TOPIC 4 | RAW MATERIAL TO FINAL PRODUCT

4.2a METALS & METALIC ALLOYS

Alloys

Alloys are essentially a mixture of two or more metals that are combined based on the physical and/or aesthetic qualities and properties required. An example is stainless steel which a mixture of steel and chromium that enables the steel to become water resistant (hence the stainless) and therefore useful for such products as cutlery.

There are 5 common alloying elements

Chromium
added to carbon steel in percentages usually greater than 11% creates stainless steel. At this percentage and greater, the corrosion resistance of a steel vastly increases

Molybdenum
Has an effect on the corrosion resistance of steel. Can also increase the hardness, toughness, and tensile strength of steel.

Vanadium
 Used to help control the grain size of the steel, keeping it small.

Manganese
frequently used in steels to help with the heat treating process. When steels are heated and quenched to increase hardness and strength, the quench must be done a fast rate.

Nickel
When amounts of chromium around 18% or greater are used and nickel composition is greater than 8%, austenitic stainless steel is createdextremely corrosion resistant.

Metal Plating

The plating process is a manufacturing process in which a thin layer of metal coats an object. Metal plating provides many benefits to products made from metal and other materials. The process requires an electric current. These techniques, as well as a few others, result in one or several of the following benefits:

Common plating metals are zinc, copper, silver, gold, chrome and nickel and each are used with a different desired outcome.

Annealing

Annealing involves heating steel to a specified temperature and then cooling at a very slow and controlled rate.

Annealing is commonly used to:

Annealing also restores ductility. During cold working, the metal can become hardened to the extent that any more work will result in cracking. By annealing the metal beforehand, cold working can take place without any risk of cracking, as annealing releases mechanical stresses produced during machining or grinding.

Tempering

Tempering is a heat treatment process that alters the mechanical properties (typically ductility and hardness) and relieves internal stresses of a steel. Tempering allows carbon trapped in a martensitic microstructure to disperse, and enables the internal stresses to be released from the steel that may have been created from prior operations.

Annealing V Tempering

Both involve heating steel but tempered steel is cooled quicker and can be sharpened much more finely but is brittle. Annealing a metal makes it tougher but it will take a sharp edge like tempered steel will.  Think of the samurai sword. The sword needs to be extremely sharp on the edge but tough on the back edge to withstand clashes with other swords. Sword makers tend to create a layer of steels to achieve this and anneal the top, outer layer for strength and durability whilst tempering the lower, blade edge so that it can be sharpened.

Annealing

Sand Casting

Tempering

Take the 4.2a quiz below and test your knowledge

4.2b TIMBER

4.2c GLASS

4.2d PLASTICS

4.2e FABRICS

4.2f COMPOSITES

4.2g Bio/Eco Materials

4.3 SCALES OF PRODUCTION

4.4 MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

Sand Casting

Tempering

4.5 PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

4.6 ROBOTS IN AUTOMATED PRODUCTION

TOPIC 4 RELATED VIDEOS

Material Properties 101

Carbon Steel

Tempering Steel

HIM: Car Engines

Bent Plywood Chair (Eames)

Making Glass Bottles

HIM: Lego

HIM: Car Tyres

GORE TEX: Wind & Waterproof Textile

How: Fiber Optic Cable

What is Additive Manufacturing?

Automated Manufacturing

Powder Coating

Young's Modulus 

Brass, Bronze & Copper

Annealing Metals

Sand Casting

EAMES: Bent Ply Chair (LCW)

Glass Types and Properties

Vacuum Forming

The History of Textiles

HIM: Carbon Fiber

What is a Composite Material?

Batch Production (Rolls Royce)

Automation in Fashion

AUDI: Robots in Automated Production

Steel Alloys

Stainless Steel

HIM: Bicycle

Metal Foam

Finland's Wooden City 

Plastic Types Explained

Blow Moulding 

Injection Molded Chair (Vernor Panton)

Textiles: Mass Production & QC

Lotus Silk (expensive/eco)

History of Composite Materials

NASA: Composite Materials

Mass Production (& Blow Moulding)

Four Types of Steel

Metal Plating

HIM: Steel Spring

Thonet: Steam-bent Wooden Chair

How Glass is Made

Adidas: Recycled Plastic to Trainers

Plastic Processing (multiple types)

Rotational Moulding

How Linen is Made

Bananas into Rugs & Hair

Problems With Composite Materials

Composite: Graphene

Continuous Production

What is CNC Machining?

Flexible Wood Techniques

Sources of Information:

The following sources were used in some part to help piece the above information together; Fractory, Britannica, 

TOPIC 4 RELATED BOOKS

Materials for Design

Process

Wood Work Guide

Material Thoughts

MATERIALS-BASED QUIZES

PRACTICE TOPIC 4 QUIZ

EXAMPLE TOPIC 4 TEST QUESTIONS

Tip: examine the photos carefully, consider the purpose and function on the product and how this has influenced design and manufacturing decisions.

Tip: remind yourself what additive manufacturing is and where and why it is often used. Next, be reminded that you are to explain the advantages of additive manufacturing to the manufacturer, not the bike or end user...