Strain
The response of a material due to stress, defined as the change in length divided by the original length
Stress
A force on a material divided by the cross sectional area of the material
Stiffness
Resistance to deformation by an applied force
Super alloy
Exhibits exceptional mechanical properties, resistance to thermal creep deformation, good surface stability, and resistance to corrosion
Synthetic fibers
Fibers made from man made materials, spun into threats; the joining of monomers into polymers through polymerization
Tempering
Heat treating process that increases the toughness of iron based metals by heating the metal and allowing it to cool in air. This can increase ductility and decrease brittleness
Lacemaking
A method for creating a decorative fabric that is woven into symmetrical patterns and figures
Laminated boards
Sheets of material made from layers of veneers (plywood)
Laminated object manufacture (LOM)
A rapid prototyping system that creates a 3D product by converting it into slices, cutting the slices, and joining the slices
Lamination
Covering the surface of a material with a thin sheet of another material typically for protection, preservation, or aesthetic reasons
Man-made timber
Also known as engineered wood or composite wood, these are wood products that are made by binding or fixing strands, particles of fibers, veneers of boards of wood together with adhesives or other fixing methods to create composite materials. Typical examples include MDF, plywood and chipboard
Mass
Relates to the amount of matter in a given volume
Mass customization
A sophisticated CIM system that manufactures products to individual customer orders. The benefits of economy of scale are gained whether the order is for a single item or for thousands
Mass production
The production of large amounts of standardized products on production lines, permitting a very high rate of production per worker
Material selection chart
A chart used to identify appropriate materials based on the desired properties
Mechanical properties
Properties of a material that involve the relationship between stress and strain or a reaction to an applied force
Brittle
Breaks into numerous sharp shards
Design for disassembly
Designing a product so that when it becomes obsolete it can easily and economically be taken apart, the components reused or repaired, and the materials recycled.
Design for Materials
Designing in relation to materials during processing
Design for process
Designing to enable the product to be manufactured using a specific manufacturing process, for example, injection molding.
Ductility
The ability of a material to be drawn or extruded into a wire or other extended shape
Elasticity
The extent to which a material will return to its original shape after being deformed
Electrical resistivity
The measure of a material's ability to conduct electricity. A material with low resistivity will conduct electricity well.
Felting
A method for converting yarn into fabric by matting the fibers together
Glass
A hard, brittle and typically transparent amorphous solid made by rapidly cooling a fusion of sand, soda, and lime.
Grain Size (metals)
Metals are crystalline structures comprised of individual grains. The grain size can vary and be determined by heat treatment, particularly how quickly a metal is cooled. Quick cooling results in small grains, slow cooling results in large against. Grain size in metals can affect the density, tensile strength and flexibility.
Design for Manufacture
Designers design specifically for optimum use of existing manufacturing capability
Craft production
A small-scale production process centered on manual skills.
Design for assembly
Designing taking account of assembly at various level, for example, component to component, components into sub-assemblies and sub-assemblies into complete products.
Density
The mass per unit volume of a material. Its importance is in portability in terms of a product's weight and size. Design contexts include, pre-packaged food (instant noodles) is sold by weight and volume, packaging foams.
Continuous flow
A production method used to manufacture, produce or process materials without interruption.
Computer numerical control (CNC)
Refers specifically to the computer control of machines for the purpose of manufacturing complex parts in metals and other materials. Machines are controlled by a program commonly called a "G code". Each code is assigned to a particular operation or process. The codes control X, Y, Z movements and feed speeds.
Compressive strength
The ability of a material to withstand being pushed or squashed
Composite
a material comprised of two or more constituent materials that have different properties
Chemically inert
Lack of reactivity with other materials
Bowing
A warp along the length of the face of the wood
Batch production
Limited volume production (a set number of items to be produced)
Tensile strength
Ability of a materials to withstand pulling force
Thermal expansion
The measure of the degree of increase in dimensions when an object is heated. This can be measured by an increase in length, area, or volume. Can be found in fractional increase per kelvin
Work hardening
Also known as strain hardening or cold working, this is the process of toughening a metal through plastic deformation.
Subtracting/Wasting techniques
Manufacturing technique that cuts away material to create a component
Yarn
A long continuous length of interlocked synthetic or natural fibres
Warping
A distortion in wood caused by uneven drying, resulting in material bending or twisting
Toughness
Ability to resist the prorogation of cracks
Thermosetting plastic
A plastic that when it takes its shape will permanently stay in that shape
Thermoplastic
A plastic that when heated can be reshaped and reformed
Thermal condutivity
Measurement of how fast heat will transfer through material with a given temperature
Weight
Relies on mass and gravitational forces to provide measurable value. _____ is technically measured as a force, which is the Newton, i.e. a mass of 1 Kg is equivalent to 9.8 Newton [on earth].
Additive Techniques
Manufacturing techniques that add material in order to create it
Alloy
A mixture that contains at least two metals. This can be a mixture of metals or a mixture of metals and non-metals.
Knitting
A method for converting yarn into fabric by creating consecutive rows of interlocking loops of yarn
Weaving
The act of forming a sheet like material by interlacing long threads passing in one direction with other at a right angle to them.
Aesthetic characteristics
Aspects of a product that relate to tastes, texture, smell and appearance
Physical properties
Any property that is measurable that describes a state of materials, for example, mass, weight, volume and density. These properties tend to be the characteristic of materials that can be identified through non-destructive testing (although some deformation is required to test hardness).
Plasticity
The ability of a material to be changed in shape permanently
Shaping techniques
Manufacturing methods for modifying the shape of a material.
Softwood
The wood from a coniferous (evergreen) tree.
Natural Fibres
Materials produced by plants or animals that can be spun into a thread, rope or filament
One-off production
An individual (often craft-produced) article or a prototype for larger scale production.
Young's Modulus
A measure of the stiffness of an elastic material and defined by stress/strain.
Aesthetic Appeal
Favorable in terms of appearance
Hardwood
Wood of a deciduous (broadleaf) tree
Hardness
Resistance a material offers to penetration and scratching
Jointing techniques
Methods used to join materials together