7 Material Selection Mistakes that Derail Your Project

...and How to Dodge Them Like a Pro

If you’ve ever watched a production-ready part unravel because of a material choice that looked good on paper, you’re not alone.

Material selection is one of those deceptively simple decisions that can spiral into delays, redesigns, and late-night CAD revisions if you’re not careful.

The kicker? Most of these issues don’t show up until you're knee-deep in production. At that point, you’re playing whack-a-mole with tolerances, lead times, and procurement.

At SICAM, we’ve seen every version of this movie, especially the plot twist where a seemingly bulletproof material tanks the build. So here’s your behind-the-scenes guide: seven classic mistakes, plus the smarter, more production-friendly ways to handle them.

1. Over-engineering the material (The “Just in Case” Trap)

Sure, it’s tempting to go full titanium-alloy-carbon-fiber-unobtanium on your design. But do you actually need aerospace-grade strength for a housing that’s holding… a sensor?

Overkill materials often bring unwanted side quests: longer cycle times, tougher post-processing, higher scrap rates, and a bill of materials that makes Finance raise one eyebrow.

Fix it:
Draw a clear line between “must-have” and “cool but unnecessary.” Then pick a material that hits your actual performance targets without nuking your timeline or budget. Ask us and we'll advise the best material for your part.

2. Ignoring where the part will live (Lab vs. Reality)

The real world doesn’t care what the datasheet says. That beautiful part you printed in a climate-controlled lab? It might degrade fast in Florida sun, or seize up after a few months in a chemical plant.

 Fix it:
Run an environmental reality check:

• What temps will it see? Are they steady or spiky?
• Any chemical exposure, salt spray, or UV radiation?
• Mechanical fatigue, vibration, or thermal cycling?

Bonus points if you can simulate or test in actual field conditions. It’s cheaper than a product recall.

3. Choosing materials that don’t like your process

Some materials are divas. They look great in theory, but once you put them through the manufacturing process, things get weird. They warp. Crack. Shrink. Delaminate. Or just straight up ghost you mid-build.

Fix it:
Before you fall in love with a spec sheet, check for:

• Warping risks during sintering or cooling
• Incompatibilities with your support strategy or build orientation
• Tooling or fixturing red flags

Our team can spot most of these early.

We’ve seen what works (and what melts into a sad puddle) across MJF, SLA, SLS, DMLS, and FFF.

4. Forgetting about Manufacturability (The “It Printed... Once” Problem)

Just because it can be made doesn’t mean it should be, at least not at scale. Some materials look great at prototype volumes but fall apart (figuratively or literally) when you ramp up.

 Fix it:
Break down:

• Machinability (tool wear, burrs, chip evacuation)
• Thermal behavior (especially during cooling and post-processing)
• Reproducibility at your target volume

We’ve helped teams choose alternate materials that shaved days off lead times while improving dimensional stability. That’s a win in every language.

5. Focusing only on material cost (and ignoring the production plot twist)

That material that’s $10 cheaper per kilo? Might cost you 10x more in failed builds, post-processing labor, or tooling wear. Raw cost ≠ total cost.

 Fix it:
Run the full cost-of-ownership equation:

• Cycle time and throughput
• Secondary operations
• Support material or fixture requirements
• Labor, maintenance, and scrap rates

Our FAI+ process helps flag these trade-offs early, before the budget meetings get awkward.

6. Skipping the Secondary Ops Checklist

You selected the perfect material... until you realize it needs heat treating, plus a coating, plus surface grinding to meet spec. Suddenly, your timeline just got a sequel.

 Fix it:
During material selection, ask:

• What’s the surface finish requirement, and how do I get there?
• Do I need corrosion resistance? If so, how am I achieving it?
• Does this material cooperate with standard coatings?

Whenever possible, pick materials that play nicely with off-the-shelf finishing or don’t need much of it at all. Fewer surprises. Faster parts.

7. Picking Materials in a Vacuum (No Offense to Your Spreadsheet)

This might be the most engineer-y mistake of all: finalizing materials solo, with a BOM and a dream, before checking with the people who actually build the thing.

 Fix it:
Phone a friend. Or better yet, loop in your manufacturing partner early. We love seeing designs before they’re “done” because we can flag quirks you might not catch:

• Sintering tolerances that drift out of spec
• Support challenges that increase post-processing time
• Materials that don’t scale well to production quantities

At SICAM, we built our workflows around early-stage collaboration. The earlier we’re involved, the fewer surprises you get.

Final Thoughts (TL;DR for the Sleep-Deprived)

Materials can make or break a project. But most of the mistakes we see aren’t about bad engineering, they’re about isolated decisions. Fix that, and you’re already ahead of the game.

Your quick checklist:

• Don’t overdo the specs
• Think about real-world use
• Confirm process compatibility early
• Make sure it scales
• Calculate full cost, not just raw price
• Don’t overlook post-processing
• Bring your manufacturer in early

Still unsure which material fits your part, your process, and your budget? We’re here to talk shop -> Send us a file, and we’ll help you get it dialed in, no drama, no guesswork.