Durability is a generic term used to describe the performance of a material or a component made from that material in a given application. In order to be durable, a material must resist failure by wear, corrosion, fracture, fatigue, deformation, and exposure to a range of service temperatures. This chapter covers several types of component and material failure associated with wear, temperature effects, and crack growth. It examines temperature-induced, brittle, ductile, and fatigue failures as well as failures due to abrasive, erosive, adhesive, and fretting wear and cavitation fatigue. It also discusses preventative measures.

Tools steels are defined by their wear resistance, hardness, and durability which, in large part, is achieve by the presence of carbide-forming alloys such as chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, and vanadium. This chapter describes the alloying principles employed in various tool steels, including high-speed, water-hardening, shock-resistant, and hot and cold work tool steels. It discusses the influence of alloy design on the evolution of microstructure and properties during solidification, heat treating, and hardening operations. It also describes critical phase transformations and the effects of partitioning, precipitation, segregation, and retained austenite.

Post-mortem analysis of photovoltaic modules that have degraded performance is essential for improving the long term durability of solar energy. This article focuses on a general procedure for analyzing a failed module. The procedure includes electrical characterization followed by thermal imaging such as forward bias, reverse bias, and lock-in, and emission imaging such as electroluminescence and photoluminescence imaging.

Aluminum is the second most widely used metal in the world. It is readily available, offers a wide range of properties, and can be shaped, coated, and joined using a variety of methods. This chapter discusses some of the key attributes of wrought and cast aluminum alloys and the classifications, designations, and grades of available product forms. It also explains how aluminum alloys are used in aerospace, automotive, rail, and marine applications as well as in building and construction, electrical products, manufacturing equipment, packaging, and consumer durables such as appliances and furniture.

This chapter familiarizes readers with tempering and refrigeration treatments and their effect on case-carburized parts. It explains how tempering makes such parts easier to machine, more structurally and dimensionally stable, and more durable in certain applications. It identifies key process parameters and provides test data showing how they affect hardness, yield strength, bending and contact fatigue, and fracture toughness. It also addresses potential problems stemming from process-related factors such as the presence of hydrogen and the effects of aging and grinding. In regard to refrigeration, the chapter explains that it is not uncommon for subzero treatments to be included in the production of carburized parts whether as a standard procedure or optional step. Subzero cooling promotes the transformation of retained austenite to martensite, thereby increasing surface hardness and reducing the propensity of quenched carburized steels to burn and crack during surface grinding. The chapter includes numerous data plots and tables showing how the various treatments influence hardness, wear resistance, tensile properties, and fatigue and fracture behaviors.

This chapter provides helpful guidelines for selecting a surface treatment for a given application. It identifies important design factors and applicable treatments for common design scenarios, materials, and operating conditions. It explains why heat treatments and finishing operations may be required before or after processing and how to estimate or predict coating thickness, case depth, hardness, and the likelihood of distortion. It also addresses related issues and considerations such as part handling and fixturing, surface preparation and cleaning requirements, processability, aesthetics, and the influence of design features.

This chapter explains how polymeric adhesives are applied to composite as well as metal parts, forming bonded structures. It describes surface preparation practices and techniques, epoxy selection and use, and bonding procedures.

Adhesive bonding is a widely used industrial joining process in which a polymeric material is used to join two separate pieces (the adherends or substrates). This chapter begins with a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of adhesive bonding, followed by a section providing information on the theory of adhesion. The chapter then describes the considerations for designing adhesively bonded joints and for testing or characterizing adhesive materials. The following section covers the characteristics of the most important synthetic adhesive systems and five groups of adhesives, namely structural, hot melt, pressure sensitive, water based, and ultraviolet and electron beam cured. The chapter ends with a discussion on some general guidelines for adhesive bonding and the basic steps in the adhesive bonding process.

This chapter is a brief account of various factors pertinent to the development of an engineering component. The discussion covers the disciplines and interactions of design development, engineering of component design, validation of design and process analysis, and matrix of design and manufacturing elements.

