How to use the A Plus PartForge material library
The material library is designed for engineering and procurement teams that need more than a simple list of alloys and polymers. A useful material decision connects functional requirements, manufacturing route, availability, inspection and total cost. Start by defining what the part actually has to do: carry load, resist corrosion, operate at temperature, insulate electrically, slide with low friction, remain dimensionally stable or meet a weight target. Only then should the short list of candidate materials be created.
For machined metals, product form and delivery condition can influence the result as much as the alloy family. Plate, bar, forged stock and cast stock can have different availability, mechanical characteristics and internal stress. In engineering plastics, moisture absorption, thermal expansion, creep and machining stability require attention. In additive manufacturing, material performance is closely connected to the printing process, build orientation, layer strategy and post-processing, so an FDM, SLS, MJF or SLA material should not be treated as a generic bulk polymer without context.
From material name to purchasable specification
A procurement-ready material specification should be unambiguous. For metals, this normally means the material designation, relevant standard or accepted equivalent, condition or temper where necessary and any certificate requirement. For polymers, it may include the exact resin or stock grade, colour, reinforcement, food-contact or flame requirement and conditioning state. For additive materials, process and material belong together because a PA12 SLS part and an injection-moulded PA12 part do not have identical behaviour.
Where alternatives are allowed, the RFQ should define the boundaries. A phrase such as “aluminium or similar” creates uncertainty if stiffness, corrosion, anodising colour or fatigue is critical. A better approach is to name a preferred material and state which substitutions may be considered subject to approval. For repeated parts, any material change should follow a controlled approval process.
Material cost is not total part cost
The price per kilogram is often misleading. A low-cost steel can be expensive if it requires long machining, heat treatment, grinding and corrosion protection. A higher-cost aluminium can reduce machining time and transport weight. PEEK can look expensive as raw stock but may be justified by temperature or chemical requirements that cheaper plastics cannot meet. The relevant comparison is therefore total manufactured and delivered cost, including scrap, tooling, finishing, inspection, certification and logistics.
Availability also matters. A material that is theoretically ideal but difficult to source in the required thickness can extend lead time or force an uneconomical stock size. Procurement should therefore assess technical suitability and supply-chain robustness together. For production programmes, annual demand and expected lot sizes should be shared early so suppliers can plan stock and capacity more effectively.
Quality and documentation
Not every part requires a material certificate, but critical components often do. The RFQ should state whether a certificate of conformity, 3.1 certificate, batch identification, measurement report or special traceability is required. Adding documentation after production can be impossible if the necessary material and lot records were not preserved. Documentation should therefore be treated as part of the technical specification from the start.
The material guides below are intended as engineering orientation, not as guaranteed data sheets. Mechanical and thermal values change with exact grade, product form, supplier and test method. The governing sources for a project remain the approved drawing, relevant standard, supplier data sheet and material certificate.
Use comparison and RFQ tools together
The Material Finder and Material Comparison Tool help reduce the candidate list, but they are most useful when followed by a structured RFQ. Once a material family has been selected, combine it with geometry, quantity, tolerance, surface, documentation and delivery requirements. That creates a request suppliers can quote consistently and gives engineering a transparent basis for approval.