Quantitative Methods of Materials Selection

A variety of quantitative selection procedures have been developed to analyze the large amount of data involved in the selection process so that a systematic evaluation can be made. With concurrent engineering, materials and manufacturing processes are considered in the early stages of design and are defined as the design progresses from the concept to the embodiment and finally the detail stages. This chapter illustrates the progressive nature of materials and process selection and defines three stages of selection: initial screening, comparing and ranking alternatives, and selecting the optimum solution. It discusses these three stages of material and process selection in detail. The chapter presents a case study to illustrate the procedure. Although the materials and process selection is often thought of in terms of new product development, there are many other incidences where materials substitution is considered for an existing product. The chapter discusses issues related to materials substitution. Keywords: initial screening; materials selection; materials substitution; quantitative methods