An Integrated Case Study of Material Selection, Testing and Optimization
Year: 2009
Editor: Norell Bergendahl, M.; Grimheden, M.; Leifer, L.; Skogstad, P.; Lindemann, U.
Author: Leary, Martin John; Mazur, Maciej; Lumley, Roger; Subic, Aleksandar
Series: ICED
Section: Design for X, Design to X
Page(s): 345-356
Abstract
An opportunity for design improvement through material substitution was identified by experimental assessment of an existing linear actuator. Material selection procedures were used to screen a broad database of materials to identify feasible candidates and quantify their relative merit. Further assessment by numerical methods identified additional opportunities for topological optimisation. Aluminum provides a compromise between the objectives of mass and cost and may provide an opportunity for enhanced material selection. A novel process allows heat treatment of cast aluminum alloys. The increased yield strength provides significant mass reduction opportunities. Traditional material selection tools engage with a large number of candidate materials, but provide little design guidance for the optimisation of a specific scenario. Conversely, numerical optimization provides insight into specific scenarios, but has significant computational cost. The techniques applied in this paper provide an example of the integration of both methods: a course filter rapidly screens a large database, resulting in a subset that can be processed by the numerical methods within available design time
Keywords: Material selection, light alloys, high-pressure die casting, optimisation