LECTURE 7:

Material Index
BMFB 3323 MATERIALS SELECTION
SEM 1, 2022/2023
by Dr. Toibah binti Abd Rahim
Week 7
The role of materials selection in
design
RECAP

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RECAP
STEP 3: RANKING
 Identifying the candidates that remain & ordering those that can do
the job best
 Material index:
a) The property or property group that maximizes performance
for a given design
b) Provide criteria of excellence that allow ranking of materials
by their ability to perform well in the given application
c) Material indices are generally expressed so
that a maximum value is sought

Constraints set property limits.

Objectives define material indices, for
which we seek extreme values.
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OUTLINE
 Deriving performance indices
 Performance maximizing criteria
 Material Index

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 Materials selection and function
 Design involves choosing a material, process and part shape to perform
some function.
 Function dictates the choice of both materials and shape.
 In many cases materials choice is not directly dependent of shape
Function
• Transmit loads, heat
• Contain pressure
• Store energy, etc. at
min. mass or at min
cost, or with min
environmental impact

Shape
Material

Process
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INTRODUCTION
 Two concepts used in selection process:
a) Material Performance Index
Combination of materials properties that characterize the
performance of a material in a given application

b) Material Property Chart

Plots of material properties that form the maximizing
factors

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Performance Indices

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Performance Indices
 Structural elements are components which
perform a physical function. The sum of these
functions are the functional requirements:
-carry load, transmit heat, store energy etc.
 The design of structural elements is specified by
three elements:
1. Functional requirement (= function)
2. Geometry (=shape)
3. Materials properties (= materials)
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Performance Indices

P = f [(functional requirements, F); (geometric parameters, G);

(materials properties, M)]

p = f (F,G,M)
Material Index

Where p describes some aspect of the performance of the components

such as mass, volume and cost
Or:
 f means function of
 Optimum design is the selection of material and geometry which
maximize or minimize p, according to its desirability
 The optimization is subject to constratints, some of the imposed by
the material properties, M.
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Performance Indices

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Deriving Performance Indices: Procedure
1. Identify the attribute to be maximized or minimized (weight, cost,
energy, stiffness, strength, safety, environmental damage, etc.).
2. Develop an equation for this attribute in terms of the functional
requirements, the geometry and the material properties (the objective
function).
3. Identify the free (unspecified) variables.
4. Identify the constraints; rank them in order of importance.
5. Develop equations for the constraints (no yield; no fracture; no buckling,
maximum heat capacity, cost below target, etc.).
6. Substitute for the free variables from the constraints into the objective
function.
7. Group the variables into three groups: functional requirements, F, geometry,
G, and material properties, M, thus, we can write:
P = f1(F) f2 (G) f3 (M)
8. Read off the performance index, expressed as a quantity f3 (M),to be
minimized or maximized
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INTRODUCTION

Specification of Function, Objective and Constraint leads to a material

performance index M.
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FIGURE 5.6
Generic components: (a) a tie, a tensile component; (b) a panel, loaded in bending; (c) and (d) beams,
loaded in bending.
 CASE STUDY 1: Material index for a light, strong tie-rod.

Strong tie of length L and minimum mass

F
F

Area A
L

m = mass
A = area
L = length
 = density
 y = yield strength

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 CASE STUDY 1
Material index for a light, strong tie-rod.

A design calls for a cylindrical tie-rod

of specified length L to carry a tensile
force F without failure; it is to be of
minimum mass.

The length L is specified but the cross-

section area A is not.

Here, “maximizing performance”

means “minimizing the mass while still
carrying the load F safely”.

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CASE STUDY 1
Material index for a light, strong tie-rod.
The method:
1. Identify function, constraints, objective and free variables (list simple
constraints for screening).
Function Tie rod
Constraints
 Length L is specified
 Must not fail under load F
Objective Min mass
Free variable
 Material choice
 Cross-section area, A

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CASE STUDY 1
Material index for a light, strong tie-rod.
The method:
2. Write down equation for objective -- the “performance equation”.
If the performance equation involves a free variable (other than the
material):
 Identify the constraint that limits it.
 Use this to eliminate the free variable in performance equation.
Mass m = A L 
Mass m = A L  Additional free variable: A
Strength constraint: F/A < y
 
Mass m  F L  ρ 
 σy 
 

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CASE STUDY 1
Material index for a light, strong tie-rod.
The method:
 ρ 
mFL  
3. Read off the combination of material  σy 
 
properties that maximizes performance
-- the material index
σ 
Index =  y 
 σy   ρ 
   
4. Use Index  ρ 
for ranking

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CASE STUDY 1 Material index for a light, strong tie-rod.
Strong tie of length L and minimum mass

Function Tie-rod F F
Area A L
• Length L is specified
Constraints • Must not fail under load F m = mass
•Adequate fracture toughness A = area
L = length
 = density
Objective  y= yield strength
Minimize mass m

Free variables • Material choice STEP 1

• Section area A. Identify function,
constraints, objective and
free variables.

