Material Selection for Better Products

For a variety of purposes, such as new product development, cost reduction, improving product performance and dependability, and raising manufacturing or assembly yields, a design team may choose a material for a component or a joint between components. No matter the situation, the goals are the same: pick the least expensive material that supports the functionality and dependability of the finished product. 

There are several processes involved in the selection process for materials. 

Step 1: Materials selection:Efficiency, dependability, and pricing of any product are all influenced by the quality of the pieces and the connections holding them together. In addition, the following two elements have an impact on how well and inexpensively joints and components perform: 1) Their construction; and 2) the materials that went into making them. Physical construction refers to dimensions and shape. The image shows two shafts of various sizes and two weld connections in examples of various physical configurations.

Materials chosen have an impact on a product’s success. As a result, the materials used to make a product have a big impact on how well it sells. If you employ materials whose properties impede achieving the product’s performance or reliability standards, be ready for poor sales or a high number of returns. Utilize materials that will be more expensive than necessary or difficult to deal with throughout manufacture and assembly, and be willing to accept lower profits than you had planned.

Step 2 : Method for Selecting materials : These problems can be prevented by employing a scientific approach to the material selection process and choosing materials that maximize product performance, dependability, and cost. The steps in the process of choosing materials for a component or a joint between two components are as follows:

• Establish the design requirements.
• Establish the standards for choosing the materials.
• Select potential resources.
• The application materials should be examined.
• Selecting materials.

Even though each step can appear simple, many firms lack the infrastructure required to put it into practice. As a result, they pick less-than-ideal materials. The remaining sections of this page provide a brief synopsis of each phase of the material selection process. 

Determine the design requirements in step one: The following items are included in the design specifications:

• Conditions needed for performance
• Conditions for bulk, size, and shape reliability
• Cost information
• Standards for production and assembly
• Industry standards
• Intellectual property laws and government regulations are necessary conditions for sustainability.

When as many requirements as possible are established, the likelihood of learning if potential materials exist rises. The process of acquiring information is made simpler because several of these requirements do not apply to many different things. However, as the number of needs increases, the chance of finding a collection of useful resources decreases.  Determine the material selection criteria in step two: The needs identified in Step 1 are used as the selection criteria for materials, which lead to a number of material characteristics. For instance, it is possible to calculate the minimum yield stress required for a component’s material to support a specific load. This will serve as one of the standards for selecting the materials.

Step 3: Select possible materials: You can eliminate materials that won’t satisfy all of the criteria by using the material selection criteria. When deciding if a material would be appropriate for the application, take into account the material’s range of values for the needed qualities. When relying on nominal property valuations, use caution.

Step 4: Review the supporting documentation: There may be candidate materials for which there is insufficient data to determine whether they satisfy a specific set of standards. Analysis and testing will be necessary to determine whether these materials do, in fact, match the selection requirements.

Step 5: Select your materials: Select the materials that are both affordable and fit all of the criteria for material selection. Remember that cost includes both the cost of the material and the cost of making a component or the junction between two components.