to the current material as well as
adhere to the latest environmental related standards governing
automotive product design. Limitation in this project is on the
Fig. 2. 3D CAD model of a commercial passenger vehicle center lever parking brake design in (a) assembly view, and (b) exploded view.
component design geometry, where the existing geometrical de-
sign of the component is maintain and the improvement initiative
is focused solely on the material selection.
Based on the above aim, natural fiber based reinforced polymer
composites have the potential as the new substitute material for
automotive parking brake lever component due to lightweight,
environmental friendly and cost advantages over the current steel
material [44,45]. Good example on the application of NFRP com-
posites by car makers for vehicle weight reduction while comply-
ing with the environmental criteria are in the case of Mercedes
Benz A-class and Ford Model U hybrid-electric car [46].
In term of fiber selection, it has been widely reported that
although natural based fibers are very cost effective, renewable,
environmental friendly and low density compared to synthetic fi-
bers [38]. However, their hydrophilic and lower mechanical
strength nature has limited their application especially for aesthet-
ically related automotive components such as dashboard, floor pan
and interior accessories. To address the issue, researchers has also
developed hybrid polymer composites where the natural based fi-
ber is combined with synthetic based fiber such as glass fiber using
the same matrix [47–49]. The hybridization technique allow for a
balance of performance and cost between the fibers and thus push-
ing the potential of hybrid polymer composites to be utilized in
higher load bearing structural applications especially in automo-
tive component design [50]. In another report, Burgueno et al.
[51] suggested that through hybridization, the natural fiber based
reinforced polymer composites mechanical properties such as
strength and stiffness are enhanced due to the direct contribution
of the stiffer and stronger synthetic fiber, as well as gaining higher
dimensional stability with respect to moisture absorption due to
the barrier provided by the more impermeable synthetic fibers.
3.1. Overall material selection methodology using AHP
The overall Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology
used for hybrid natural fiber/glass fiber reinforced polymer com-
posites selection in this project is shown in Fig. 3.
3.2. Development of AHP hierarchical framework
The first stage in applying AHP method in this project is to de-
velop an AHP hierarchical framework which shows a systematic
overview of the relationship between the project goal or objective
 M.R. Mansor et al. / Materials and Design 51 (2013) 484–492 487

Table 1
Decision criteria used in the AHP analysis based on parking brake lever product
design specifications.

Overall goal: selecting the best natural fiber to be hybridized with glass fiber
reinforced polymer composites for automotive parking brake lever design
Criteria Subcriteria Definition
1. Performance
i. Strength Able to achieve safe and functional operation
ii. Stiffness requirement during engagement and
disengagement of the parking brake where
bending load is applied. High strength and
stiffness measured in term of tensile strength
and Young modulus mechanical properties for
the fiber are key parameters for performance
criteria
2. Weight i. Density To comply for the EU carbon emission
directives, the weight of the component is
minimized to gain lightweight advantage while
still maintaining the required structural
strength for safe and functional operation.
Material density physical property is directly
related to the component weight
3. Product i. Raw Low product cost where low cost raw material
cost material is utilized such as high material availability
cost locally in the country and at a commercial scale

Table 2
Importance scale for pair-wise comparison analysis.

Relative intensity Definition

1 Equal importance
3 Slightly more importance
5 Essential or high importance
7 Very high importance
9 Extreme importance
2, 4, 6, 8 Intermediate values between two adjacent judgements
Reciprocals Reciprocals for inverse comparison

Note: (i) if judgement value on the left side, actual judgement value is taken, and (ii)
if judgement value on the right side, reciprocal value is taken.

Fig. 3. AHP methodology for material selection.

Table 3
Mechanical properties of lignocellulosic and glass fibers [54–56].

Type of fibers Density Tensile Young’s Elongation

(g/cm3) strength modulus at break (%)
(MPa) (GPa)
Kenaf (bast) 1.2–1.4 295–930 53 1.6–6.9
Oil palm empty 0.7–1.55 248 3.2 2.5
fruit bunch
(EFB)
Flax 1.4 800–1500 60–80 1.2–1.6
Hemp 1.48 550–900 70 1.6
Jute 1.46 400–800 10–30 1.8
Ramie 1.5 500 44 2
Coir 1.25 220 6 15–25
Sisal 1.33 600–700 38 2–3
Cotton 1.51 400 12 3–10
Bagasse 1.2 20–290 19.7–27.1 1.1
Pineapple 1.5 170–1627 82 1–3
Fig. 4. Hierarchical framework of decision problem in selecting the best natural Banana 1.35 355 33.8 5.3
fiber to be hybridized with glass fiber reinforced polymer composites for automo- Sugar palm 1.26 190.29 3.69 19.6
tive parking brake lever design based on the formulated product design E-glass 2.5 2000–3500 70 2.5
specifications. S-glass 2.5 4570 86 2.8

