UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MEE508 (MACHINE DESIGN III)

PRESENTATION ON MATERIAL SELECTION PROCESSES
BY
GROUP FOUR (IV)

SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL

ENGINEERING IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE COURSE
MEE508 (MACHINE DESIGN).

SEPTEMBER, 2023.
ID NUMBERS

1. 15/05/06/127
2. 16/05/06/003
3. 16/05/06/052
4. 16/05/06/054
5. 16/05/06/063
6. 16/05/06/070
7. 17/05/06/023
8. 17/05/06/025
9. 17/05/06/026
10. 17/05/06/030
11. 18/05/06/215
12. 18/05/06/217
13. 18/05/06/218
14. 18/05/06/221
 INTRODUCTION
What is a material?
A material is any substance which can be used to create objects or structures.
It can be a natural or synthetic substance with specific properties that
determine how it behaves under various conditions. Materials can have
properties such as strength, flexibility, conductivity, and more which make
them suitable for applications.
What is selection?
Selection refers to the process of carefully choosing or picking the best option
from a set of alternatives based on specific criteria or requirements. It involves
evaluating different choices and comparing their qualities, characteristics, and
suitability for a particular purpose.
What is material selection?
Material selection is the process of choosing the most appropriate material for
specific engineering or design application. It involves evaluating various
materials based on their properties, characteristics, and performance
attributes to determine which one is best suited for the intended purpose.

IMPORTANCE OF MATERIAL SELECTION

I. Choosing the right material ensures that a product or structure will
perform as intended under various conditions, such as stress,
temperature, and environmental factors.
II. The material's properties influence the safety of the end product. For
instance, in aerospace engineering, selecting materials with high
strength-to-weight ratios is essential for safe and efficient flight.
III. Materials with suitable properties can enhance the lifespan of a product,
reducing the need for frequent replacements and repairs.
IV. Optimal material selection can lead to cost savings by preventing over-
engineering or underperformance issues that might necessitate costly
fixes later.
V. Considering factors like recyclability and sustainability can help
minimize the ecological footprint of a project.
 VI. Material properties affect how easily a product can be manufactured,
impacting production efficiency and cost.
VII. Some materials offer specific aesthetic qualities that contribute to the
product's appearance and visual appeal.
VIII. Materials must be compatible with other elements in a system to prevent
issues like corrosion, degradation, or reduced performance.
IX. Certain industries have strict regulations and standards for materials
used in their products, ensuring safety and quality.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
The parameters that are usually considered when selecting a material for a
given application can be classified into the following categories:
Mechanical Requirements
The mechanical properties of a material dictate its load-bearing capacity,
impact resistance, and durability. Choosing a material with suitable mechanical
properties ensures that the final product can withstand the forces and stresses
it will experience during its intended use. Some these requirements include
properties like strength, hardness, toughness, and fatigue resistance. For
example, when choosing materials for structural components in aerospace
engineering, materials with high strength-to-weight ratios like titanium alloys
are preferred to ensure the structure's integrity.
Electrical Requirements
Electrical properties affect the performance of electronic and electrical
components. Materials with the right electrical conductivity or insulation
characteristics are essential to ensure proper functioning and prevent issues
like short circuits or energy loss. These requirements include: Electrical
conductivity, resistivity, and dielectric properties are important. When
selecting materials for electrical wiring or circuit components, materials with
good conductivity like copper are chosen to minimize energy loss and ensure
efficient transmission.
Thermal Requirements
Thermal properties influence how well a material can handle heat transfer and
temperature changes. Choosing materials with appropriate thermal
conductivity or insulation properties is crucial for applications where heat
management is critical. These requirements include: Thermal conductivity,
expansion coefficient, and heat resistance matter. Materials for applications
like heat sinks need high thermal conductivity to efficiently dissipate heat and
prevent overheating.
Chemical Requirements
Chemical resistance and reactivity determine a material's compatibility with
the substances it will come into contact with. Using materials that can resist
corrosion, chemical degradation, and reactivity are vital. In the chemical
industry, materials like stainless steel or corrosion-resistant polymers are used
to prevent degradation and ensure long-term stability.
Physical Requirements
Properties like density, appearance, and surface finish impact the overall
design and aesthetics of a product. For instance, in automotive applications,
lightweight materials like carbon fiber composites can be chosen to improve
fuel efficiency.

