Everything has to be made out of something. What is the best material for a given application? How can designers know what material properties to use in a simulation? How does processing influence a material’s performance? How can failure analysis provide insights for better designs? Materials expertise can inform decision-making at all stages of the product development cycle. How can materials engineers best support the needs of their organizations? How can organizations get the best value from their materials engineers? This discussion will focus on how materials engineering can provide a key supporting role in design and analysis, simulation, testing, production, and process optimization.

1. DESIGN, SIMULATION, TESTING,
PRODUCTION, AND PROCESS
OPTIMIZATION: THE ROLE OF THE
MATERIALS ENGINEER
David Palmer, P.E.
BRP US, Inc. – Marine Propulsion Systems Division

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Integrated Design and Manufacturing Activity
• “The function of the Integrated Design and Manufacturing
Activity is to develop, disperse, and articulate theoretical
developments and provide information on real life
application to industry in the areas of process capability,
productivity, reliability, DFM (design for manufacturability,
global supply chain integration, and world class
manufacturing performance in the mobility industry.”
Materials Engineering Activity
• “The function of the Materials Engineering Activity is to
develop, collect, and help disseminate information of
value to members of the Society in the area of properties,
selection, and performance of materials.”
Scope of SAE Activities
2

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Everything Is Made From Something
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Color panels:
injection molded ABS
Exoskeleton:
mineral-reinforced
polypropylene
Exhaust covers:
polyamide-ionomer blend
Propeller:
investment cast duplex
stainless steel
Sacrificial anodes:
aluminum-indium alloy
Transom brackets:
permanent mold cast
aluminum alloy A356-T6
Fasteners:
austenitic stainless steel
Spray plate:
wrought aluminum-
magnesium alloy
Gearcase housing:
high-pressure die cast
aluminum alloy A413

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Everything Is Made From Something
Case Example: World War II Iceberg Ship

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The Role of the Materials Engineer
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Design: Choosing the best materials for an application
Simulation: Understanding material properties
Testing: Learning from failures
Production: Effect of processing on properties
Process Optimization: Continuous improvement

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Materials Selection
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Source: M.F. Ashby, Material Selection in
Mechanical Design, Pergamon Press, 1992.
• Strength
• Stiffness (modulus)
• Weight (density)
• Cost
• Corrosion resistance
• Fracture toughness
• Thermal conductivity
• Electrical conductivity
• Thermal expansion
• Energy storage
• Environmental impact
• And many others…

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Materials Selection
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Source: R. Baboian, ASTM STP 576, 1976.
• Combinations of materials
• Galvanic series
• Other material interactions…
Zinc-plated steel nut and glass-filled
polyamide after exposure to saltwater

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Simulation
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Source:whitehouse.gov
Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME)
Density functional theory
Molecular dynamics
Phase field models
Crystal plasticity
Computational fluid dynamics
Finite element analysis
Nanoscale
Macroscale
Calculation of phase diagrams
(CALPHAD)
Source:calphad.com
Materials Genome
Initiative

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Simulation
Thermal /
Structural FEA
Internal
Combustion CFD
Lost Foam Casting
CFD Simulation

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Simulation
Metallography
Elasto-Plastic FEA
Microhardness
Testing
Source: L. Xie, D. Palmer, F. Otto, Z.
Wang, and Q. Wang, Trib. Trans.
58(2):215-224, 2015.
Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF)
of Case-Hardened Steels

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Testing
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Source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Modern Machine Shop
Case Example: Curiosity Mars Rover Actuators
“You reach success by finding all the possible ways things
are going to fail.” – Rob Manning, MSL Chief Engineer

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Testing
Case Example: The New Coke
Does your test method replicate real-world
conditions?
Source: Coca-Cola Corporation

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Production
Case Example: Painting Plastics
Source: D. Palmer,
SPE ANTEC 2014.
Clear adhesion
promoter: ~40%
aromatic hydrocarbons
Black adhesion
promoter: <2%
aromatic hydrocarbons

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Process Optimization
Case Example: Eliminating Straightening Cracks

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Conclusion
Materials expertise can inform decision-making
at all stages of the product development cycle.
Materials engineering plays a key supporting
role in integrated design and manufacturing.
Thank you for attending the SAE 2015 World
Congress! Have a safe trip home!