Material Selection Process (MSP)
Posted by Dave Biering on Tue, Dec 13, 2011 @ 09:41 AM
What type of material should I use? Can you review the pros and cons for this application? What are the technical specs?
These are just some of the questions we are often asked on our Ask the Experts forum. Since selecting the right material is crucial to the ultimate performance of your application, TriStar offers an on-line Materials Selection Database. But here are some key considerations to help you find just the right solution:
Is the part being designed going to be in a tensile, compressive or flexural state? All plastics will vary in their inherent strengths and with the addition of reinforcing additives we can change these strengths to meet specific demands.
All plastics are impacted by ambient heat and have a maximum continuous service temperature. The maximum continuous service temperature is not a melting point, but is the highest temperature at which a material will retain physical integrity. Important: Note that elevated temperatures impact material properties in a negative manner and should be carefully reviewed before use.
All plastic materials have coefficients of thermal expansion. Measured in in/in/°F, plastic materials vary greatly not only from each other, but in some cases ten times that of metallic counter parts. As a result, we consider temperature variations. Components should be designed to meet required service temperature. Not doing so may result in premature failure.
Always consider the following environmental conditions under which the material must operate:
- Contact with debris such as sand, grit or dust
- Contact with chemicals such as strong acids, bases and caustics
- Contact with water, constant spray or wash downs
- FDA or USDA compliance
- Thermal/electrical conductivity or insulation
- Radiation exposure
- Microwave exposure
- Other important considerations
- Size and shape availability
- Material cost/economy
- Machinability
- Standard or custom runs
- Custom compounds
TriStar’s custom solution experts are always available for consult.