Lecture 5

Materials Selection Process

1
Introduction
Selecting the appropriate material with
suitable manufacturing process is an
important requisite for the development of
a product.
More than 40,000 metallic alloys and close
to that number of nonmetallic materials.

The selection process a difficult task.

Introduction

If the selection process is carried out randomly, there will

be the risk of overlooking a possible attractive alternative
solution. This risk can be reduced by adopting a
systematic selection.
 Introduction
 The increasing pressure to produce more economic and
competitive products.
 New materials and manufacturing processes.

Makes it necessary for the engineer to be always on the lookout

for possible improvement.
 General steps in materials selection

1. Analysis of the performance requirements and

creating alternative solutions

2. Initial screening of solutions

3. Comparing and ranking alternative solutions

4. Selecting the optimum solution

General steps in materials selection

Analysis of the performance

requirements and creating alternative
solutions
 Analysis of material performance
requirements
The material performance requirements can be
divided into five broad categories:
A.• Functional requirements
B.• Processability requirements
C.• Cost
D.• Reliability requirements
E.• Resistance to service conditions
 A. Functional requirements

Functional requirements are directly related

to the required characteristics of the
component, subassembly, or the product.

Such requirements can generally be

categorized as technical and esthetic.
 A. Functional requirements
Technical requirements can be related to
physical, mechanical, and chemical
characteristics.
Esthetic characteristics can be related to
color, texture, fashion …, which largely
depend on consumer impressions about
certain materials in a given application.
 B. Processability requirements
The processability of a material is a measure
of its ability to be worked and shaped into a
finished component.

With reference to a specific manufacturing

method, processability can be defined as
castability, weldability, machinability, etc.
application.
 C. Cost
Cost is usually a controlling factor in
evaluating materials, because in many
applications there is a cost limit for a given
component.
The cost of processing often exceeds the cost
of the stock material.
In some cases, expensive material may
eventually yield a less expensive product.
 D. Reliability requirements
Reliability of a material can be defined as the
probability that it will perform the intended
function for the expected life without failure.

Material reliability is difficult to measure,

because it is not only dependent upon the
material’s properties, but it is also greatly
affected by its production and processing
history.
E. Resistance to service conditions
The environment in which the product or
component will operate plays an important
role in determining the material performance
requirements.

High or low temperatures, as well as corrosive

environments, can adversely affect the
performance of most materials in service.