MATERIALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

New and powerful techniques allow the optimisation of materials selection in mechanical design. The methods identify the subset of materials which maximise performance, subject to given design constraints. Until now, "performance" has been interpreted in mechanical or economic terms. But there is an increasing awareness of the environmental penalty which industrialised nations pay to maintain and increase their manufacturing base. This paper examines the possibility of applying the new optimisation techniques to the task of meeting specified design goals while minimising environmental impact.