Manufacturing Process Selection and Material Impacts - University Task

Task 1: Navigation through Processes

In the tasks which are described below, you will gather much of your information from CES. However, it is expected that you will add value by sourcing information from outside of CES where appropriate and acknowledge/reference these sources correctly.

You are required to submit your work within the bounds of the University Infringement of Assessment Regulations. Although you should make full use of any source material, which would normally be an occasional sentence and/or paragraph (referenced) followed by your own critical analysis/evaluation. 

Where referencing is required, unless otherwise stated, the Harvard referencing   system must be used (see your Programme Guide).

1.Open CES software. Choose Aerospace database.

2.In “Browse” mode, select Table: “Process Universe” and Subset: “All Processes”.

3.Choose one process from each of the 3 categories available (Joining, Shaping and Surface Treatment).

4.In your own words, give a summary of each of the 3 processes chosen. For each process, make sure you include information on (i) the nature of the process, (ii) the types of materials which can be processed in this way and (iii) the characteristics of the components which are produced by the process (size, shape, dimensional tolerance etc) and (iv) economics of the process.

1.In Canvas, or from within CES, open the “Case Studies - Manufacturing Processes” document. Choose one of the process selection case studies presented. You may choose a case study from elsewhere if you wish.

2.You are now going to use CES to work through the chosen process selection exercise, generating all selection charts manually.

3.Click “Select” tab.

4.Choose the appropriate “Process Universe” category (probably “Shaping”) for your chosen process selection case study.

5.Reproduce every selection step (i.e. plot selection charts etc) exactly as described in the case study.

6.Provide your own commentary which shows clearly how you perform each step of the selection exercise and which links them together. Are there are any references in literature that confirm that your shortlisted processes are actually used to manufacture the selected parts?

7.Write an overview of your process selection case study methodology in your own words.

This is an open-ended exercise which allows lots of scope for personal interpretation. Three materials are proposed as the likely candidates for a car component.

These are:

1.Low Alloy Steel shaped via Rolling (a deformation process)

2.Age Hardening Aluminium Alloy shaped via Extrusion (a deformation process)

3.Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) shaped via Resin Transfer Moulding

The choice of material will affect:

(a)the cost of the component

(b)the manufacturing process used to shape the component

(c)the mass of the component (assume 20kg for steel component, 12 kg for aluminium component, 7 kg for CFRP component)

(d)the environmental impact of the component (in terms of energy and CO2) over its whole life cycle

(e)the fuel consumed over the lifetime of the vehicle

(f)any other variables which you consider important

Use the Level 2 CES databases and the CES Eco-Audit tool to investigate the relative impacts of the above factors [(a) through (f) above] associated with the use of this component within a car with a usable life of 20 years and that travels within the UK:

i.5,000 km pa

ii.10,000 km pa

iii.25,000 km pa

iv.50,000 km pa

Make whatever reasonable assumptions you feel appropriate, but do specify these. Examples might include manufacturing batch size, fuel costs, component transport mode to end user etc.