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CASE STUDY 1 Material index for a light, strong tie-rod.
Strong tie of length L and minimum mass

F F
Function Tie-rod
Area A L
• Length L is specified
Constraints • Must not fail under load F
•Adequate fracture toughness m = mass
A = area
L = length
 = density
Objective Minimize mass m:  y= yield strength
m = AL (1)

Free variables • Material choice

• Section area A. STEP 2
Define equation for
objective– the “ performance
equation”.

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CASE STUDY 1 Material index for a light, strong tie-rod.

Strong tie of length L and minimum mass

Function Tie-rod F F
Area A L
Constraints • Length L is specified
• Must not fail under load F m = mass
Equation for constraint on A: A = area
L = length
F/A < y (2)  = density
Objective Minimize mass m:  y= yield strength
m = AL (1)

Free variables • Material choice

• Section area A. STEP 3
If the “ performance
equation” contains a free
variable other than material,
identify the constraint that
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limits it.
CASE STUDY 1 Material index for a light, strong tie-rod.

Strong tie of length L and minimum mass

Function Tie-rod F F
Area A L
Constraints • Length L is specified
• Must not fail under load F m = mass
Equation for constraint on A: A = area
L = length
F/A < y (2)
 = density
Objective Minimize mass m:  y= yield strength
m = AL (1)

Free variables • Material choice Eliminate A in (1) using (2):

• Section area A.
STEP 4
 ρ  Use this constraint to
mFL  
 σy  eliminate the free variable in
 
performance equation
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CASE STUDY 1 Material index for a light, strong tie-rod.

Strong tie of length L and minimum mass

Function Tie-rod F F
Area A L
Constraints • Length L is specified
• Must not fail under load F m = mass
Equation for constraint on A: A = area
L = length
F/A < y (2)  = density
Objective Minimize mass m:  y= yield strength
m = AL (1)

Free variables • Material choice Eliminate A in (1) using (2):

• Section area A.
STEP 5
 ρ  Read off the combination of
mFL  
 σy  material properties that
 
maximize performance
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CASE STUDY 1 Material index for a light, strong tie-rod.

Strong tie of length L and minimum mass

Function Tie-rod F F
Area A L
Constraints • Length L is specified
• Must not fail under load F m = mass
Equation for constraint on A: A = area
L = length
F/A < y (2)  = density
Objective Minimize mass m:  y= yield strength
m = AL (1)

Free variables • Material choice Eliminate A in (1) using (2):

• Section area A.
STEP 5
 ρ  Read off the combination of
mFL  
 σy  material properties that
 
maximize performance
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CASE STUDY 1 Material index for a light, strong tie-rod.

Strong tie of length L and minimum mass

Function Tie-rod F F
Area A L
Constraints • Length L is specified
• Must not fail under load F m = mass
Equation for constraint on A: A = area
L = length
F/A < y (2)  = density
Objective Minimize mass m:  y= yield strength
m = AL (1)

Free variables • Material choice Eliminate A in (1) using (2):

• Section area A.
Performance index
 ρ  Choose materials  ρ 
Performance mFL   Choose materials 
 σ y  @ with smallest
 
metric m  σy  with largest 
ρ  σ 
  
  y
Maximizing performance means minimizing the mass while still
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carrying the load F safely.
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Tutorial 1
 Given that the stiffness of the tie is

 Also given that the mass, m of the tie is given by:

m =A L ρ
 Derive the performance index, M for minimizing the mass
for a light, stiff tie.

Strong tie of length L and minimum mass

F F
Area A L

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Tutorial 1 Material index for a light, stiff tie-rod.
Strong tie of length L and minimum mass

Function Tie-rod F F
Area A L
Constraints • Stiffness of the tie S:
m = mass
A = area
L = length
 = density
Objective  y= yield strength
Minimize mass m

Eliminate A in (1) using (2):

Free variables • Material choice
• Section area A.

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Tutorial 1 Material index for a light, stiff tie-rod.

