Function-based Material Selection for Cross-component Lightweight Design within the Extended Target Weighing Approach

Abstract

Shortening product development cycles while improving cost efficiency and quality epitomize a key challenge in today's competitive market environment. Integrated approaches simultaneously taking into account a conceptual design, material and processing definition methodologically facilitate the progress of promising product solutions most effectively. However, assorted approaches in the field of lightweight design as well as material selection mostly trying to cover alternative solutions on a component-specific level exclusively, yet.

Thus, this contribution outlines a cross-component material selection for function-based lightweight design within the Extended Target Weighing Approach covering the identification and evaluation of lightweight design potentials. The developed method is based on Ashby's material selection additionally taking into account project objectives for mass, costs and CO2 emissions in individual functional design spaces. Resulting in material combinations fitting to clearly stated project targets, the product engineer is already supported in an early phase of product development when initially assessing feasible materials for the overall system development.