Appliance Design - September 2008 - (Page 28) INDUSTRIAL DESIGN & HUMAN FACTORS The Liquidmetal alloys from Liquidmetal Technologies are twice as strong as titanium, won’t rust and can be processed as easily as plastic. Right Stuff Materials selection more important and complex than ever. D by larry adams 28 applianceDESIGN September 2008 esigners need to be materialistic. Not in the sense of being superficially obsessed with material things, but in the literal sense of being focused on materials themselves, the very substance and content of the products they design. In the course of new product development, the selection of materials is one of the most daunting and intimidating aspects of the project. In some cases, it may turn out to be the single most important decision made. Using the right stuff can make a product. Using the wrong stuff can break it. Function, aesthetics, and costs have traditionally been the factors used to determine which material to use, but new factors have emerged that must be taken into account. Environmental issues are front and center when it comes to new product development with local and international regulations as well as marketplace expectations playing a role in choosing a material. Materials must be chosen with an eye toward the product’s overall appeal to today’s market, and the other eye focused on the product’s lifecycle. The paradigm has changed, says Andrew Dent, vice president, Library and Materials Research, for Material ConneXion, a New York-based materials consulting firm. In the past, the assumption was that design of the form was everything and after that, materials would be found that satisfy the design. Today, Dent says that attitude has changed. Now, designers are using information about materials up front in the development process to actually influence the design. And, there is a vast amount of information to be found. Literally, thousands of materials are available to the designer and new materials are continuously being unveiled. Material ConneXion operates a material library that is constantly adding new products to its database (www.materialconnexion.com). The library, which is divided into seven material categories and a process category, adds 500 to 600 new materials a year. www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.materialconnexion.com http://www.materialconnexion.com http://www.appliancedesign.com
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