What is the choice of material?
Material selection is the stage of product development, where designers decide what types of materials they use in their final product. During this process, it is necessary to take into account a number of considerations, including the internal properties of the material, project specifications, costs and factors such as sustainability and ethical resources. There are many databases that provide project developers information about common materials on the market and their properties to streamline material selection.
Usually, designers begin to think about what they want to use to produce products very soon in the design process. When they start designing the product, they can limit their possibilities to general categories such as plastics and metals. As soon as this approaches the prototype phase, engineers can start demanding samples of materials that need to be explored and can evaluate the databases to pick up as much information about the available options.
Material selection reflections may include corrosion resistance, flexibility, durability and abilityTake dyes, stains and colors. Developers can use these parameters to narrow the list of possibilities on a set of probable candidates. They can consider some more options than others to help them decide the best possible choice. The selection of materials must also consider costs. The material can be of very high quality, but it would add so much to the production costs that it would not be worth it. On the other hand, the material could cost more, but it would reduce the costs by lasted longer or provided a certain advantage, in which case a high price tag can be an acceptable compromise.
Designers must also consider pressures such as environmental and social concerns during material selection. The company may have a commitment to use recycled materials or only obtain materials from ethically healthyness. Companies may have to reject materials with unclear origin or from sources known to use slave work, cause contamination, or engage in other unethical activities. In someh cases, the company can find materials from sources with certifications, such as certification of sustainable forestry for wood products.
The material selection process can bring several options. It is possible to apply for samples and produce products with different materials to see how they work, feel and look. These samples can help developers make the final decision on what to use in production, often with the help of focus groups or beta testers who have a chance to communicate with different models and provide feedback.