@ the
biggest
E /ρ

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Case Study 2: Material Index for beam
Stiff beam of length L and minimum mass

Square
b section,
area
L A = b2

 The most usual mode of loading of engineering structures is bending:

wing-spars of aircraft, ceiling and floor joists of buildings, golf club
shafts, oars, skis, ….all these structures carry bending moments;
they are beams.
 The requirement here is for a beam of specified stiffness and
minimum mass.
 The frame lays out the steps, leading to the index ρ/E1/2 ; it differs
from the index for a light stiff tie-rod because the mode of loading is
bending, not tension.
 Later frames show how these indices are used to rank materials.
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CASE STUDY 2
Material index for a light, stiff beam.

Consider a light beam of square section and length L loaded in

bending. It must meet a constraint on its stiffness S, meaning that
it must not deflect more than under a load F.

The length L is specified but the cross-section area A (= b2) is
not.

Here, “maximizing performance” means “minimizing the mass

while still carrying the bending load F safely without deflecting
more than ”.

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CASE STUDY 2Material index for a light, stiff beam.
Stiff beam of length L and minimum mass

Function Beam Square

b section,
area
• Length L is specified L A = b2
Constraints
• Must have bending stiffness > S* m = mass
Equation for constraint on A: A = area
L = length
CEI CE A2  = density
S 3
 3
(1)
L 12 L E = Young’s modulus
I = second moment of area
Objective Minimize mass m: (I = b4/12 = A2/12)
m = AL (2) C = constant (here, 48)

Free variables • Material choice Eliminate A in (2) using (1):

• Section area A.
1/ 2
Performance  12 L5 S*     Choose materials
 1/2
E


m   1/ 2   
metric m  C  E  with largest  ρ 
   
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CASE STUDY 3Material index for a light, strong beam.

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Performance Indices for weight: Beam

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CASE STUDY 2

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CASE STUDY 2

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CASE STUDY 4 Material index for a light, stiff panel.

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CASE STUDY 4 Material index for a light, strong panel.

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Performance Indices for weight: Panel

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MATERIAL INDEX
Function has a
Each Constraint characterizing
combination of Objective material index
FUNCTION
Tie
CONSTRAINTS
Beam
Stiffness OBJECTIVE
specified
Minimum cost
Shaft INDEX
Strength
specified Minimum
σ 
Column weight M   ρy 
Fatigue limit 
 

Minimum
Geometry volume
specified Maximize this!
Mechanical,
Minimum
Thermal,
eco- impact
Electrical...
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MATERIAL INDEX
Function has a
Each Constraint characterizing
combination of Objective material index
FUNCTION
Tie
CONSTRAINTS
Beam
Stiffness OBJECTIVE
specified
Minimum cost
Shaft
Strength INDEX
specified Minimum
 σ1/2 
weight y 
Column M
Fatigue limit  Cmρ 
Minimum  
Geometry volume
specified Maximize
Mechanical,
Minimum this!
Thermal,
eco- impact
Electrical...
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MATERIAL INDEX
Function has a
Each Constraint characterizing
combination of Objective material index
FUNCTION
Tie
CONSTRAINTS
Beam
Stiffness OBJECTIVE
specified
Minimum cost
Shaft INDEX
Strength
specified Minimum  1/2 
weight M  Eρ 
Column 


Fatigue limit
Minimum
Geometry volume
specified Maximize this!
Mechanical,
Minimum
Thermal,
eco- impact
Electrical...
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MATERIAL INDEX
 A material index is just the combination of material properties that appears in the
equation for performance (eg minimizing mass or cost).
 Sometimes a single property
Either is a material index
 Sometimes a combination

Objective -- Constraints
minimise mass Function Stiffness Strength
Tension (tie)
E/ρ σy/ρ

Bending (beam)
E1/2/ρ σ2/3 /ρ
y
Bending (panel)
E1/3/ρ σ1/2
y
/ρ

45 Maximize these!
46
 MATERIAL INDEX
Tensile ties
Minimum weight design
 y 
 
 ρ 

Main spar
Compression - beam
strut  1/2 
 1/2  E 
E   
   ρ 
 ρ   
 

Undercarriage
 2 / 3 
 y 
 ρ 
 
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E = Young’s modulus  = Density  y = Yield strength
 MATERIAL INDEX
Minimum cost design
 1/ 2 
Structural   y   2 / 3 
Structural  y 
panels C ρ beam C ρ
 m   m 

Tensile ties
 y 
 
C ρ
 m 

Compression  y 
 
strut (column) C ρ
 m 
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Cm = Material cost / kg  = Density  y = Yield strength
SELF-READING

Objective: Minimizing cost

 Reading out more from

Michael F. Ashby, Materials
Selection in Mechanical
Design, 3rd Ed., pp. 117-121.

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