PROD211-26S2 (C) Semester Two 2026

Materials Engineering and Selection

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 13 July 2026
End Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 26 July 2026
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 27 September 2026

Description

Performance of metallic, ceramic, polymeric, composite and electronic materials in a wide variety applications. The influence of materials processing on properties. Mechanical properties and strengthening. Solidification processing of metals and plastics. Corrosion. Application of the Granta CES Materials Selector software package to explore materials properties and select suitable materials for given design applications.

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will be able to understand the effect of typical manufacturing processes on the properties of the processed materials and the physical designs that can be achieved through the use of each process.
  • Students will gain an understanding of waste streams in material processing and how waste generation can be minimised through valued added design
  • Students will be familiar with typical deterioration processes for all material classes and how they can be avoided and/or integrated in a design process
  • Students will develop a working understanding fracture mechanism and the concept of fracture toughness
  • Students will be able to select and derive a material index suited for given engineering constraints (strength-, stiffness- or fracture limited design) and use Ashby material charts for the selection of optimal material
  • Students will be introduced to the CES Material Selector and its features and will learn how to use the software in a material selection for process for a given design
  • Students will learn to recognise and identify which production processes lie behind the creation of products and how these processes can be exploited as creative inspirations for their own future design projects.

Prerequisites

Timetable 2026

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 12:00 - 13:00 Ernest Rutherford 140
13 Jul - 23 Aug
7 Sep - 18 Oct
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 10:00 - 11:00 Rehua 102
13 Jul - 23 Aug
7 Sep - 18 Oct
Computer Lab A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 09:00 - 11:00 Rata 342 CAD Lab
13 Jul - 23 Aug
7 Sep - 18 Oct
Workshop A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 10:00 - 13:00 West 301 (22/7-19/8, 9/9-14/10)
West 235 (22/7-29/7)
West 230 Formulation Lab (22/7-19/8, 9/9-14/10)
20 Jul - 23 Aug
7 Sep - 18 Oct
02 Friday 09:00 - 12:00 West 301 (24/7-21/8, 11/9-16/10)
West 235 (24/7-31/7)
West 230 Formulation Lab (24/7-21/8, 11/9-16/10)
20 Jul - 23 Aug
7 Sep - 18 Oct
03 Wednesday 14:00 - 17:00 West 301 (22/7-19/8, 9/9-14/10)
West 235 (22/7-29/7)
West 230 Formulation Lab (22/7-19/8, 9/9-14/10)
20 Jul - 23 Aug
7 Sep - 18 Oct
04 Friday 13:00 - 16:00 West 301 (24/7-21/8, 11/9-16/10)
West 235 (24/7-31/7)
West 230 Formulation Lab (24/7-21/8, 11/9-16/10)
20 Jul - 23 Aug
7 Sep - 18 Oct

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Hossein Najaf Zadeh

Assessment

• Final Exam
Topic: Material selection and engineering
Covers content from both Term 1 and Term 2 lectures

• Computer Lab Assessments
Focus: Material selection process
Apply theoretical knowledge in practical lab tasks.
Report submissions are distributed throughout the semester.

• Design Assignment: Material Centred Design
Design Report and Poster (Due end of Term 1 – see assignment brief for exact details)
Research a selected waste material as a raw material for a new product
Include ideation and concept development
Provide details on:
Supply chain
Conceptual designs
Manufacturing plan for a model or prototype

• Final Design Presentation (Due end of Term 2)
Present the final model/prototype
Submit:
A physical prototype
A short video demonstrating the design process
A final presentation summarising the design concept, process, and outcomes

• Workshop Assessments
Participate in hands-on workshops
Learn to process different classes of materials
Submit the final product for assessment

Notes

The prerequisite for this course is PROD111 and either PHYS111 or PHYS101

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,190.00

International fee $6,488.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Product Design on the departments and faculties page .

All PROD211 Occurrences

  • PROD211-26S2 (C) Semester Two 2026