and the set of criteria and alternatives related to it. The basic AHP
the goal are defined. Finally at the bottom level or level-3, the
structure can be represent like a tree, where it is divided into sev-
set of alternatives or choices are placed and defined where it cor-
eral sections or levels, and the top level or level-1 is where the pro-
responds to the identified potential solutions that is able to fulfill
ject goal or objectives is placed and defined. Then, the second level
the given criteria and achieves the desired goal [52]. The basic
or level-2 and at this level, the criteria or factors that influenced
488 M.R. Mansor et al. / Materials and Design 51 (2013) 484–492

Fig. 5. Pair-wise comparison between (i) kenaf bast fiber and oil palm EFB fiber, and (ii) oil palm EFB fiber and ramie fiber, with respect to the tensile strength mechanical
property for strength sub-criteria.

Fig. 6. Overall results of the material selection.

three level hierarchical structures can be furthermore expanded

such as adding a dedicated level for sub-criteria as demonstrated
by Hambali et al. [21]. However, as stated by Al-Harbi [53],
Table 4
expanding the AHP structure for large evaluations required a long-
Rank of alternative priorities obtained by simulating three scenarios of sensitivity
analysis for different main criteria with respect to goal. er analyzing time and can somewhat be a burden.
Nevertheless, in this project, a four level AHP framework is ap-
Rank Performance Weight Cost
plied based on the product design specification elements identified
Increased by 20% Increased by 20% Increased by 20% earlier. At AHP hierarchy level-1, the project goal is defined which
Natural Priority Natural Priority Natural Priority is to select the most suitable natural fiber to be hybridized with
fiber vector fiber vector fiber vector glass fiber reinforced polymer composites for the construction of
(%) (%) (%)
the automotive hand operated parking brake lever component.
1 Pineapple 13.3 Kenaf 11.3 Kenaf 15.1 The structure was then expanded to level-2 and level-3 where all
leaf (bast) (bast) the targeted main criteria (functional performance, weight and
2 Kenaf 12.3 Pineapple 10.1 Oil palm 12.8
(bast) leaf EFB
cost) as well as the sub-criteria (strength, stiffness, density and
3 Flax 11.6 Oil palm 8.9 Pineapple 10.7 raw material cost) for the material substitution are defined.
EFB leaf Finally, at level-4, thirteen (13) type of natural fibers are se-
4 Hemp 9.1 Flax 8.7 Banana 8 lected as candidate material for the component design are listed
5 Oil palm 7.3 Banana 7.6 Flax 7.5
such as kenaf fiber, sisal fiber, flax fiber and hemp fiber. Connecting
EFB
6 Sisal 6.9 Hemp 7.5 Coir 7.3 lines are constructed to link all the information within the frame-
7 Banana 6.9 Coir 7.1 Sugar 7.2 work indicating their relationship with each other. Fig. 4 shows the
palm overall hierarchical framework of decision problem in selecting the
8 Jute 6.6 Sugar 7 Hemp 6.3 most suitable natural fiber to be hybridized with glass fiber rein-
palm
9 Ramie 6.4 Sisal 6.9 Sisal 5.5
forced polymer composites for this project while Table 1 describes
10 Bagasse 5.2 Bagasse 6.6 Jute 5.3 on the decision criteria used in the AHP analysis based on parking
11 Coir 5.1 Jute 6.5 Ramie 5.2 brake lever product design specifications (PDSs).
12 Sugar 4.9 Ramie 6.3 Bagasse 4.9 Another important point that is taken into account during selec-
palm
tion of the AHP criteria in this project is that the sustainability and
13 Cotton 4.3 Cotton 5.4 Cotton 4.2
service conditions main criteria as listed in the PDS document are
 M.R. Mansor et al. / Materials and Design 51 (2013) 484–492 489

Fig. 7. Sensitivity graph of main criteria with respect to goal when priority vector of performance (PR) is increased by 20% (from 33.3% to 53.3%).

