Material durability and machinability info

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The discussion focuses on a mechanical engineering student's inquiry about the durability, machinability, and cost of brass, aluminum, and ABS plastic for a mid-term assignment. Participants suggest looking up relevant material standards, such as ISO or European standards, which provide detailed information on chemical compositions, uses, and machinability. They recommend consulting local material suppliers for pricing and emphasize the importance of citing these standards for a better grade. The student is also advised to check if their university has access to SAE Global for additional resources. Overall, the conversation highlights the challenges of finding reliable information for engineering materials.
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Hi all,

I'm a first year mech eng student starting a mid-term assignment which is a report into the durability, machinability and cost of 3 different materials.

First off, I'm looking for a durability index for different materials; brass, aluminium and plastic (ABS)
What is the procedure for checking durability of a material and how does the grading work?

And where would I check machinability of these materials? Speaking to the lecturer and researching from different sources give different answers (unsure if they're stating opinion rather than fact)

Can anyone point me in the right direction?!

Thanks!
 
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Ah this is always fun (hard to find this sort of info easily). For a uni assignment and to be impressive, I would look up the relevant standards in your country. I almost typed out the Australian ones for you. These will list the chemical compisitions and types of each metal and give you an explanation of what each is used for and tell you if it's machinable etc. The cost, you will have to enquire about from your local material supplier. Sometimes they have a catalogue with prices, but they're hard to find. That'll get you a good mark if you quote the standards.
 
I am from Ireland so I take it I would be looking at british or european standards?
What exactly am I looking for with "relevant standards"? Any online searches I try for "material standards" link me to private websites.

I have been in contact with NPL.co.uk but am still awaiting a reply.

EDIT: Is this what I'm looking for (I know it's american but I'm looking blind!) http://www.onlinemetals.com/brassguide.cfm
 
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Yeah, that is pretty much what you're after. However, it'd be better for your marks if you quote the standards. You could use the European standards, I'd just use the ISO standards if I was you. Your uni should have a subscription to "SAE global" where you can access the standards online. Usually you acess it through your library website, but depends how your uni does it.
 
Thanks for your help - you've given me a lot!

I'll ask the lecturers about SAE Global tomorrow.
 

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