Application of grey relational analysis for ranking material options

The choice of materials for a manufacturing enterprise is important because it will influence the product design, product performance, material and production costs, product liability and product value. This paper presents a selection methodology that applies grey relational analysis for identifying the best material option. Using grey relational analysis, the multi-criteria weighted average is proposed in the decision-making process that ranks the material options in preference order under the conditions of non-linear constraints, uncertainties and conflicting objectives. It will guide the selection process and help a decision-maker to solve the selection problem. The method is demonstrated with an example. Various material options are evaluated using the developed multi-criteria methodology.