Introduction
In mechanical design, choosing the right material is one of the most consequential decisions an engineer will make. However, in a modern Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) context, “the right material” isn’t just the one with the best strength-to-weight ratio. It is the material that meets the performance requirements, is available in the supply chain, complies with global environmental laws, and fits the target cost of the product.
Materials Selection is the process of identifying the optimal substance for a specific part or assembly. When integrated into the PLM workflow, this process moves from being an isolated engineering task to a collaborative strategic decision that involves procurement, quality, and manufacturing teams.
Factors Influencing Materials Selection
A robust selection process must balance four critical pillars:
1. Mechanical and Physical Properties
The technical foundation: Is it strong enough? Does it handle heat? Is it corrosion-resistant?
- Factors: Tensile strength, elasticity, thermal conductivity, density, and fatigue limit.
2. Manufacturing and Processability
A material is only good if you can shape it efficiently.
- Factors: Machinability, weldability, suitability for 3D printing (additive manufacturing), or injection molding cycle times.
3. Cost and Supply Chain Viability
The best material is useless if it’s too expensive or has a 40-week lead time.
- Factors: Raw material price, supplier stability, and “Single Source” risks.
4. Environmental and Regulatory Compliance
In today’s market, materials must be “clean.”
- Factors: Compliance with RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances), REACH, and the ability to be recycled at the end of the product’s life.
The Materials Selection Workflow in PLM
Integrating material data into the PLM system creates a “Digital Thread” that tracks the material from the initial concept to the final product:
| Stage | Action in PLM |
| Concept | Defining functional requirements (e.g., “Must be flame retardant”). |
| Design | Selecting a material from a verified “Master Material Library.” |
| Simulation | Using the material’s physical properties for FEA and CFD analysis. |
| Procurement | Linking the selected material to approved suppliers and market pricing. |
| End of Life | Tracking the material composition for recycling and disposal compliance. |
The Impact of Poor Material Selection
Failing to integrate procurement data into material selection can lead to:
- Production Delays: Choosing a “specialty” alloy that no supplier has in stock.
- Cost Overruns: Selecting a high-performance material when a standard, cheaper alternative would suffice.
- Regulatory Fines: Using a substance that is banned in certain global markets.
How Visure Solutions Optimizes Materials Selection
Visure Requirements ALM Platform ensures that material selection is always driven by requirements and validated by data:
- Constraint-Based Selection: Visure allows you to define material constraints as requirements (e.g., “Total weight must be under 5kg”). As engineers select materials, Visure tracks the cumulative effect on the product’s goals.
- Compliance Verification: Link materials to regulatory sets like REACH or RoHS. Visure can automatically flag a part as “Non-Compliant” if the selected material contains restricted substances.
- Traceability to Simulation: Visure maintains the link between the material choice and the simulation results (FEA), proving that the material meets the structural requirements.
- Collaboration Hub: Procurement can leave “comments” on specific material requirements in Visure, alerting engineering if a chosen material is becoming difficult to source or if prices are spiking.
Conclusion
Materials Selection is where the physical world meets the digital plan. By treating materials as a strategic asset within the PLM framework, companies can innovate faster while minimizing the risks of the supply chain.
With Visure, the process of selecting materials becomes transparent and data-driven. It ensures that every gram of material in your product is there for a reason, is legally compliant, and is supported by a reliable supply chain.
Check out the 14-day free trial at Visure and experience how AI-driven change control can help you manage changes faster, safer, and with full audit readiness.
