2. While performing design per the US Aluminum code, I encounter an error message - **PRODUCT NAME COULD NOT BE MATCHED.** - What does it mean?

In the US Aluminium design, the allowable stresses on members are dependent on the following:

ALLOY

PRODUCT Type

ALCLAD

WELD Type

STRUCTURE Type

THICKNESS of the various components of the cross section

The program uses all of the above parameters to look up the allowable stresses from a Table which one may find in the Aluminum Design Manual. If it cannot find a matching combination, it tries to come up with the best guess as to which of the above parameters is responsible for the lack of "match". In the above message, the program determines the PRODUCT type to be the one causing the problem.