Materials selection is fundamental to the success of a new product, design, or application.
Element experts offer your R&D team our experienced recommendations on polymeric, metallurgical, and corrosion material selection issues as well as other secondary processes needed to create a superior component, engineered for both cost efficiency and long life.
Too many factors, too little time
Today's engineer is often faced with complex design considerations, further complicated by the extraordinary number of available materials. The time and research involved in developing a comprehensive understanding of the true functional behavior of a chosen material, taking into account all that will be required of the product in a wide range of use / abuse environments—is a significant and time-consuming undertaking. When selecting materials for quality-critical or challenging applications, the assistance of a materials engineering professional can be extremely valuable.
The materials selection process begins . . .
The process begins with a thorough evaluation of your product application and its requirements such as:
| Part function | Part geometry and part tolerances | Electrical properties |
| Required service life | Design and application constraints | Appearance |
| Servicing requirements | Consequences of part failure | Operating environment |
| Production scale | Mechanical requirements | Codes and specifications |
| Assembly method | Chemical resistance | Cost parameters |
| Disposal |
Refining your list of candidates
Once the product requirements are established, potential materials candidates are identified. The list of potential candidates is continuously refined through the assessment of application specific data that can be developed in-house. This data could include, but is not limited to:
| Fatigue | Creep | Mechanical properties |
| Corrosion | Weathering | Stress relaxation |
| Heat aging | Chemical compatibility | Environmental stress cracking resistance |