1. Chapter 13 Processes and Process Selection
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

2. A process is a method of shaping, joining, or finishing a material
A process is a method of shaping, joining, or finishing a material. The choice, for a given component, depends on the material of which it is to be made; on its size, shape, and required precision; and on how many are to be made.
Figure 13.1
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

3. To select processes we must first classify them. Figure 13
To select processes we must first classify them. Figure 13.2 shows the various classes of processes.
Figure 13.2
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

4. Figure 13.3
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

5. Figure 13.4
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

6. Casting Processes
Figure 13.5
In sand casting, liquid metal is poured into a split sand mold. In die casting, liquid is forced under pressure into a metal mold. In investment casting, a wax pattern is embedded in a refractory, melted out, and the cavity filled with metal. In pressure casting, a die is filled from below, giving control of the atmosphere and of the flow of metal into the die.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

7. Molding Processes
Figure 13.6
In injection molding, a granular polymer is heated, compressed, and sheared by a screw feeder forcing it into the mold cavity. In blow molding, a tubular blank of hot polymer or glass is expanded by gas pressure against the inner wall of a split die. In polymer extrusion, shaped sections are formed by extrusion through a shaped die. In thermo-forming, a sheet of thermoplastic is heated and deformed into a female die by vacuum or gas pressure.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

8. Deformation Processes
Figure 13.7
In forging, a slug of metal is shaped between two dies held in the jaws of a press. In rolling, a billet or bar is reduced in section by compressive deformation between the rolls. In extrusion, metal is forced to flow through a die aperture to give a continuous prismatic shape. In spinning, a spinning disc of ductile metal is shaped over a wooden pattern by repeated sweeps of the smooth, rounded tool.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

9. Powder Processing
Figure 13.8
In die-pressing and sintering the powder is compacted in a die, often with a binder, and the green compact is then fired to give a more or less dense product. In hot isostatic pressing, powder in a thin, shaped shell or preform is heated and compressed by external gas pressure. In powder injection molding, powder and binder are forced into a die to give a green blank that is then fired. In slip casting, a water-based powder slurry is poured into a porous plaster mold that absorbs water, leaving a powder shell that is subsequently fired.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

10. Composite Forming Methods
Figure 13.9
In filament winding, fibers of glass, Kevlar, or carbon are wound onto a former and impregnated with a resin-hardener mix. In roll and spray lay-up, fiber reinforcement is laid up in a mold onto which the resin-hardener mix is rolled or sprayed. In vacuum-bag and pressure-bag molding, laid-up fiber reinforcement, impregnated with resin hardener mix, is compressed and heated to cause polymerization. In pultrusion, fibers are fed through a resin bath into a heated die to form continuous prismatic sections.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

11. Rapid Prototyping
Figure 13.10
In deposition modeling and ballistic particle manufacture, a solid body is created by the layer-by-layer deposition of polymer droplets. In stereo-lithography, a solid shape is created layer by layer by laser-induced polymerization of a resin. In direct mold modeling, a sand mold is built up layer by layer by selective spraying of a binder from a scanning print-head. In laminated object manufacture, a solid body is created from layers of paper, cut by a scanning laser beam and bonded with a heat-sensitive polymer.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

12. Machining Operations
Figure 13.11
In turning and milling, the sharp, hardened tip of a tool cuts a chip from the work piece surface. In drawing, blanking, and stretching, sheet is shaped and cut to give flat and dished shapes. In electro-discharge machining, electric discharge between a graphite electrode and the work piece, submerged in a dielectric such as paraffin, erodes the work piece to the desired shape. In water-jet cutting, an abrasive entrained in a high-speed water jet erodes the material in its path.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

13. Joining Operations
Figure 13.12
In adhesive bonding, a film of adhesive is applied to one surface, which is then pressed onto the mating one. Fastening is achieved by bolting; riveting; stapling; push-through snap fastener; push-on snap fastener; or rod-to-sheet snap fastener. In metal fusion welding, metal is melted, and more is added from a filler rod to give a bond or coating. In thermoplastic polymer welding, heat is applied to the polymer components, which are simultaneously pressed together to form a bond.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