Fig. 8. Sensitivity graph of main criteria with respect to goal when priority vector of weight (WE) is increased by 20% (from 33.3% to 53.3%).

not included in the material selection criteria because all the alter-
native natural fiber candidate materials are assumed to have equal
sustainability performance (able to be reuse, recycle, renewable)
and service condition performances (fair corrosion resistance and
fair dimensional stability towards water absorption compared to
synthetic fiber).
3.3. Performing judgment using pair-wise comparison
The second stage in finding the most suitable natural fiber to be
hybridized with glass fiber reinforced polymer composites using
AHP method is to perform pair-wise comparison between the de-
fined goal, criteria and alternatives within the AHP framework
developed in the earlier stage. The pair-wise comparison is a meth-
od to decide on the relative importance between criteria with
respect to the goal and between alternatives with respect to the
criteria. In this stage, the relative importance between two
information are given a numerical value based on the predefined
rating values for pair-wise comparison as shown in Table 2. The
number of pair-wise comparison evaluations depends on the num-
ber of criteria involved in the hierarchical framework, and is calcu-
lated using the n(n  1) rule where n is the number of criteria [21].
In the other hand, for pair-wise comparison between the alterna-
tives with respect to cost criteria, a relative pair-wise scale for
raw material cost is used because the exact material cost for the
majority of the candidate natural fibers are not available through
literature review. Thus, the raw material cost is compared based
on the material availability locally in Malaysia as well as their
availability at a commercial scale.
To assist in the pair-wise evaluation, material properties for
natural based polymer composites available from the literature re-
view were used as reference. Table 3 summarized the important
material properties of some natural fibers as well as glass fibers
used as guidelines for the pair-wise comparison analysis while
490 M.R. Mansor et al. / Materials and Design 51 (2013) 484–492
Fig. 9. Sensitivity graph of main criteria with respect to goal when priority vector of cost (CS) is increased by 20% (from 33.3% to 53.3%).
Fig. 5 the pair-wise comparison performed between the natural fi-
bers with respect to the tensile strength mechanical property for
strength sub-criteria.
3.4. Synthesizing pair-wise judgments and calculating priority vectors
The third stage in the AHP analysis is to synthesize all the pair-
wise comparison data into matrix form, normalizing the values
within the matrix and calculating priority vector, w. As explained
by Al-Harbi [53], the priority vector is first calculated by construct-
ing pair-wise comparison matrices (size n  n) for each of the low-
er levels in the hierarchical structure with one matrix for each
element in the level immediately above and reciprocal values are
automatically assigned in each pair-wise comparison. The hierar-
chical synthesis is then used to weight the eigenvectors by the
weights of the criteria and the sum is taken over all weighted
eigenvector entries corresponding to those in the next lower level
of the hierarchy. The eigenvectors or the priority vector, w can be
calculated as using the following equation [21]:
1X n
aij
w¼ P ; i; j ¼ 1; 2; . . . ; n
n j¼1 ai¼1 aij
where w is the priority vector (or eigenvector), aij is the importance
scale, i.e. 1,3,5, . . . , and n is the number of criteria.
3.5. Performing consistency analysis using consistency ratio
In this stage, analysis to determine whether the judgments
made during the pair-wise comparison are consistent or not is per-
formed by calculating consistency ratio, CR. Hambali et al. [21] re-
ported that the consistency verification process is regarded as one
of the most advantages of the AHP method especially when subjec-
tive judgments are involved during the decision making process.
They further explained, to determine the CR value, three (3) steps
have to be implemented as follows [21].
Step 1: Calculate principal eigenvalue, kmax using the following
equation:
Pn
X
n
j¼1 aij  wj
kmax ¼ i; j ¼ 1; 2; . . . ; n
i¼1
wi
Step 2: Calculate consistency index, CI using the following
equation:
CI ¼ ðkmax  nÞ=ðn  1Þ ð3Þ
where n is the matrix size or criterion
Step 3: Calculate consistency ratio, CR using the following
equation:
CR ¼ CI=RI ð4Þ
where RI is the random consistency index of the same order matrix.
The CR is acceptable, if it does not exceed 0.10% or 10%. If it is
more, the judgment matrix is inconsistent. To obtain a consistent
matrix, the subjective judgments must be reviewed and improved.
3.6. Final AHP hybrid polymer composites material selection results
Based on the AHP methods explained previously, the selection
for the most suitable natural fiber material for hybrid natural fi-
ber/glass fiber reinforced polymer composites among the identi-
ð1Þ
fied candidate materials was conducted. Pair-wise comparison
matrices were constructed and synthesized into a normalized ma-
trix form and the priority vectors for each matrix were calculated.
The subjective judgments made were later check to measure their
