MSE 5090: Case Studies in Material Selection

Week 8 - Case Analysis and Process Selection Procedures

1. Objectives
2. Reading assignment
3. Discussion questions
4. Lecture Topics
5. Week 8 assignments:   Ashby Problems   Midterm Review
6. Reference Material

Objectives:

	Analyze a  previous case submitted to the class - the snow board
	Describe how to determine process design requirements
	Use the CMS software to select fabrication processes
	Describe how to refine performance indices for your case study

This week we will begin discussing process selection as an adjunct to materials selection. Problems will be assigned which will utilize the process selection software in the CMS suite. The Hair Brush Handle case study , an example from CMS software, is a good place to start reviewing selection of processes. It was introduced in the week 5 web page. It is a little more complicated some of the homework  in that it is a three stage selection. Processing is  an essential component of materials selection. Most materials are used in "things" or products. Thus at some point a fabrication step is necessary. If one chooses a material, that choice implies that the material can be made into the object being studied. Thus the process selection is usually at least a screening step in a case study in that an engineer needs to have a process in mind for the product or device or other object being studied.

In addition, this week we will review the case study "A Look Inside Snow board Construction Components" performed last year by Joshua Dean Harper. This case is a good example of how design parameters and performance indices are derived and how they are integrated with other non- materials variables. We will review some items for discussion on Wednesday and spend a part of Friday reviewing the case. In essence, if you were in a position of taking up where he left off, would you take his case study and submit it verbatim, or would you change some parts , include additional information , verify certain models or assumptions, or question some statements made. Just as no research ever closes the door on further study, no case study is ever the last word on a subject. In that sense one can critically review and comment on Harper's case study while acknowledging , as I did , that it was an excellent case study for the class.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that on Monday we will discuss the case study by Brach Harada, "Disposable Eyeglass Lenses " in juxtaposition to the article from the October 15, 1998 Wall Street Journal on "Inventers Adjustable Glasses Could Spark Global Correction" , about Joshua Silver's new inexpensive eyeglass design. These examples were given out on Friday , October 16. A couple of  weeks from now we will also review the case studies of the Ice Axe, the Aerospace Corporation , and the Degradation of the Space Shuttle Main Combustion Chamber. These were either handed out or posted on the web page.

However, in the next couple of weeks we will finish up the Ashby book by completing our study of Process Selection and a few integrative examples given in the B7.1-7.3 examples. This will be followed by the midterm. The last midterm and its solutions are posted in this weeks web page. As you can see, the midterm focuses on homework and problem solving skills. More will be said about this as it approaches. This midterm  may include some items from the early part of the course. The material in the early part of the course wasn't included last time the course was given.

Finally, two items are worthy of note:1. I've been using homework problems as examples in class to minimize the load on students working to do a good job on their case study; and 2. attendance at class is recommended at all times and in particular these next two weeks. I am truly hopeful that everyone in the class will do well in this course. With a midterm coming up ( I need to review the October 30 date and perhaps move it back a week) and the midterm having an emphasis on Ashby examples, missing classes during this period may put one at a disadvantage relative to those who have reviewed the material in class.

Reading Assignment:

	ASM pages 297-309 ,309 - 321  Materials Selection and Processing
	Ashby pages 167-207 Materials Processing and design

Discussion Questions:

	What is the role of information content in process development?
	How does process selection interact with materials selection decisions?
	How are mathematical modeling , intuition and interviews used to figure out performance indices?

Lecture Topics:

	Monday	Introduce the concept of process selection in the materials selection software
	Wednesday	Examples  in process selection. Introduce Case study for analysis on Friday
	Friday	Analyze Snow board case study. This was  submitted in a prior class

Week 8 Assignments:

Midterm Review

Reference Material:

Below is the reference for the TMS web page. They serve as a rival and complement to ASM and have a good set of data and links. It provides good background for your case study.
http://www.tms.org/Resources.html

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