FACTORS AFFECTING THE SELECTION OF MATERIALS

 Component shape
 Dimensional tolerance
 Mechanical properties
 Fabrication requirements
 Service requirements
 Cost
 Availability of the materials
In the context of this subject matter, we will discuss two important factors
among those aforementioned. These are:
 Costing
 Mechanical properties
COSTING
Costing refers to the process of evaluating and comparing the financial aspects
associated with different materials when making decisions about which
material to use in a particular application or project.

Importance of Costing in Material Selection Processes

Costing plays a crucial role in material selection processes for various
reasons:
 Costing helps ensure that material choices align with the project's
budget limitations, preventing overspending or unexpected expenses.
 It allows for a thorough evaluation of the trade-offs between material
costs and long-term benefits, considering factors like durability,
maintenance, and lifecycle costs.
 Proper costing aids in allocating resources efficiently, ensuring that
funds are distributed optimally across different aspects of a project.
 It helps identify potential risks associated with material choices, such as
price volatility or supply chain disruptions, allowing for risk mitigation
strategies.
 Costing can be tied to quality standards, ensuring that materials meet
the required quality levels while staying within budget constraints.
 It helps ensure that selected materials comply with industry standards
and regulations, avoiding costly fines or legal issues.
 Considering the entire lifecycle of materials, including installation,
maintenance, and disposal, costing can lead to more informed decisions
that reduce long-term expenses.
 In industries where cost competitiveness is crucial, accurate costing can
help a company offer competitive pricing while maintaining
profitability.
In relation to material selection, costing is a crucial aspect of product design
and manufacturing. Here are some key points to consider:
Material Cost
The cost of the material itself is a primary factor. Different materials come
with varying price points, and this cost can significantly impact the overall
project budget.
In most of the cases, the cost of materials account about 50% of the finished
cost. Obviously, the cost of materials is a major factor which influences the
choice of the material or process. We must note that the use of cheaper material
will not always reduce the final cost of the component or product. Use of
cheaper materials may be associated with higher processing cost into large
number of operations to be performed and also more scrap. We can easily see
that this sometimes makes the overall cost more than that of expensive raw
materials in combination with low processing cost due to lesser number of
operations and lesser scrap. The type of material affects the detailed aspect of
design and hence the choice of material as well as the process is selected at the
early design state e.g whether the material is to be joined by spot welding,
screw or rivet must be decided at the design state.
Availability and Sourcing
Consider the availability of the chosen material. Rare or custom materials may
be more expensive and harder to source, leading to potential delays and
increased costs.
Processing and Fabrication Costs
In most of the industries the processing cost (labour cost) and other cost such
as overhead cost account for about 50% of the production cost. Overhead cost
in automatic industries is much more than the other cost. If one can somehow
reduce all such costs, the total production cost will automatically reduce. The
ease of working with a material, including cutting, shaping, and assembling, can
affect labor and equipment costs. Some materials may require specialized tools
and techniques, increasing production expenses.
Maintenance and Lifespan
Evaluate the long-term costs associated with maintenance and replacement.
Cheaper materials might require more frequent maintenance or replacement,
leading to higher lifecycle costs.
Weight and Transportation Costs
Consider the weight of the material, as it affects transportation costs. Heavier
materials may require stronger packaging and more substantial
transportation methods, increasing logistics expenses.
Quality and Performance
Choose materials that meet the required quality and performance standards.
Poor-quality materials can lead to product failures, warranty claims, and
additional costs.
PROCEDURE FOR MATERIAL SELECTION

