In manufacturing, engineering, and even daily product production, “Process” and “Materials” have always been the core dual pillars supporting product quality and efficiency. Process is the path guide for converting materials into finished products, and materials are the material foundation for process implementation—they complement each other and are indispensable. Whether it is mass production in traditional manufacturing or innovative research and development in emerging fields, the optimized design of processes and scientific selection of materials directly determine the competitiveness, safety, and sustainability of products.
I. Process: The Core Path to Accurately Realize Material Value

Essentially, a process is a complete link that converts raw materials or semi-finished products into target products through a series of orderly operations. Its core value lies in “standardization, efficiency, and controllability.” The process characteristics of different industries are significantly different, which can be divided into three core types based on industry practices:

• Discrete Manufacturing Process: Applicable to industries such as automotive, electronic equipment, and mechanical parts. Products are composed of detachable components, and the process includes key links such as order-driven production, component processing, assembly, and testing. For example, in mobile phone production, from the processing of components such as chips and screens to the assembly and commissioning of the whole machine, each step has clear process standards and time nodes, supporting flexible production change but requiring high process coordination.
• Process Manufacturing Process: Common in industries such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages. Products are mostly processed materials such as liquids, gases, or granular materials, and the production process is continuous and irreversible. Taking chemical product production as an example, raw materials need to go through continuous processes such as mixing, reaction, and purification. Parameters such as temperature, pressure, and time in each link directly affect product quality, requiring full traceability through strict batch management.
• Repetitive Manufacturing Process: Mostly used in industries such as consumer goods and standardized electronic components. Products are stable and produced in large batches, with assembly line operations as the core of the process, simplifying intermediate management links. For example, mask production adopts a continuous production line from non-woven fabric cutting, folding, earloop welding to sterilization and packaging, and the production efficiency is improved by optimizing the process cycle.

The design of a high-quality process must follow three principles: first, accurately match material characteristics—for example, the processing process of metal materials needs to adapt to their hardness to select cutting speed, and polymer materials need to consider molding temperature; second, strictly control key quality nodes, and establish a dual inspection mechanism for key processes that affect product safety or core functions; third, balance efficiency and cost, and achieve the balance of capacity improvement and cost reduction by eliminating redundant steps and optimizing process parameters.

II. Materials: The Material Foundation and Quality Core of Process Implementation

Materials are the processing objects of processes, and their performance, cost, and environmental friendliness directly determine the direction of process design and the final value of products. According to industry application scenarios, core materials can be divided into four categories, and the selection of various materials needs to fit process requirements:

• Metal and Alloy Materials: Including steel, aluminum alloy, zinc alloy, etc., which have the characteristics of high strength and wear resistance, and are suitable for mechanical manufacturing, electronic equipment casings and other scenarios. For example, the aluminum alloy material used in mobile phone casings needs to go through processes such as anodic oxidation and wire drawing to improve surface texture and corrosion resistance, while stainless steel is often used for parts that need rust prevention.
• Polymer Materials: Such as plastic materials like ABS, PC, and TPU, which have the advantages of strong plasticity and moderate cost, and are widely used in injection molding processes. For example, mobile phone buttons are made of PC plastic, which realizes the integration of appearance and function through processes such as injection molding, silk-screen printing, and laser carving. TPU materials are used for mobile phone soft protective cases due to their flexibility.
• Composite Materials: Composed of two or more materials, combining multiple characteristics, such as graphene-enhanced composite materials and carbon fiber composite materials, which are suitable for aerospace, high-end manufacturing and other fields. The processing process of such materials needs special design—for example, the molding of carbon fiber composite materials needs to control pressure and curing time to ensure stable material performance.
• Processed Materials: Such as petroleum, cement, flour, etc., mostly in liquid, powder or granular form, processed by continuous processes, and quantitative control is required to ensure product consistency. For example, in cement production, raw materials such as limestone and clay need to be mixed and ground in precise proportions, then processed into finished products through calcination, grinding and other processes. Their quality characteristics such as strength need to be controlled through quantitative testing.

The core logic of material selection is “adaptability”—it must not only meet product functional requirements (such as strength and temperature resistance) but also adapt to processing processes (such as injectability and weldability), while balancing cost control and sustainability. Today, the application of environmentally friendly materials and recycled materials has become an industry trend. For example, the promotion of recycled polymer materials in the packaging industry not only reduces raw material costs but also conforms to the concept of green manufacturing.

III. Synergy Between Process and Materials: Quality Upgrade Witnessed by Cases

The perfect synergy between process and materials is the key to realizing product quality upgrading. Taking the production of electronic equipment casings as an example:

In terms of material selection, ABS+PC composite plastic (balancing hardness and toughness) or aluminum alloy (lightweight and high texture) is adopted; in terms of process design, the full-link process needs to be planned according to material characteristics—plastic casings need to go through injection molding, surface painting, UV curing, character silk-screen printing and other steps, among which the UV curing process can significantly improve surface wear resistance; aluminum alloy casings need to go through die-casting, anodic oxidation, wire drawing or sandblasting. The parameters of each process need to be accurately controlled—for example, the temperature of anodic oxidation needs to be stabilized at 18-22℃ to ensure uniform surface color and strong adhesion.

Another example is the production of auto parts. The application of high-strength steel needs to be matched with precise stamping and welding processes. By optimizing stamping speed and welding current, it can not only give play to the strength advantage of steel but also avoid deformation, cracking and other problems during processing. It can be seen that only when the process design fits the material characteristics can the material performance be maximized, and finally, the dual improvement of product quality and production efficiency can be achieved.

IV. Cutting-Edge Trends: Sustainability and Intelligence Lead the Future

Currently, the field of processes and materials is upgrading towards sustainability and intelligence. In terms of materials, the R&D and application of environmentally friendly materials such as degradable polymers, recycled metals, and mycelium materials are becoming increasingly widespread. The global recycled polymer market size is expected to grow from 104.63 billion US dollars in 2025 to 220.00 billion US dollars in 2032, demonstrating the development potential of green materials.

In terms of processes, the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies makes processes more intelligent and precise. For example, monitoring processing parameters through the Internet of Things, optimizing process cycles with AI, and realizing personalized material molding through 3D printing technology not only improves production efficiency but also reduces material waste. In the future, the synergy between processes and materials will pay more attention to “greenization, precision, and efficiency,” injecting core power into the high-quality development of various industries.

Conclusion

Process is the “navigation system” for material transformation, and materials are the “cornerstone” for process implementation. Their coordinated development is the core logic of manufacturing upgrading. Whether in product R&D or production practice, only by attaching importance to the optimized design of processes and the scientific selection of materials can we create products with quality, efficiency, and competitiveness. In the wave of green manufacturing and intelligent transformation, grasping the development trends of processes and materials can help seize opportunities in industry competition and achieve sustainable development.