Concurrent Conceptual Design and Materials Selection of Natural Fiber Composite Products by Muhd Ridzuan Mansor & Salit Mohd Sapuan

Author:Muhd Ridzuan Mansor & Salit Mohd Sapuan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Singapore, Singapore

3.3 Case Study on Materials Selection of Natural Fiber Composite Products Using AHP Method

In this section, the application of the AHP for MCDM process is demonstrated using a case study on the thermoset resin materials selection for student competition based eco-race car composites bodywork. The eco-race car bodywork is intended to be fabricated using NFC in order to attain higher eco-performance compared to using synthetic composites. In addition, the use of NFC will also yield lightweight body construction as well as geometrical design flexibility and ease of fabrication for aerodynamic performance. The challenge in term of composite product design for the component is to select the best type of resin as the polymer matrix material for the composites construction. Initial screening process conducted for the type of resin (either thermoset or thermoplastic) has point out the thermoset resin is the most suitable type of resin to be applied for the composites bodywork due to better mechanical performance and compatibility with the available hand lay-up manufacturing process compared to thermoplastic resin. Further literature review conducted has revealed three (3) type of the most applied thermoset resin for automotive application, namely polyester resin, vinylester resin and epoxy resin (Holbery and Houston 2006). Thus, to perform the final decision in selecting which type of thermoset resin suitable for the goal of fabricating the composites bodywork, the AHP method is applied to rank the best solution from the listed thermoset resin based on the required performance requirements. AHP was selected due to its capability in performing MCDM process involving multiple selection criteria and multiple solutions with varying attributes systematically and simultaneously. In general, the selection criteria selected in the case study comprised of three (3) main performance requirements, namely weight, structural performance and cost. Figure 3.3 shows the overall selection criteria and the corresponding material attribute for the criteria while Table 3.1 shows the summary of the thermoset resin material properties applied in the case study.

Fig. 3.3Overall selection criteria for composites bodywork resin material

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