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AZoM
Experts
Suppliers
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Content
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AZoM
Property
Tables
What is AZoM?
AZoM is a knowledge tool that is intended
to provide the design and engineering community worldwide with
a continuously updating source of all the information they need
to make an informed decision on material selection. Either through
“static” mediums i.e. the knowledge base of articles and news
items or through “dynamic” forms i.e. the community of experts.
Due to the collaborative publishing approach that has been adopted,
AZoM is totally free to access and is strongly focused on the
requirements of both the novice and experienced user of materials.
Why was AZoM formed?
The group of material scientists who founded
AZoM realised that throughout all industries there are many
examples of the incorrect choice of material or a lack of awareness
of new materials. This situation leads to increased downtime,
increased maintenance, poor system performance etc. etc. Unfortunately,
one of the reasons for this “knowledge shortfall” is the lack
of a comprehensive easy access tool that provides the end users
of materials with the information they need to improve the performance
of their existing product or process.
Which materials does AZoM cover?
The initial focus of AZoM is on what are
commonly termed “Advanced Materials” – a loose definition being,
high value metals, ceramics, polymers, fibres and composites.
However, due to the collaborative nature of the AZoM publishing
concept, the materials covered will naturally expand to cover
the interests of the AZoM experts and partners.
Who generates the AZoM articles and
news content?
Although we have a team of “in house” content
generators and aggregators, our worldwide network of AZoM experts
and partners produce the majority of the AZoM content.
How is AZoM funded?
AZoM is financed through material research
organisations and private individuals. It is not our policy
to accept equity finance from material suppliers as we believe
that this would influence the impartiality and integrity of
the AZoM philosophy.
Where is AZoM based?
AZoM.com Pty. Ltd. Is headquartered in Sydney,
Australia, with partner offices around the globe.
Who are the AZoM experts?
An AZoM expert is someone with expertise
in a particular material or class of materials, who has demonstrated
to the AZoM knowledge team that their Expert Status has been
recognised in some form by the wider scientific or industrial
community.
How do I become an AZoM expert?
If you feel you have something to add or
give to the materials community then contact us at experts@azom.com.
Once you have been registered as an AZoM Expert your profile
will be listed alongside the technical articles that are relevant
to your area of expertise. You will then be one click away from
people who are interested in transferring your technology, your
expertise or services.
Do I get paid for being an AZoM expert?
In the true spirit of freedom of information,
openness and collaboration which AZoM endeavours to represent,
you decide if you get paid for being an AZoM expert. What this
means is that once you become an AZoM Expert and we have listed
your expert profile, you decide how you wish to be contacted
in relation to your area of expertise and if you want to be
paid for answering questions.
You can also decide how much or how little you want to charge
for your answers. As it is free for bona fide academic experts
to list with AZoM, all we ask is that if you do charge fees
at the end of every quarter you forward to us 10% of your gross
Expert Fees. Alternatively, you can pay a $200 annual listing
fee and then all your fee income is yours. This is the mechanism
that applies to non-academic, full time consultants or industry
experts, i.e. you pay a $200 listing fee and then you decide
if you want to charge anything for your “expert services”.
I represent a manufacturer of materials;
can I become an AZoM Expert?
Employees or the representatives of material
manufacturers, consulting organisations or similar bodies can
become AZoM experts. The only cost to you is the payment of a US$200 listing
fee. Contact us for further details at experts@azom.com. Once you have been registered
as an AZoM Expert your profile will be listed alongside the
technical articles (up to three) that are relevant to your area
of expertise. You will then be one click away from people who
are interested in transferring your technology, your expertise
or services.
How do I list my company alongside
a material article?
It is very simple to list your company as
a key supplier, simply email info@azom.com
For further details on the various listing packages available
please visit the media
pack page.
What are the benefits of listing as
a Key Supplier
AZoM is a huge free access knowledge resource
of materials related information, articles, case histories,
news, new product releases and technical briefs. As such it
is a very attractive destination for the 21 million engineers
who are online worldwide.
In addition, the novel search and keyword structure used by
AZoM means that when an engineer is searching for a solution
to a problem they do not need to know anything about materials
- they simply type into the applications search box their application.
The search results then reveal educational and informative content
with key suppliers and service providers listed alongside.
Equally, end users can find materials information that relates
specifically to their industry. For example, assume you are
a designer of medical devices and you wish to find out what
materials related news has an impact on your industry sector.
Simply click the news tick box, input “medical” in the industries
search box and up comes news items which relate to the medical
device industry – as a supplier you are then one click away
from an enquiry.
Full details on the benefits of listing as a key supplier are
detailed on the media
pack page.
What form of content is suitable?
Any form of content that will help to educate
the wider engineering and design community of the benefits of
using new materials is acceptable. Typically this will be a
review article that provides a little background on a particular
material and it’s properties and then concentrates on examples
of typical applications. However, AZoM also welcomes shorter
contributions, news items or even photographs or graphics, which
add to the AZoM content quality.
Please remember that AZoM is heavily focused on providing examples
of how materials can be used and not the fundamental science
behind the material. You do not need to provide the mechanical
or physical properties of the material – we do that. Don’t forget
that to add real value to AZoM we need you to add as many relevant
keywords to your article in terms of applications and detail
the industries where the material is primarily used. In addition,
if you have lecture notes or presentations which you feel add
some value along the lines detailed above – send them in, we
will try and format them into suitable content. Please note
you will always be credited for your work.
To submit content email direct to editorial@azom.com.
How do I
benefit by submitting content?
