Choosing materials for parts or assemblies is crucial in engineering. Any analysis, whether classic or computerized, relies on accurate data.
Many online sources can help. One of them is Matweb.
Thousands of manufacturers provide material data to this site. I often start my research with Matweb. If I need more details, I contact the manufacturers without intermediaries.
We can also find valuable information in handbooks funded by taxpayers. An example is the Mill Handbook 5. It discusses materials for defense and aerospace industries.
For critical applications, average material data shown as a line plot isn’t enough. Instead, choose the lowest value displayed. Sometimes, your customer may ask for even lower values. This practice is common in high-end commercial and military applications. For any project, make sure you can trace your information sources. This includes sources from customers, manufacturers, or third parties.
Norman T. Neher, P.E.
Analytical Engineering Services, Inc.
Elko New Market, MN
www.aesmn.org