Undergraduate - UnitMTE3543 - Microstructure to applications: the mechanics of materials

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering
Organisational Unit	Department of Materials Engineering
Offered	Clayton First semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	R Lapovok

Synopsis

This unit explores the relationships between the microstructure and deformation of materials. Metal forming will be linked to the factors that control formability, with yield criteria and constitutive behaviour being examined. Students will engage in finite element analysis of metal processing. Microstructural features governing fatigue, fracture and failure of structures will be explored and the extent to which we can predict failure outlined, including design against failure, critical crack size, low and high cycle fatigue. Microstructural toughening, effects of welds and thermal stability of materials will be addressed in terms of mitigation or minimization of structural defects.

Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be better able to:

Explain the relation between plasticity and metal forming (formulate a plasticity problem in respect to a metal forming operation)

Describe the main metal shaping processes

Conduct a finite element analysis of a simple forming operation

Suggest a formability test in relation to a given metal shaping process

Calculate a yield locus and describe its use

Mathematically describe a fatigue life curve and relate this to microstructures

Calculate allowable crack sizes, and on this basis evaluate materials and inspection methods for a given engineering application

Describe microstructural reasons for failures and methods used to prevent those failures

Analyse simple engineering failures and evaluate possible remedies.

Assessment

Final examination (3 hours):60%
Assignments and case study report: 30%
Laboratory reports: 10%

Chief examiner(s)

Assoc Professor Nick Birbilis

Workload requirements

Three 1 hour lectures/tutorials per week and seven hours of private study per week. 20 hours of laboratory classes during the semester

Prerequisites

None

Prohibitions

MTE3506, MTE4561