LESSON 13

MATERIAL SELECTION PROCESS

OVERVIEW

THE SELECTION OF THE CORRECT MATERIAL for a design is a key step in

the process because it is the crucial decision that links computer calculations
and lines on an engineering drawing with a working design.

The importance of materials selection in design has increased in recent

years. World pressures of competitiveness have increased the general level of
automation in manufacturing to the point where materials costs comprise 50%
or more of the cost for most products.

Finally, the great activity in materials science worldwide has created a variety
of new materials and focused attention on the competition between six
broad classes of materials: metals, polymers, elastomers, ceramics,
glasses, and composites.

This presents the opportunity for innovation in design by utilizing these

materials in products that provide greater performance at lower cost.
RELATION OF MATERIALS SELECTION TO DESIGN

An incorrectly chosen material can lead not only to failure of the part but
also to unnecessary cost.

Selecting the best material for a part involves more than selecting a material
that has the properties to provide the necessary performance in service; it is also
intimately connected with the processing of the material into the finished part
(Fig. 1).
RELATION OF MATERIALS SELECTION TO DESIGN

A poorly chosen material can add to manufacturing cost and unnecessarily

increase the cost of the part.

Also, the properties of the material can be changed by processing (beneficially

or detrimentally), and that may affect the service performance of the part.

With the enormous combination of materials and processes to choose from, the
task can be done only by introducing simplification and systemization.

Design proceeds from concept design, to embodiment (configuration) design, to

detail (parametric) design, and the material and process selection then becomes
more detailed as the design progresses through this sequence (Fig. 2).
RELATION OF MATERIALS SELECTION TO DESIGN
THE PROCESS OF MATERIAL SELECTION

A materials selection problem usually involves one of two situations:

• Selection of the materials and the processes for a new product or

design.

• The evaluation of alternative materials or manufacturing routes for an

existing product or design. Such a redesign effort usually is taken to
reduce cost, increase reliability, or improve performance.
Materials Selection for a New Design

In this situation, these steps must be followed:

1. Define the functions that the design must perform, and translate these into
required materials properties such as stiffness, strength, and corrosion
resistance, and such business factors as the cost and availability of the
material.

2. Define the manufacturing requirements in terms of such parameters as the

number of parts required, the size and complexity of the part, its required
tolerance and surface finish, general quality level, and overall fabricability of
the material.

3. Compare the needed properties and parameters with a large materials

property data base (most likely computerized) to select a few materials
that look promising for the application. It is helpful to establish a
screening property. A screening property is any material property for which
an absolute lower (or upper) limit can be established. No trade-off beyond
this limit is allowable. It is a go-no go situation.
Materials Selection for a New Design

4. Investigate the candidate materials in more detail, particularly in terms of

trade-offs in product performance, cost, fabricability, and availability in the
grades and sizes needed for the application. Material property tests and
other testing often is done at this stage. Step 4 results in the selection of a
single material for the design and a suggested process for manufacturing
the part.

5. Develop design data and/or a design specification. In most cases, this

results in establishing the minimum properties through defining the material
with a generic material standard such as those issued by the American
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the
United States military (MIL specs).
Materials Substitution for an Existing Design.

In this situation, the following steps pertain:

1. Characterize the currently used material in terms of performance,

manufacturing requirements, and cost.

2. Determine which characteristics must be improved for enhanced product

function. Often failure analysis reports play a critical role in this step.

3. Search for alternative materials and/or manufacturing routes. Use the idea of
screening properties to good advantage.

4. Compile a short list of materials and processing routes, and use these to
estimate the costs of manufactured parts.

5. Evaluate the results in step 4, and make a recommendation for a

replacement material.
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF MATERIALS

The performance or functional characteristics of a material are expressed

chiefly by physical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, and optical
properties.

Material properties are the link between the basic structure and
composition of the material and the service performance of the part (Fig.
3).
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF MATERIALS

The goal of materials science is to learn how to control the various levels
of structure of a material (electronic structure, defect structure, microstructure,
macrostructure) so as to predict and improve the properties of a material.

An important role of the materials engineer is to assist the designer in

making meaningful connections between materials properties and the
performance of the part or system being designed.
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF MATERIALS

Table 3 shows the relationships between standard mechanical properties and the
failure modes for materials.

For most modes of failure, two or more material properties act to control the
material behavior.

Also, it must be kept in mind that the service conditions met by materials
are in general more complex than the test conditions used to measure
material properties.

