Materials Science & Processing Training – Mastering Technical Foundations for Mechanical Engineers

Course Introduction

In modern industry, understanding materials and processing technology is a key factor enabling engineers to design and manufacture durable, efficient, and cost-effective products. The “Materials Science & Processing Training” course, taught directly by lecturers from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT – VNU-HCM), is the ideal choice for engineers, technical specialists, and students in mechanical engineering and materials science.

Training Objectives

  • Equip foundational knowledge of material structures, phase diagrams, physical-mechanical properties, and heat treatment processes.
  • Understand the structure-property-processing relationships to select appropriate materials.
  • Learn to read and analyze material drawings, technical standards, and heat treatment specifications.
  • Enhance the capability to evaluate and control material quality in manufacturing and mechanical machining.

Training Content

  • Theory: 48 periods – Covering topics from crystal structures and physico-mechanical properties to international standards.
  • Practice: 24 periods – Experiments determining mechanical properties, heat treatment of real samples, phase transformation analysis, material identification, etc.

Key Highlights

  • High-Quality Instructors: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hai – HCMUT, an expert in materials and heat treatment.
  • International Standard Curriculum: Applying materials from W.D. Callister, ASTM, ISO.
  • Integrated Hands-on Practice: Helping trainees master analysis and application skills.

Who Should Attend?

  • Mechanical, metallurgical, and materials engineers working in factories and manufacturing companies.
  • Engineering students looking to equip themselves with in-depth knowledge.
  • Professionals working in quality control (QC), technical design, and R&D for mechanical products.

List of Abbreviations

No. Abbreviation Full Name
1 HCMUT Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology
2 VNU Vietnam National University
3 FCC Face Centered Cubic
4 BCC Body Centered Cubic
5 HCP Hexagonal Close Packed
6 Fe-C Iron–Carbon
7 HT Heat Treatment
8 TTT Time Temperature Transformation
9 CCT Continuous Cooling Transformation
10 UTS Ultimate Tensile Strength
11 YS Yield Strength
12 Phy. Prop Physical Properties
13 ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
14 ISO International Organization for Standardization

Theory Training Curriculum

No. Content Duration (periods)
1 Overview of engineering materials and material classification 4
2 Crystal structure and lattice defects 4
3 Elastic deformation, plastic deformation, and mechanical property parameters 4
4 Material phases and Fe-C phase diagram 4
5 Phase transformation and crystallization process 3
6 Basics of heat treatment: Annealing, Normalizing, Quenching, Tempering 2
7 Surface hardening, material defects, and remedies 3
8 Steels: construction, tool, special steels; distinction from cast iron 4
9 Non-ferrous alloys: Aluminum, Copper, Titanium, and applications 4
10 Non-metallic materials: Composites, polymers, engineering ceramics 4
11 Material selection analysis in mechanical design 2
12 Material standards: ASTM, ISO, and corporate application 2
13 Material symbols in technical drawings 2
14 Theory Exam (40 multiple choice + 2 essay questions) 4

Practical Training Curriculum

No. Content Duration (periods)
1 Determining crystal structure using models and simulation software 2
2 Identifying lattice defects: point, line, plane via real examples 2
3 Analyzing tensile diagrams – determining UTS, YS, and elongation 2
4 Drawing and reading Fe-C phase diagrams, analyzing phase transformations 2
5 Heat treatment of steel samples: Annealing, Quenching, Tempering, and property testing 2
6 Microstructure inspection before and after heat treatment 2
7 Practice distinguishing steel and cast iron via simple tests 2
8 Analyzing material defects after tensile, bending, and impact testing 2
9 Identifying and looking up material codes (ASTM, DIN, JIS…) 2
10 Material selection in specific design (group case study) 2
11 Practice identifying non-metallic materials via real samples 2
12 Comprehensive assessment – Group presentation and defense 2

References

Main Textbooks:

  • W.D. Callister, Jr. – Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction, 9th Edition, Wiley, 2014.
  • Nghiem Hung – Materials Science Foundations, Science & Technics Publishing House, 2002.

Supplementary Materials:

  • Le Cong Duong – Materials Science, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 1996.
  • Dang Vu Ngoan – Engineering Materials, VNU-HCM, 2006.
  • Dang Vu Ngoan – Experiments in Materials Science and Processing, VNU-HCM, 2003.
  • B.N. Arzamaxov – Materials Science, Education Publishing House, 2000.