Materials Selection in Conceptual Design using Weighting Property Method

Abstract

The needs to combine selection of materials (SM) processesduring the early stages of design have previously been realized. In thiswork, an attempt is made to ensure that there is no gap between functionoriented design and the material. A methodology is being developed, for aconcurrent qualitative selection of materials method (CQSM) that takes intoconsideration the importance of materials properties in the early designstages. The method is modified from quantitative method called weightingproperty method used for selecting materials in the detailed design stage.The method was modified to qualitative method; it means that the input datafor materials property of the design must be qualitative data whichconsisting of groups or sub-groups of materials, range value properties andapproximate values. By giving weight to the degree of importance of theproperties, a developed database is search for the best group that can satisfythe CQSM. In the present investigation, a new numerical method has beenbuild by using visual basic developed select materials for mechanical designin conceptual stage. This method, which is based on weighting propertymethod (WPM) uses a new digital logic (DL) comparison with thetraditional (DL) makes the result more accurate because it does notelimination problem of the least important criterion.