Usually simulated service tests must be devised to screen materials for critical
complex service conditions.

Finally, the chosen material, or a small group of candidate materials, must be

evaluated in prototype tests or field tests to determine their performance
under actual service conditions.
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF MATERIALS
Example: Materials Selection for an Automotive Exhaust System

The product design specification for the exhaust system must provide for the
following functions:

• Conducting engine exhaust gases away from the engine

• Preventing noxious fumes from entering the automobile
• Cooling the exhaust gases
• Reducing the engine noise
• Reducing the exposure of automobile body parts to exhaust gases
• Affecting engine performance as little as possible
• Helping control undesirable exhaust emissions
• Having a service life that is acceptably long
• Having a reasonable cost, both as original equipment and as a replacement
part
Example: Materials Selection for an Automotive Exhaust System

In its basic form, the exhaust system consists of a series of tubes that collect the
gases at the engine and convey them to the rear of the automobile.

The size of the tube is determined by the volume of the exhaust gases to be
carried away and the extent to which the exhaust system can be permitted to
impede the flow of gases from the engine.

An additional device, the muffler, is required for noise reduction, and a catalytic
converter is required to convert polluting gases to less-harmful emissions.

The basic lifetime requirement is that the system must resist the attack of hot,
moist exhaust gases for some specified period.

In addition, the system must resist attack by the atmosphere, water, mud, and
road salt.
Example: Materials Selection for an Automotive Exhaust System

The location of the exhaust system under the car requires that it be designed as
a complex shape that will not interfere with the running gear of the car, road
clearance, or the passenger compartment.

The large number of automobiles produced each year requires that the material
used in exhaust systems be readily available at minimum cost.

This system requires numerous material property requirements.

The mechanical property requirements are not overly severe: suitable

rigidity to prevent excessive vibration and fatigue plus enough creep
resistance to provide adequate service life.

Corrosion is the limiting factor on life, especially in the cold end, which
includes the resonator, muffler, and tail pipe.
Example: Materials Selection for an Automotive Exhaust System

Several properties of unique interest, that is, where one or two properties
dominate the selection of the material, are found in this system.

These pertain to the platinum-base catalyst and the ceramic carrier that
supports the catalyst.

The majority of the tubes and containers that comprise the exhaust system were
for years made of readily formed and welded low-carbon steel, with suitable
coatings for corrosion resistance.

With the advent of greater emphasis on automotive quality and longer life, the
material selection has moved to specially developed stainless steels with
improved corrosion and creep properties. Ferritic 11 % Cr alloys are used in the
cold end components, with 17 to 20% Cr ferritic alloys and austenitic Cr-Ni
alloys in the hot end of the system.
STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS

Materials properties usually are formalized through standards and specifications.

The distinction between these entities is that a standard is intended for use by
as large a body as possible, for example ASTM or ANSI standards, whereas a
specification, though dealing with similar technical content, is intended for use
by a more limited group, for example a company specification.

There are two types of standards or specifications: performance standards and

product standards.

Performance standards delineate the basic functional requirements of a product

and set out the basic parameters from which the design can be developed.

Product standards define the conditions under which the components of a design
are purchased and manufactured.

Materials standards are invariably product standards.

They stipulate performance characteristics, quality factors, methods of

measurement, tolerances, and dimensions.
RELATION OF MATERIALS SELECTION TO
MANUFACTURING

The selection of a material must be closely coupled with the selection of a

manufacturing process.

This is not an easy task for there are many processes that can produce the same
part.

The goal is to select the material and process that maximizes quality and
minimizes the cost of the part.

The overall guide should be to select a primary process that makes the part
as near to final shape as possible (near-net shape forming) without requiring
expensive secondary machining or grinding processes.

Sometimes the form of the starting material is important.

For example, a hollow shaft can be made best by starting with a tube rather
than a solid bar.
RELATION OF MATERIALS SELECTION TO
MANUFACTURING
Figure 4 gives a breakdown of manufacturing processes into nine broad classes.
COSTS AND RELATED ASPECTS OF MATERIAL
SELECTION
The decision on materials selection ultimately will come down to a trade-off
between performance and cost.

The total cost of a part includes the cost of the material, the cost of tooling
(dies, fixtures), and the processing cost.

The unit cost of a part, C, can be expressed by:

where Cm is the material cost; Cc is the capital cost of plant, machinery, and
tooling required to make the part; CL is the labor cost per unit time; n is the
batch size; and n is the production rate (parts produced per unit time).