AZoM has a very wide audience reach of engineers,
designers and scientists who use AZoM for very specific material
information search and retrieval. Consequently, if you submit
content to AZoM you can guarantee that unlike traditional print
media, your article will be seen by people who are directly
interested in you area of expertise or product. If you are a
full time academic, you can also offer to provide your consulting
services by listing for free as an AZoM Expert alongside your
article or case history.
How do I search AZoM?
AZoM provides the site visitor with a range
of search options. These options include a global search, which
as the name suggests searches all content for word matches on
the headline text, the article summary, material keywords and
tradenames. The search function also includes search boxes for
applications, industries and material properties. All of these
search functions can be used in conjunction with each other.
For example, an application search on bearings can be combined
with a material property search for density < 5 g/cc.
Ask AZoM Tips
Ask AZoM uses the latest
neural network search techniques to try and find the information
that is most relevant to your question. It is a very powerful
tool as it “learns” which information relates to specific
questions and “understands” the key content of any document.
Typical Questions
“how does titanium perform in a chloride environment”
“I need a hardness tester that is portable”
The search results returned by MyAZoM are ranked by an accuracy
percentage. At levels below, 55%, the system is unsure of
the answer and needs your feedback to let it know if a suitable
answer has been provided.
If you are still unsuccessful and you would like some further
assistance, please complete the feedback form.
If your question is primarily a single word keyword search
to find information on a material e.g “zirconia” the keyword
search may be more effective.
If your question is of a numerical nature and related to
material properties e.g. “I need a steel with a strength over
1000 Mpa”, you will find the property search much more effective.
AskAZoM does not recognize numeric relationships, but does
recognize numbers in tradenames or material grades e.g. “what
are the main properties of stainless steel grade 316”
If your question if related to finding a material for a specific
application i.e. “what material can I use for a conrod” the
application search is likely to be more effective.
How are the "AskAZoM" Search Results Ranked
The search results returned
by “AskAZoM” are ranked by an accuracy percentage.
At levels below 55%, the system is unsure of the answer and
needs your feedback to let it know if a suitable answer has
been provided.
If you are still unsuccessful and you would like some further
assistance, please complete the feedback form. We try to find
answers to your commercial questions by directing you towards
existing AZoM content or contacting AZoM suppliers and partners.
We never disclose your details during this process; it is
your confidential decision to decide which suppliers or research
organisations you would like to contact to pursue your enquiry.
How does the application search work?
Every article or news story that is within
the AZoM knowledge base is keyworded in relation to the significant
material applications. This keywording can never be exhaustive
or complete but it is intended to provide the site visitor with
guidance on the major applications. For example an article on
copper alloys is likely to contain key words such as heat exchanger,
wiring, contacts etc. Consequently, the applications search
is intended to make it easy for the non-materials person to
find information on material solutions for their application
or similar applications. To make it even easier to find your
application or an application similar to the one you seek, we
have also included a page that lists the current real time list
of all of the applications currently covered on the site.
How does the industry search work?
The industry search function is intended
to allow site visitors to locate materials information on materials
that have a significant impact in particular industry categories.
The industry categorisation is based on the US Standard Industry
Classification (SIC) system 1987, modified to suit the “materials”
nature of the AZoM site. The structure (detailed on the industry page) is also a hierarchical structure in that one can search
at increasingly detailed industry levels. For example, two typical
industry sectors are:
Manufacturing, Industrial Machinery, General, Pumps, 3561
Manufacturing, Industrial Machinery, General, Bearings, 3562
Typing into the industry box, “bearings” would locate all content
that has a significant impact on the “bearings” industry sector.
However, typing in “Industrial Machinery” would find content
in Pumps, Bearings and several other industry sectors. Equally,
the coding number at the end of the classification can also
be used as a short form mechanism for locating the industry
sector material information. A more detailed explanation is
provided on the industry page.
What is the idea behind the Article
and News check boxes?
If you check the article box, your chosen
search parameters will focus on the encyclopaedia article type
of material information. Checking the News box only, will focus
the search on News and New Product information. Obviously, checking
both boxes will provide all information available in Article
and News formats.
Where can I find out more about the
properties quoted in the property tables?
Enter the term “glossary” into the global
keyword search and you are presented with articles that explain
the property terms used.
Why do some articles have a property
table in the article and some have a linked property table?
As there is no universal format for mechanical
and physical properties that apply to all materials, sometimes
it makes sense to provide an abbreviated guide to the materials
properties within the article. With other materials, where there
are more commonly accepted standards and data it is more helpful
to provide a comprehensive property table.
Why are listed mechanical and physical
properties different for certain material types?
As we are all aware, a hard metal is a very
different material to a polymer. Consequently, the types of
mechanical and physical properties that best describe their
behaviour are different. Also, the test methods for different
materials are often very different and it would be misleading
to try and fit all material properties into a uniform template.
For example, the method for measuring hardness in a hard metal
is different to the method used for measuring hardness in polymers.
It should also be noted that due to the limitations of using
a common property table for all materials, for certain polymeric
materials the property search tool will only work when searching
for the following properties; Density, Ductility, Tensile Strength,
Max. Service Temp, Breakdown Potential, Dielectric Constant
and Resistivity. However, the article located by the search
is likely to contain more in-depth polymer specific property
information.
How do I print
out the property table?
Simply right click on the page and select
print.
Why do some property tables provide
a range of values?
With most materials the measurement of mechanical
or physical properties is not an exact science and is subject
to many variables in terms of test techniques, material conditions
and test standards. Consequently, the data we provide in the
comprehensive property tables covers a range of values. Also,
where the property table covers a generic materials class such
as “Brass”, the property table attempts to cover the range of
properties available for this class of materials.
Remember, the property tables are only intended to be a guide,
the advice of the manufacturer or independent expert such always
be sought with regards to the suitability of a materials properties
in relation to your appliction.
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