everything.study
3.080

Strategic Materials Selection

3-0-9 units · Undergraduate

Provides a survey of methods for evaluating choice of material and explores the implications of that choice along economic and environmental dimensions. Topics include life cycle assessment, data uncertainty, manufacturing economics and utility analysis. Students carry out a group project selecting materials technology options based on performance characteristics beyond and including technical ones.

Fall 2005 · Economic & Environmental Issues in Materials Selection

Topics

  • Introduction
  • Introduction, Time Value of Money, Single Payment Discounting
  • Value, Multi-payment Discounting, Non-uniform Cash Flows
  • Effective Interest Rates
  • Uncertainty
  • Comparing Alternatives
  • Dealing with Changing Prices
  • Combining Concepts
  • Presentations and Review
  • Concepts of Materials Indices, Software Introduction (Guest lecturer: Jeremy Gregory)
  • Material and Shape Selection (Guest lecturer: Jeremy Gregory)
  • Process Selection, In-class Examples (Guest lecturer: Jeremy Gregory)
  • Using Cost Models: Concepts and Principles
  • Tackling Variable Costs
  • Modeling Fixed Costs
  • Introduction: What is the Cost of Materials Usage?
  • An Overview of Life Cycle Assessment
  • Analysis Goal and Scope; Inventory Methods
  • Impact Assessment
  • Presentations and Wrap-up

Readings

  • Because the course covers a broad range of topics, there is no single textbook. However, I would recommend that students purchase the following text. It provides some coverage of the engineering economics topic, provides useful information on the general issues covered in class, and is very affordable:
    Listed reading
  • de Neufville, R. Applied Systems Analysis: Engineering Planning and Technology Management . New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1989. ISBN: 9780070163737.
    Listed reading
  • Sullivan, W., E. Wicks, and J. Luxhoj. Engineering Economy . 12th ed. East Rutherford, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2002. ISBN: 9780130673381.
    Listed reading
  • Ashby, M. F. Materials Selection in Mechanical Design . 3rd ed. San Diego, CA: Elsevier, 2005. ISBN: 9780750661683.
    Listed reading
  • Bauman, H., and A. Tillman. Hitch Hiker’s Guide To LCA: An Orientation in Life Cycle Assessment Methodology and Application . Lund, Sweden: Studentlitteratur AB, 2004. ISBN: 9789144023649.
    Listed reading
  • [EE] Sullivan, W., E. Wicks, and J. Luxhoj. Engineering Economy . 12th ed. East Rutherford, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2002. ISBN: 9780130673381.
    Listed reading
  • [MS] Ashby, M. F. Materials Selection in Mechanical Design . 3rd ed. San Diego, CA: Elsevier, 2005. ISBN: 9780750661683.
    Listed reading
  • [LC] Bauman, H., and A. Tillman. Hitch Hiker’s Guide To LCA: An Orientation in Life Cycle Assessment Methodology and Application . Lund, Sweden: Studentlitteratur AB, 2004. ISBN: 9789144023649.
    Listed reading
  • LEC #: 2 · TOPICS: Introduction, Time Value of Money, Single Payment Discounting · READINGS: EE: Chapter 1, sections 2.1, 2.2, and 3.1-3.10.
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 3 · TOPICS: Value, Multi-payment Discounting, Non-uniform Cash Flows · READINGS: EE: Sections 3.11-3.18.
    Reading assignment
  • Bloomberg News. “Toyota Says It Plans Eventually to Offer an All-Hybrid Fleet.” Published in New York Times online, September 14, 2005.
    Listed reading
  • Evaluating Alternatives, MARR, PW, AW, IRR EE: Chapter 4.
    Listed reading
  • LEC #: 5 · TOPICS: Uncertainty · READINGS: EE: Chapter 5.
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 6 · TOPICS: Comparing Alternatives · READINGS: EE: Sections 8.1-8.5.
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 7 · TOPICS: Dealing with Changing Prices · READINGS: EE: Chapter 10.
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 8 · TOPICS: Combining Concepts · READINGS: Statistical Resources on the Web: Cost-of-Living . University of Michigan compilation of links on cost of living; many provide useful information on inflation. ↗
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 11 · TOPICS: Concepts of Materials Indices, Software Introduction · READINGS: MS: Chapters 1 and 5, section 2.5.
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 12 · TOPICS: Material and Shape Selection · READINGS: MS: Chapter 11.
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 13 · TOPICS: Process Selection, In-class Examples · READINGS: MS: Chapter 8.
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 15 · TOPICS: Using Cost Models: Concepts and Principles · READINGS: Kirchain, R., and F. Field. “Process-Based Cost Modeling: Understanding the Economics of Technical Decisions.” In Encyclopedia of Materials Science and Engineering . Vol. 2. San Diego, CA: Elsevier, 2001, pp. 1718-27. ISBN: 9780080431529.
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 21 · TOPICS: An Overview of Life Cycle Assessment · READINGS: LC: Chapter 1.
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 22 · TOPICS: Analysis Goal and Scope; Inventory Methods · READINGS: LC: Chapters 3 and 4.
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 23 · TOPICS: Impact Assessment · READINGS: LC: Chapters 5 and 6.
    Reading assignment

Prerequisites & course information

Prereq: ( 3.010 and 3.020 ) or permission of instructor Acad Year 2027-2028: U (Fall) Acad Year 2028-2029: Not offered 3-0-9 units

Sources