Information Technology Reference
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25
Decision Support System for Designing with
Polymer Materials - Current Challenges
and Future Expectations
Urška Sancin and Bojan Dolšak
University of Maribor /
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Slovenia
1. Introduction
Product development process is rather precisely defined and reasonably well supported
with modern computer tools. Numerous commercial computer aids or specially developed
computer tools are relying mostly on graphic presentation, simulations, engineering
analysis and animations of future product performance in virtual environment. In the
embodiment phase, the designer has to take decisions, influenced by various parameters,
according to the available data. One of crucial decisions is material selection, conditioned by
several criteria, among which the focus is on function, technical features and shape of
developing product. Other criteria, like serviceability, technical feasibility and economic
justification are considered accordingly. Despite the potential of already mentioned
computer tools, a designer has to evaluate the information gathered from these aids, seek
interdependences and finally choose the optimum from the broad list of materials. Wide
spectrum of various polymers or plastics should be outlined here, as they are frequently
used in technical praxis. On the other hand, there is a leak of relevant data and knowledge
for successful selection among them. Consequentially, the designer has to master all
influential parameters, their overlapping or contradictions, and above all, he or she has to be
acknowledged with materials available on the market. Designer's right/wrong decision
severely influences product's applicability in praxis, its technical feasibility, life time,
economic justification and recycling possibilities along with environment impact. Thus,
numerous experts from various fields usually need to contribute their expertise to reach the
final decision, which is often quite difficult, as opinions may be contradictive. In Small and
Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs'), the financial status commonly thwart the enterprise to
hire an expert or entire team, which frequently leads to unprofessional design decisions.
Young and inexperienced designers are also in arduous position at polymer material
selection process. Solution to this quandary in product development process is the decision
support system model for polymer material selection discussed in this chapter.
2. Product development process
The global market has adopted a continuous need to develop new, cost-effective, high-
quality products at a very rapid and accelerating pace. To be able to compete, maximal
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