SEDL / STP / STP1231-EB / STP13975S

Material Data Banks: Design and Use, an Example in the Automotive Industry

Diboine, A
Research engineer, Renault Automobiles Service, Billancourt,

Pages: 12    Published: Jan 1994

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Abstract

Today's engineering requires fast and easy access to various types of information, including economical, process, technical, and material data. A large number of databases that cover these fields have been launched recently. However, where the mechanical behavior material data are concerned, engineers often deal with those materials specific to their industry. Such is the case in the automotive industry. Therefore, data for these materials are often not available from large national or international databases. This is one of the reasons for developing an inhouse PC-based materials database.

This paper describes the process of designing, testing, and implementing this database. The design of the database proved to be quite difficult according to the needs for calculation, material selection, and component fatigue life assessment.

The selection and acquisition of the data to be stored is a critical problem. This project has clearly shown the importance of testing standards to guarantee the homogeneity and the reliability of the data.

Finally, the significance of the distribution and follow-up of the database is discussed.