14. Finishing Processes
Figure 13.13
In mechanical polishing, the roughness of a surface is reduced and its precision increased, by material removal using finely ground abrasives. In electroplating, metal is plated onto a conducting work piece by electro-deposition in a plating bath. In heat treatment, a surface layer of the work piece is hardened and made more corrosion resistant by the inward diffusion of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, or aluminum from a powder bed or molten bath. In anodizing, a surface oxide layer is built up on the work piece by a potential gradient in an oxidizing bath.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

15. Finishing Processes
Figure 13.14
In paint spraying, a pigment in an organic- or water-based solvent is sprayed onto the surface to be decorated. In polymer powder-coating a layer of thermoplastic is deposited on the surface by direct spraying in a gas flame, or by immersing the hot work piece in a bed of powder. In silk-screen printing, ink is wiped onto the surface through a screen onto which a blocking pattern has been deposited, allowing ink to pass in selected areas only. In pad-printing, an inked pattern is picked up on a rubber pad and applied to the surface, which can be curved or irregular.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

16. Figure 13.15
The extent of the material bubbles on the property charts gives an idea of the degree to which properties can be manipulated by processing.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

17. Figure 13.16
Here, the effects of fillers, impact modifiers, and fibers on the strength and toughness of polypropylene is shown.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

18. Specific metals are not susceptible to all strengthening mechanisms.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

19. Strengthening mechanisms and the consequent drop in ductility, here shown for copper alloys. The mechanisms are frequently combined. The greater the strength, the lower the ductility.
Figure 13.17
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

20. Thermal conductivity and strength for aluminum alloys.
Figure 13.18
Thermal conductivity and strength for aluminum alloys.
Figure 13.19
The best choice of material for a cable is one with high strength and low resistivity, but strengthening mechanisms increase resistivity.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

21. Figure 13.20
The changes in fracture toughness and yield strength for a plain carbon steel on heat treatment.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

22. Strategy for Process Selection
Figure 13.21
Strategy for Process Selection
Flow chart for process selection parallels that for material selection.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

23. Process-Material Compatibility Matrix
Figure 13.22
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

24. Process-Shape Compatibility Matrix
Figure 13.23
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

25. Limits on Mass
Figure 13.24
There are limits to the size of component that a process can make. Limits can be on mass or thickness.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

26. Process Limits for Section Thickness
Figure 13.25
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

27. Figure 13.26
Flow of liquid metal or polymer into thin sections is opposed by surface tension as at (a) and by viscous forces (b). Loss of heat into the mold increases viscosity and may cause premature solidification.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

28. Figure 13.27
The influence of friction and aspect ratio on forging: (a) uniaxial compression with very low friction; (b) with sticking friction the contact pressure rises in a friction hill; (c) the greater the aspect ratio, the greater the pressure rise, ultimately limiting the thinness that can be achieved
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

29. Figure 13.28
The height-to-width aspect ratio in powder forging is limited by die-wall friction, which causes the compaction pressure to fall exponentially with distance from the surface.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

30. Roughness
A section through a surface showing its irregular surface. The irregularity is measured by the RMS roughness.
Figure 13.29
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

31. Process-Tolerance Chart
Figure 13.30
Tolerance and roughness characterize the precision and surface finish of a component. These are aspects its quality.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

32. Process-Roughness Chart
Figure 13.31
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

33. Joining: Material Compatibility
Figure 13.32
Processes for joining metals, polymers, ceramics, and glasses differ. A given adhesive will bond to some materials but not to others. The geometry of the joint and the way it is loaded influence process choice.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

34. Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

35. Cost Modeling
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

36. Figure 13.33
Cost of sharpening a pencil plotted against batch size for four process. The curves all have the form of:
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

37. Economic Batch Size The range of produced units for a process to be competitive in terms of cost
Figure 13.34
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

38. Inputs to a Cost Model Figure 13.35
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby

39. Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, 4th Edition, © 2010 Michael Ashby