Selection of gear material using compromise ranking method

Material selection is the key issue in optimal design of any manufactured product. Nowadays, many materials are being replaced by newer materials in order to meet the demands of cost reduction and better performance. Selecting gear materials for different machining operations is a relatively common and difficult task due to the presence of numerous available alternatives. It has been the greatest problem facing designers in selecting the suitable gear material that matches their expectations, requirements and criteria. Various versions of Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method, such as modified VIKOR, extended VIKOR, VIKORRUG (VIKOR for ranking unimproved gap) and comprehensive VIKOR have already been proposed by the past researchers for solving different industrial problems. This paper mainly focuses on solving the gear material selection problems using VIKOR method which has become a popular multi-criteria decision-making tool. It focuses on ranking and selecting the most appropriate material from a set of alternatives in the presence of multiple conflicting criteria. Two real time examples are illustrated to validate the applicability of this method in solving the gear material selection problems.