Materials Selection in Mechanical Design

Very good diagrams to help you select the correct material for your design based on varying criteria. Guides you step by step through the process of design driven material selection. I just wish it was available in a hard cover edition.

The graphs and data provide a lot of good information but the book has several typos in key areas which lead to many hours of frustration. Also, I wish the book was offered in hardcover. I appreciate the desire to keep the costs low for the students, but a book like this will be life long resource for working engineers and I don't feel that the book will hold up well over the years with a soft cover.

As a student in Materials Science and Engineering, this book has again and again been a priceless resource. It contains data and references which are clearly presented and precisely commented, and I often catch myself looking up the graphs or the appendices to find the solution to a particular problem. The Case Studies are very instructive and sometimes even amusing to read; they always reinforce a point previously made and give the reader a sense of history for the object in question (telephone, hair dryer, etc.). But the book doesn't stop at purely functional design; it also covers aesthetic aspects with the motto: "Good design works; excellent design also gives pleasure." This is a pleasing book.

Ashby's compilation of data and explanation of methodology is excellent and results in a must read for technical persons who will be involved with the selection of materials for design. The numerous material charts included are invaluable when trying to compare, and ultimately decide upon, different materials for a design. Also, the example cases presented compliment and help explain the different approaches to selecting the most suitable material for a given design. Overall the book is easy to read and a good addition to the office or home.