Using CES EduPak to select alternative materials for the Greenpower electric car

When asked to consider materials for a particular application, students have a tendency to find out ‘what material is currently being used’ and assume that this is the only option or base their choices upon simplistic single factor indicators such as ‘the cheapest’ or ‘does not corrode’. As well restricting possible material solutions, this approach also prevents the student from asking the question ‘why was this material selected?’ The purpose of this assignment was to encourage students to consider the form, function and operating environment of components before using CES EduPak to help them select suitable materials. Students were asked to select four key components of the Greenpower electric car and use sketches and illustrations to describe their form and identify key geometric features and critical dimensions. They were also required to comment on the function of the component, the operating environment and how they interact with other components and the driver of the car. The students then used this information to produce material property charts using CES EduPak to help them in the selection of alternative materials that could be used to manufacture two of their four chosen components. The results showed that the use of CES EduPak encouraged the students to carefully consider the function and operating environment of the components and helped them make realistic material selections. On average, those students who used their own initiative to determine the material requirements achieved higher marks than those who researched the safer option of ‘what material is currently being used’.