DEVELOPMENT OF AN APPLICATION SOFTWARE FOR MATERIAL SELECTION FOR MACHINE PARTS

Abstract

Material selection is a difficult and subtle task due to the immense number of different available materials. Selecting materials for different machine parts is relatively common and important to machine development. Due to this point of view, this research was carried out to design and construct a system that would allow an individual, regardless of their level of technical knowledge, to filter through the large number of materials in order to find the most appropriate material options for the production of some selected machine parts quickly and easily. Material selection mathematical models, for twenty five common machine parts, was developed using Ashby model format and php programming language was used to develop the software package. In the program, a database covering all the necessary properties of various engineering materials was developed. My SQL was used in creating the database which contains close to a thousand engineering material and can be updated if the user wants. Machine parts or products generally can be predicted after inputting the properties of the expected material or after using this same application software to calculate the properties expected. Implementation of this model was done using the software package to predict the material for machine parts of previously fabricated projects in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Federal University of Technology, Akure. Machine components in the fabricated projects were used to ascertain that the right materials were used in fabricating those machine parts. The results of these tests show that for a developed soya beans milk extraction machine, the software package suggested low carbon steel for the shaft in place of mild steel used for the fabrication and coated silicon carbide alloy for the machine plate in place of stainless steel used. Also, for a developed fabric drying machine the software package predicted molybdenum high speed tool steel for the machine pulley and low alloy steel for the machine solid shaft. Comparing this software prediction with standard materials (in textbooks) used `for manufacturing these parts shows a greater conformity.Previous authors tended to favor low cost and availability in their choice of materials. This could eventually lead to machine failure. The software is highly recommended for manufacturing industries to improve their material choice for mass production