Week 5

During today’s lesson, we learned about design for materials. Design for materials is changing the design of a product so that a particular material can be used to make that product.

We were also required to fill up a worksheet, which required us to discuss together how a certain material could be used to directly replace another material in an existing product without making any significant changes to the product design. We also had to figure out how this material could be used to enhance the functionality of another existing product by making some changes to the product design.

CP5065 Introduction to Chemical Product Design 

Design for Materials – Worksheet for Activity 

Class:	DCHE2A05	Group:1
Name of material	Stainless steel
Chemical Name	Metal
General Description	Stainless steel is notable for its corrosion resistance characteristic and it is commonly used for food handling and cutlery among many other applications. Unlike any ordinary steel, stainless steel does not corrode, rust or stain with water. With a wide range of environmental and application needs, stainless steel comes in various grades and surface finishings that endures prolong usages
General Properties	– Non-corrosive   – Excellent toughness   – Achieves a high polish   – High temperature resistance
Opportunities	Stainless steel provides a large selection of either symmetrical patterns or random pattern, which creates an opportunity for unique almost bespoke products. This could be interesting for high-end product and point of sale stands. Pattern finishes also hide scratches, dents and other impact damage, unlike plain flat and polished metals. It is also a very durable material as compared to ceramic or glass.
Discuss among the group how this material can be used as a direct replacement to a material in an existing product without any significant changes in the design    We can use it as a direct replacement material in a cup. This is so that when the cup drops, it does not shatter easily compared to when it is made of glass or ceramic. Stainless steel also makes the cup antibacterial so that it is more hygienic.
Discuss among the group how this material can be used to enhance the functionality of an existing product through some changes in the design.     We can install an insulation on the outside of the cup so that when it is holding hot liquid, the insulation can help prevent the heat from the liquid from reaching our hand and burn us.