Contents

PREFACE xi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xiii

1 Introduction 1
1.1 Introduction and synopsis 1
1.2 Materials in design 1
1.3 The evolution of engineering materials 3
1.4 The evolution of materials in vacuum cleaners 4
1.5 Summary and conclusions 6
1.6 Further reading 7

2 The design process 8

2.1 Introduction and synopsis 8
2.2 The design process 8
2.3 Types of design 10
2.4 Design tools and materials data 11
2.5 Function, material, shape and process 13
2.6 Devices to open corked bottles 14
2.7 Summary and conclusions 18
2.8 Further reading 19

3 Engineering materials and their properties 20

3. I Introduction and synopsis 20
3.2 The classes of engineering material 20
3.3 The definitions of material properties 22
3.4 Summary and conclusions 31
3.5 Further reading 31

4 Materials selection charts 32

4.1 Introduction and synopsis 32
4.2 Displaying material properties 32
4.3 The material property charts 36
4.4 Summary and conclusions 63
4.5 Further reading 64
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5 Materials selection - the basics 65

5.1 Introduction and synopsis 65
5.2 The selection strategy 65
5.3 Deriving property limits and material indices 69
5.4 The selection procedure 77
5.5 The structural index 82
5.6 Summary and conclusions 83
5.7 Further reading 83

6 Materials selection - case studies 85

6.1 Introduction and synopsis 85
6.2 Materials for oars 85
6.3 Mirrors for large telescopes 89
6.4 Materials for table legs 93
6.5 Cost - structural materials for buildings 97
6.6 Materials for flywheels 100
6.7 Materials for high-flow fans 105
6.8 Golf-ball print heads 108
6.9 Materials for springs 111
6.10 Elastic hinges 116
6.11 Materials for seals 119
6.12 Diaphragms for pressure actuators 122
6.13 Knife edges and pivots 125
6.14 Deflection-limited design with brittle polymers 129
6.15 Safe pressure vessels 133
6.16 Stiff, high damping materials for shaker tables 137
6.17 Insulation for short-term isothermal containers 140
6.18 Energy-efficient kiln walls 143
6.19 Materials for passive solar heating 147
6.20 Materials to minimize thermal distortion in precision devices 151
6.21 Ceramic valves for taps 154
6.22 Nylon bearings for ships’ rudders 157
6.23 Summary and conclusions 160
6.24 Further reading 161

7 Selection of material and shape 162

7.1 Introduction and synopsis 162
7.2 Shape factors 162
7.3 The efficiency of standard sections 172
7.4 Material limits for shape factors 175
7.5 Material indices which include shape 180
7.6 The microscopic or micro-structural shape factor 182
7.7 Co-selecting material and shape 186
7.8 Summary and conclusions 188
7.9 Further reading 190
Appendix: geometric constraints and associated shape factors 190
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8 Shape - case studies 194

8.1 Introduction and synopsis 194
8.2 Spars for man-powered planes 194
8.3 Forks for a racing bicycle 198
8.4 Floor joists: wood or steel? 200
8.5 Increasing the stiffness of steel sheet 204
8.6 Ultra-efficient springs 206
8.7 Summary and conclusions 209

9 Multiple constraints and compound objectives 210

9.1 Introduction and synopsis 210
9.2 Selection by successive application of property limits and indices 210
9.3 The method of weight-factors 212
9.4 Methods employing fuzzy logic 214
9.5 Systematic methods for multiple constraints 215
9.6 Compound objectives, exchange constants and value-functions 218
9.7 Summary and conclusions 226
9.8 Further reading 227

10 Case studies: multiple constraints and compound objectives 228

10.1 Introduction and synopsis 228
10.2 Multiple constraints - con-rods for high-performance engines 228
10.3 Multiple constraints - windings for high field magnets 232
10.4 Compound objectives - materials for insulation 237
10.5 Compound objectives - disposable coffee cups 24 1
10.6 Summary and conclusions 245

11 Materials processing and design 246

1 1.1 Introduction and synopsis 246
11.2 Processes and their influence on design 246
1 1.3 Process attributes 26 1
1 1.4 Systematic process selection 262
1 1.5 Screening: process selection diagrams 264
11.6 Ranking: process cost 274
1 1.7 Supporting information 279
11.8 Summary and conclusions 279
11.9 Further reading 280

12 Case studies: process selection 281

12.1 Introduction and synopsis 28 1
12.2 Forming a fan 28 1
12.3 Fabricating a pressure vessel 284
12.4 Forming a silicon nitride micro-beam 289
12.5 Forming ceramic tap valves 290
12.6 Economical casting 292
12.7 Computer-based selection - a manifold jacket 293
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12.8 Computer-based selection - a spark plug insulator 298

