Newly Developed Spreadsheet Program
Determines in Minutes the Best & Lowest Cost Material/Design Combination for Composite Applications 

The relationship between material properties, material price, part design, part performance, and part cost is complex and often misunderstood.  This is especially true for structural composite applications.  For these applications the lowest priced material does not always produce the lowest cost part; the lightest part is not always molded from the material with the lowest specific gravity; and the traditional material selection process does not work.  A more sophisticated selection process is required;  a process that integrates and quantifies the key factors, and then helps identify the best material with the optimum design, at the lowest cost.  The process must also be easy to use, so that many more material and design options can be evaluated.   

The COMPAREM ä program was developed for this purpose.  It is a sophisticated comparison program that can be used by engineers and program managers, as well as buyers.  Several material/design combinations can be evaluated and the best candidate(s) selected in a matter of minutes --- instead of hours.   

The first step is to select the design category in the COMPAREM ä program that describes the new application (i.e., Ribbed Part, “U” Channel, etc.), then enter the information on the current or preferred material and part dimensions.  Next, enter the material information and dimensions of the competing parts.  The program automatically calculates the part’s stiffness, strength, weight, material cost, and cure time for each material/design combination.  However, the performance of the parts can vary widely.  Some of the parts may exceed the stiffness or strength of the current part, while others may fall short.  With such a difference in part performance, a cost comparison would be meaningless.   

The next step is to equalize the performance of the parts, using the strength and stiffness of the current part as the baseline.  Modify the appropriate dimensions of the competing parts until they are at least as stiff and can carry the same loading as the current part.  The COMPAREM ä program makes this process easy.  With each change, the stiffness and strength of the part is automatically updated.  

Once the performance of all the parts is equivalent, they can then be compared --- for weight, material cost, and cure time.  Time and resources are then concentrated on the best candidate(s) for further analysis and development. 

Click Here To Download a Cost Performance Comparison Program for Composite Parts. (In Excel)