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

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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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Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME)

Density functional theoryMolecular dynamicsPhase field modelsCrystal plasticityComputational fluid dynamicsFinite element analysis

Nanoscale

Macroscale

Calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD)

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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!