You can use the Find Similar dialog box to compare the financial impact of materials. Use this method to find materials with lower cost while assuring that other requirements such as elasticity or tensile strength are still met.
To find materials with lower financial impact:
- In the graphics area, select the part whose cost you want to reduce.
- In the Material section of the Sustainability task pane, click Find Similar.
- In the Find Similar Material dialog box, set the required conditions and values for other material properties.
- For Financial Impact, select
(less than).
- On the right side of the Find Similar Material dialog box, click Find Similar.
A list of results appears in the upper half of the dialog box.
- In the results list, click the Material Financial Impact column head to sort the materials by financial impact.
- In the sorted list, click on a material that has a lower cost and still meets your other material requirements.
The Environmental Impact section updates to show the comparison of the environmental and financial impacts of your original choice and your new selection.
- Repeat step 7 until you have identified an appropriate substitute for the original material.
- Click Accept.
The Find Similar Material dialog box closes and the selected material replaces the original in the Material section in the Sustainability task pane.
When you calculate the study's results, the cost difference is factored in to the total financial impact.