This chapter provides information on the biennial International Wear of Materials Conference, which is the inspiration for this book. It reviews the fundamentals of tribology, tribosystems, and related terminology. The glossary at the end of this chapter is intended to familiarize readers with some of the fundamental tribology terms that will be repeated throughout this book.

This chapter is a brief account of the composition, microstructures, heat treatment, deformation mechanisms, mechanical properties, formability, and special attributes of austenitic stainless steels.

This article provides a basic review of polymer photochemistry as it relates to the weatherability of engineering plastics, considering the chemistry induced by exposure to sunlight in open air. Elementary aspects of weatherability chemistry that are discussed include the light wavelengths responsible for polymer photochemistry, problems with artificial light sources, general photooxidation and specific photochemical reactions important in plastics, and the factors influencing the rate of degradation. The approaches used to stabilize plastics against photochemical damage, including ultraviolet light absorbers, oxidation inhibitors, and the use of protective coatings, are also considered.

This chapter is a detailed account of the applications of stainless steel in automotive and transport systems. The discussion covers exhaust systems, structural components, automotive components, trucks, and rail transport.

This chapter discusses the use of mechanical fastening and adhesive bonding, the primary methods for joining polymer matrix composites. It describes and analyzes the basic types of mechanically fastened joints, including single-hole and multirow bolted composite joints. It then reviews the advantages and disadvantages of adhesively bonded joints and compares and contrasts the long-term performance of various joint designs. The chapter also discusses the merits of stepped-lap and bonded-bolted joints.

The case for using stainless steel in appliances of all types, whether they are commercial or residential, relates to it being able to provide the best value over the intended service life. This chapter describes some of the qualities in any material considered for food contact, namely chemical neutrality, biological neutrality, and cleanliness. A vast majority of stainless steel applications in commercial and residential equipment are also discussed.

Fracture control can be defined as a concerted effort to maintain operating safety without catastrophic failure by fracture. It requires an understanding of how cracks affect structural integrity and strength and the time that a crack can grow before it exceeds permissible size. The chapter describes some of methods used to determine maximum permissible crack size and predict growth rates. It explains how the information can then be used to control fractures through periodic inspection, fail-safe features, mandated retirement, and proof testing. It presents a number of fracture control plans optimized for different circumstances, examines the damage tolerance requirements used by different industries, and discusses various approaches for fatigue design.

This chapter is a detailed account of various factors pertinent to the development and launch of a product. It begins by describing the five phases in the product launch process, namely product design and development, process design and development, product and process validation, product launch, and continuous improvement. This is followed by sections covering product-process flow diagrams and also the process elements considered for process failure mode and effects analysis. Some of the aspects covered by the engineering specifications to meet the product performance requirements are then reviewed. Details on product validation requirements and definitions of parameters related to the launch process are also provided. The chapter discusses the purpose of manufacturing control plan, along with an illustration of a manufacturing control plan outlined for a safety-critical suspension casting. It ends with an overview of the contents of a program launch manual.

Casting is one of the most economical manufacturing processes for providing shape to components of machinery and is used in a wide range of industries. This chapter is a brief account of the advantages, applications, limitations, and market growth of aluminum casting. It also provides information on the process of conversion of steel and iron parts to aluminum.

This chapter discusses the tooling used for autoclave curing, one of the most common composite fabrication processes. The discussion covers curing practices, material selection factors, and design challenges associated with thermal expansion, tool shrinkage, part complexity, and heating and cooling rates. The chapter also includes best practices and recommendations for toolmaking and assembly.

This chapter describes the nature of the problems arising from using advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) and discusses potential remedies to minimize the adverse effects that may limit the adoption of AHSS in the automotive industry. The discussion provides information on press energy, springback, residual stress, die wear, hot forming, downgaging limits, welding, binders, draw beads, and tool material wear.