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