DESIGN

MATERIAL SELECTION

PROCESS SELECTION

PRODUCTION

EVALUATION

POSSIBLE
MODIFICATION
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
As mentioned earlier, considerations like strength, stiffness, hardness,
toughness, corrosion resistance, temperature resistance and wear resistance
are crucial when selecting materials, depending on the intended use of the
material.
Selection of Materials for Static Strength
Static strength can be defined as the ability of a material to resist short-term
steady load at moderate temperature. This resistance is usually measured in
terms of yield strength, ultimate tensile strength; compressive strength and
hardness. For most ductile wrought metallic materials, the tensile and
compressive strengths are very close and in most cases only the tensile
strength is given. However, brittle materials like ceramics are generally
stronger in compression than in tension and both properties are usually given
in such cases.
The level of strength in engineering materials may be viewed either in
absolute terms or relative to similar materials. For example, it is generally
understood that high-strength steel have tensile strength values in excess of
1400Mpa, which is also high strength in absolute terms. Relative to light
alloys, however, an aluminum alloy with a strength of 500Mpa would also be
designated as high strength alloy even though its level of strength is low for
steels. From the design point of view, it is more convenient to consider the
strength of materials in absolute terms. From the manufacturing point of view,
however, it is important to consider the strength as an indication of the
degree of development of the material concerned, i.e relative to similar
materials. This is because highly developed materials are often complex, more
difficult to process and relatively more expensive.
The load carrying capacity of a given component is a function of both the
strength of the material used in making it and its dimension. This means that a
lower strength material can be used in making a component to bear a certain
load provided that its cross-sectional s increased proportionally. It should be
noted, however, that reducing the cross-sectional area below a certain limit
would cause failure by buckling due to increased slenderness of the part.
Selection of Materials for Toughness
Toughness is defined as the ability if a material to absorb energy and deform
plastically before fracture. The amount of energy absorbed during both
deformation and fracture is a measure of the material’s toughness. As the
amount of deformation proceeding fracture is a measure of ductility and the
force needed to cause fracture is a measure of strength, it becomes clear that
toughness is a function of both strength and ductility of the material. The
stress required to fracture tough materials generally corresponds to that
required to produce yielding and considerable plastic deformation across the
whole cross-section. In brittle materials, however, fracture occurs at a lower
level of stress and at a much higher speed. Toughness is measured using two
major techniques: notch toughness and fracture toughness.
Generally, the toughness of material is influenced by its chemical composition
and microstructure. For example, steels become less tough with increasing
carbon content, larger grain size and more brittle inclusions. The grain size of
steels is affected by the elements presents, especially those used for
deoxidizing. Small additions of aluminum to steel are known to promote fine
grain size, which improves the toughness. Fine grains can also be obtained in
steels by using alloying elements, by controlling the rolling practice, or by
normalizing treatment.

Selection of Material for Corrosion Resistance

Corrosion is the deterioration of a material, usually metal, that results from a
chemical or electrochemical reaction with its environment. Although
corrosion resistance is usually the main factors in selecting corrosion-
resistant materials, it is often difficult to assess this property for a specific
application. This is because the behavior of a material in a corrosive
environment can be dramatically changed by seemingly minor changes in the
medium or the material itself. The main factors that can affect the behavior of
material can be classified as corrosive medium parameters, design parameters
and material parameters. Corrosion-resistant materials are chosen to
withstand environmental degradation, crucial in applications like: Stainless
steel, with its chromium content, resists corrosion and is used in kitchen
appliances and marine applications.

Selection of Material for Temperature Resistance

It has been shown that creep is a major factor which limits the service life of
parts and structures at elevated temperature. Experience shows that many of
the methods used to improve the low-temperature strength of metallic
materials become ineffective as the operating temperature approaches its
melting point temperature. This is because atomic mobility becomes sufficient
to cause softening of cold-worked structures and coarsening of unstable
precipitates. At these high temperature, the differences in creep resistance
from one material to another depend on the stability of the structure and the
hardening mechanism. The mechanical strength of plastics at high
temperatures is usually compared on the basis of deflection temperature
under load. Temperature resistance materials are chosen in crucial
applications like: Aerospace, where materials like Inconel are chosen for their
resistance to both high-temperature exhaust gases and extreme cold.
Because operating temperature is the single most important factor that affects
the selection of materials for elevated-temperature service, it is normal
practice to classify temperature-resistant materials according to the
temperature range in which they are expected to be used.

Selection of Material for Wear Resistance

Wear is a surface phenomenon which involves a progressive loss of material
as a result of contact with other parts, as in the case of sliding and rolling
contact, or as a result of action of the environment, as in the case of fluids
containing foreign particles.
REFERENCES
Prof. Isuwa .S. Aji (2022). Material Selection and Processes, MEE504: Material
Selection. University of Maiduguri.
Michael .F. Ashby (2005). Materials Selection in Mechanical Design.
Butterworth-Heinemann, Amsterdam.
https://www.punchlistzero.com
https://www.wikipedia.org
https://www.openai.com