Developing and Applying a Structured Material Selection Framework : A Case Study of Gasket Applications

Sammanfattning

Material selection is a critical activity in product development, as it directly influences product performance, manufacturability, production efficiency and cost. Existing material selection methods provide structured approaches for screening and evaluating materials; however, practical industrial applications often face challenges related to rigid requirements, manufacturing constraints, and limited usability. In addition, manufacturing-related aspects are not always systematically integrated during early-stage material selection. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a structured material selection framework that supports flexible requirement specification, systematic exploration of material alternatives and integration of design for manufacturing considerations in early stage decision making. The thesis addresses the following research questions: (1) What are the principles and key themes important to explore when creating a structured material selection framework? and (2) How can the proposed framework be applied to support material selection in a practical industrial context? The thesis was conducted as a qualitative case study within the robotics industry, and is therefore limited to one single case. Theoretical data was collected through a literature review, while empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews, meetings, internal company documents and technical material data related to gasket applications. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis, where recurring themes and factors were identified and used as the foundation for the development of the framework. Based on the analysis, a five-step material selection framework was developed and applied in an industrial gasket case. The framework application included revision of requirement specifications, material screening using Granta EduPack, evaluation of manufacturing compatibility for cured-in-place-gasket processes and comparison of candidate materials using a Pugh matrix. The results show that different requirement configurations generated different subsets of feasible material candidates, demonstrating the importance of requirement flexibility and iterative exploration during material selection. Requirements related to oil resistance and compression set were identified as having the greatest influence on the material solution space. The results further highlight the importance of integrating manufacturing considerations early in the material selection process. The thesis concludes that the developed framework supports a structured and practically applicable material selection process by combining systematic screening, flexibility and manufacturing-aligned decision-making.