consistencies using the consistency index value. For pair wise com-
parison between main criteria with respect to goal, similar method
of judgment process as explained by Hambali et al. [7] was em-
ployed for the judgment rating given in this project were the judg-
ments were based on the authors’ experience and knowledge
through journals, patents and handbooks.
Final AHP analysis as shown in Fig. 6 suggested that kenaf bast
fiber is the most suitable candidate material to be hybridized with
glass fiber reinforced polymer composites for the design of a pas-
senger vehicle center lever parking brake component. Kenaf bast fi-
ber scored the highest priority value of 0.129% or 12.9%, followed
by pineapple leaf fiber (0.114), oil palm EFB fiber (0.097) and other
type of natural fibers based on the overall design intent used in the
analysis. A part from that, the overall consistency ratio, CR for the
analysis was also found to be 0.00 or which is within the CR recom-
mended value (<0.10% or <10%), which proved that the subjective
ð2Þ judgment made throughout the analysis is very consistent and
the analysis results suggested are acceptable.
 M.R. Mansor et al. / Materials and Design 51 (2013) 484–492
3.7. Results verification using sensitivity analysis
Sensitivity analysis is finally conducted to simulate what if
scenario to validate the results. As reported by Sapuan et al. [5],
the verification of the final results through sensitivity analysis is
conducted by studying the effect of different criteria defined in
the earlier analysis. The final priorities among the alternatives
(candidate materials) are highly dependent on the priority vectors
assigned to the main criteria, thus changing the main criteria
priority vector values (either increasing or decreasing it) will
consequently alters the final decisions or ranks of the alternatives
as suggested by Chang et al. [57]. They also stated that trough the
sensitivity analysis, the stability of the ranking results can also be
monitored as in the case of selecting the most suitable natural fiber
material for hybrid natural fiber/glass fiber reinforced polymer
composites for automotive parking brake lever design.
Three scenario of varying the priority vector for the AHP main
criteria in this project were performed for the sensitivity analysis
using Expert Choice v.11.5 software. Every main criteria priority
vectors are increased by 20% and the changes in the overall rank
of the AHP results are shown in Table 4 and Figs. 7–9. Based on
summarized sensitivity analysis results from Table 1, it can be
noted that at scenarios where weight and cost main criteria is in-
creased by 20% respectively, the results show that kenaf bast fiber
is the most suitable material for both of the scenarios and are con-
sistent with the decision ranking obtained earlier. However, at sce-
nario where the performance main criteria priority vector value is
increased by 20%, result shows that pineapple leaf fiber is the most
suitable material, followed by kenaf bast fiber and others. Kenaf
bast fiber has shown to dominate two out of three simulated sce-
narios; therefore validating earlier results where kenaf bast fiber
is the most suitable candidate material to be hybridized with glass
fiber reinforced polymer composites for the design of a passenger
vehicle center lever parking brake component.
4. Conclusion
Selection of the best natural fiber material to be hybridized with
glass fiber reinforced polymer composites for the design of a passen-
ger vehicle center lever parking brake component was performed
using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on the formulated
product design specifications. Through the AHP method, kenaf bast fi-
ber was highlighted as the best candidate material which fulfills the
design objectives and performance requirements compared to the
other identified candidate materials. Consistency analysis was also
performed to measure the degree of consistency for the results ob-
tained and the judgment made during the pair-wise comparison anal-
ysis. The final consistency ratio for the overall hierarchy framework
calculated was found to be 0.00 which is within the consistency ratio
acceptable range (less than 0.10). Sensitivity analysis was also per-
formed and results show that kenaf bast fiber emerged as the best
candidate material in two out of three simulated scenarios, which fur-
ther validates and increase the confidence level for the results gained
through the AHP method. A part from that, AHP method was also
proved to be very effective to solve multi-criteria decision making
problems during conceptual product design stage as demonstrated
in this project where it allow systematic and detailed rating values
to be given between the comparing set of criteria and alternatives,
although the computational time to gain the final result is more time
consuming especially when larger hierarchical structure is involved.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Universiti Putra Malaysia for
the financial support provided through Research University Grant
491
Scheme 2007 (vote number 91045) as well as to Universiti Tekni-
kal Malaysia Melaka for providing the scholarship award to the
principal author in this project.
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