The aims and terms of reference of the Structural Technology and Materials Group are:
To promote the use of improved methods of designing and assessing the strength of components and of predicting their life in order to achieve minimum cost without compromising integrity.
To provide designers with information on established materials such as steels, aluminium, alloys and fibre-reinforced plastics, and on newer materials such as metal matrix composites and ceramics.
To encourage theoretical and experimental studies on the mechanics of materials forming processes such as rolling, pressing and extrusion and the effect that these have on subsequent performance of the component.
To encourage the development of tools for the estimation of stresses, strains and deformations in structures. Including finite element and boundary element methods, simplified methods and experimental methods.
To develop computing technology in so far as it is relevant to materials and mechanics of solids.
To investigate the criteria covering the failure of components and life cycle analysis, e.g. excessive deformation, fatigue, fracture, creep rupture, combined creep and fatigue, environmental degradation and stress corrosion.
To ascertain the properties of materials needed for engineering design, including the effect of manufacturing, forming and joining processes on those properties.
To promote new ideas and publicise new information in a form which practising mechanical engineers can use.
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