Computer-Aided Materials Selection During Structural Design

The selection of the proper materials for a structural component is a critical activity that is governed by many, often conflicting factors. Incorporating materials expert systems into CAD/CAM operations could assist designers by suggesting potential manufacturing processes for particular products to facilitate concurrent engineering, recommending various materials for a specific part based on a given set of characteristics, or proposing possible modifications of a design if suitable materials for a particular part do not exist. This book reviews the structural design process, determines the elements, and capabilities required for a materials selection expert system to assist design engineers, and recommends the areas of expert system and materials modeling research and development required to devise a materials-specific design system. Table of Contents Front Matter Executive Summary 1 Introduction 2 Materials Selection in Structural Design 3 Enhancing the Materials Selection Process in Design: A Vision 4 Information Technologies Pertinent to the Materials Selection Process 5 Conclusions and Recommendations References Appendix A: Glossary of Acronyms Appendix B: Case Studies Reviewed by the Committee Appendix C: Review of Selected Knowledge-Representation Techniques and Tools Appendix D: Knowledge-Based Integrated Design System Appendix E: An Intelligent Knowledge System for Selection of Materials for Critical Aerospace Applications Appendix F: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members