During the design and development process, just one of the many tasks a design engineer has to undertake, is the selection of the best material for a product or component. It is, quite rightly, generally agreed to be an important part of the engineering design process because if you make the wrong choice, it can lead to failure, which is a costly result for all involved.
Likewise, it is generally acknowledged that if a proper process for material selection is not in place, it can negatively impact the design and consequently render it unsuccessful. For those of you who think it might be a bit like dipping into a well-known Christmas chocolate box, where everyone routinely reaches for the ‘purple one’, well, it’s nothing like that.
When making a decision about which material to select, there are actually many technical factors to consider. These include cost, ability to manufacture, environmental impact, physical and chemical properties, and mechanical attributes. The latter includes fatigue limit, plasticity, resilience and strength. All of these aspects are carefully evaluated before selecting the best material for the job.
As a mechanical design engineering company, we are accustomed to undertaking testing and 3D simulation of a prototype or component to establish the most suitable material, taking into account the cost vs. design attributes. So, in the world of engineering, an awful lot goes on behind the scenes to ensure the material selected from the engineering selection box actually works and is enjoyed by all end consumers.
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