Are the Materials You Use Changing?

Not really a comment but rather a reminder (based on many years' experience) that "Exotic materials tend to fail in exotic ways".

A very important department in a steel mill is the new products group. You constantly have to be working to meet your customers demands.

Anyone that thinks materials are not changing daily (or regularly anyway) is not aware of what they are using. The constant demand is for stronger and cheaper or other desirable characteristics.

Good point Russ123; Something few end users keep in mind is how different processes at different suppliers can have significant differences in as delivered properties, though material is nominally the same.

Specifying what is important and understanding the process and its implications is just as important as any novel challenges from "exotic" materials.

Milo

Hi, Lots of products, lights in particular, are made of "chinese monkey metal" - some sort of mazak alloy. It's very brittle, looks nasty, epoxy doesn't stick to it for repair. Usually plastic coated. We never used to have stuff made of this cr@p! Bring back brass and *proper* aluminum alloys! John