12.9 Summary and conclusions 301
12.10 Further reading 301

13 Data sources 303

13.1 Introduction and synopsis 303
13.2 Data needs for design 303
13.3 Screening: data structure and sources 305
13.4 Further information: data structure and sources 307
13.5 Ways of checking and estimating data 309
13.6 Summary and conclusions 312
13.7 Further reading 313
Appendix: data sources for material and process attributes 313

14 Case studies: use of data sources 334

14.1 Introduction and synopsis 334
14.2 Data for a ferrous alloy - type 302 stainless steel 334
14.3 Data for a non-ferrous alloy - A1-Si die-casting alloys 335
14.4 Data for a polymer - polyethylene 338
14.5 Data for a ceramic - zirconia 340
14.6 Data for a glass-filled polymer - nylon 30% glass 342
14.7 Data for a metal-matrix composite (MMC) - Ai/SiC, 344
14.8 Data for a polymer-matrix composite - CFRP 345
14.9 Data for a natural material - balsa wood 347
14.10 Summary and conclusions 349
14.11 Further reading 350

15 Materials, aesthetics and industrial design 35 1

15.1 Introduction and synopsis 35 1
15.2 Aesthetics and industrial design 35 1
15.3 Why tolerate ugliness? The bar code 354
15.4 The evolution of the telephone 355
15.5 The design of hair dryers 357
15.6 The design of forks 359
15.7 Summary and conclusions 36 1
15.8 Further reading 36 1

16 Forces for change 363

16.1 Introduction and synopsis 363
16.2 The market pull: economy versus performance 363
16.3 The science-push: curiosity-driven research 366
16.4 Materials and the environment: green design 367
16.5 The pressure to recycle and reuse 373
16.6 Summary and conclusions 373
16.7 Further reading 374
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APPENDIXA: Useful solutions to standard problems 375

A. 1 Constitutive equations for mechanical response 376
A.2 Moments of sections 378
A.3 Elastic bending of beams 380
A.4 Failure of beams and panels 382
A.5 Buckling of columns and plates 384
A.6 Torsion of shafts 386
A.7 Static and spinning discs 388
A.8 Contact stresses 390
A.9 Estimates for stress concentrations 392
A. 10 Sharp cracks 394
A. 1 I Pressure vessels 396
A.12 Vibrating beams, tubes and discs 398
A.13 Creep and creep fracture 400
A. 14 Flow of heat and matter 402
A.15 Solutions for diffusion equations 404
A . 16 Further reading 406

APPENDIX B: Material indices 407

APPENDIXC: Material and process selection charts 413

C. 1 Introduction 413
C.2 The materials selection charts 418
Chart 1: Young’s modulus, E against density, p 418
Chart 2: Strength, of,against density, p 420
Chart 3: Fracture toughness, KI,, against density, p 422
Chart 4: Young’s modulus, E , against strength, of 424
Chart 5: Specific modulus, E / p , against specific strength, of / p 426
Chart 6: Fracture toughness, K I , , against Young’s modulus, E 428
Chart 7: Fracture toughness, K I ~ . against
, strength, o,f 430
Chart 8: Loss coefficient, q, against Young’s modulus, E 432
Chart 9: Thermal conductivity, h , against thermal diffusivity, a 434
Chart 10: T-Expansion coefficient, a, against T-conductivity, h 436
Chart 11: Linear thermal expansion, a, against Young’s modulus, E 43 8
Chart 12: Normalized strength, o r / E , against linear expansion coeff., a 440
Chart 13: Strength-at-temperature, a(T), against temperature, T 442
Chart 14: Young’s modulus, E , against relative cost, CRP 444
Chart 15: Strength, of,against relative cost, C R ~ 446
Chart 16: Dry wear rate against maximum bearing pressure, P,,, 448
Chart 17: Young’s modulus, E , against energy content, qp 450
Chart 18: Strength, o f , against energy content, q p 452
C.3 The process-selection charts 454
Chart PI : The material-process matrix 454
Chart P2: Hardness, H , against melting temperature, T , 456
Chart P3: Volume, V , against slenderness, S 458
Chart P4: The shape classification scheme 460
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Chart €3: The shape-process matrix 462

Chart P6: Complexity against volume, V 464
Chart P7: Tolerance range, T , against RMS surface roughness, R 466

APPENDIXD: Problems
D1 Introduction to the problems 469
D2 Use of materials selection charts 469
D3 Deriving and using material indices 472
D4 Selection with multiple constraints 480
D5 Selecting material and shape 483
D6 Selecting processes 488
D7 Use of data sources 490
D8 Material optimization and scale 49 1

INDEX 495