Its important to go through this design circle over and
over again with different materials. Design is an iterative process, where
you keep going back to the beginning to continually try different materials
to generate an exhaustive list (a very complete list).
It might be helpful to look at the Web sites with information
about designing, and the Choosing between different material tutorial,
before you begin the design process.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
Since you've already researched your materials class
on your own, get together as a group and discuss the things about
your materials class that would be good for the product and the things
that would be bad.
Print out the Pros
and Cons hand out. Decide if your materials class would
be a good match for the product you are redesigning (remember that
there may be more than one materials class that will work).
Now you will have to go and look at actual different
specific materials. (Remember that you can't just put the materials
class (i.e. polymers), you have to get as specific as the family (i.e.
Aluminum), and if you feel as though you can, try to pick out a specific
material (i.e. 1040 Steel).
Go up to the Top of the page and click on THE
DESIGN WEB SITE, after you read the rest of these instructions.
The major classes are on the left, click on them
and then click on the specific families underneath, and then read
on the left about them. Make sure that you click on the icons above
the writing that say Overview, Design Issues, Typical Products, Process
Notes, and Environmental issues.
- Make sure that you write down all the pros and cons
for each material that you look at. The pros should be qualities that
are good for your particular product, and cons are aspects of the material
that make it not a good choice for your product.
(If you go to the Choosing between different materials
tutorial, don't go on to learn about Materials Indices.)
design page and the tutorials are from the University of Cambridge, click on
the icon to read the acknowledgments.
||If you have chosen a material and went back to
check for alternative materials, and are now satisfied with your choice,
as well as finished filling out the Pros
and Cons hand out, please move on.