Flexible automation for new product introduction

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1995.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 111).by Miguel G. Barrientos.M.S

Development of optimum clamp combinations for strap-down inertial measuring units with field replaceable sensors

Optimum clamp combinations for strap down inertial measuring units with field replaceable sensor

Advances in Plastic Forming of Metals

The forming of metals through plastic deformation comprises a family of methods that produce components through the re-shaping of input stock, oftentimes with little waste. Therefore, forming is one of the most efficient and economical manufacturing process families available. A myriad of forming processes exist in this family. In conjunction with their countless existing successful applications and their relatively low energy requirements, these processes are an indispensable part of our future. However, despite the vast accumulated know-how, research challenges remain, be they related to the forming of new materials (e.g., for light-weight transportation applications), pushing the boundaries of what is doable, reducing the intermediate steps and/or scrap, or further enhancing the environmental friendliness. The purpose of this book is to collect expert views and contributions on the current state-of-the-art of plastic forming, thus highlighting contemporary challenges and offering ideas and solutions

Biomechanical risk factors and reduced bone health in lower limb amputees

Bone constantly adapts to its surroundings through the formation and resorption of material, controlled by bone modelling and remodelling. Strains produced by mechanical loading are one factor that drive these processes and thus determine bone health. Lower limb amputees (LLA) adopt an asymmetrical movement pattern to compensate for the loss of a limb, resulting in a change in mechanical loading and subsequently a degradation in bone health. The aetiology of the majority of amputations is vascular diseases, which affect bone health. Therefore, it is not clear whether the asymmetrical loading, or comorbidities cause the degradation in bone health in LLA. Finite element models (FEM) are used to generate strain plots and predict the bone's response to mechanical loading. To understand the relationship between the degradation in bone health and asymmetrical loads in LLAs the asymmetrical loads can be applied to a healthy bone using FEMs, or simulated within a healthy population using restrictive devices. Therefore, the overall aim was to investigate the relationship between asymmetrical loading, as observed in LLA’s, and bone health, through the use of semi-subject specific FEMs and restrictive lower limb devices. Study one established a novel image processing method to convert peripheral quantative computed tomography (pQCT) scan images into binary and segment the tibia. The outer perimeter of the tibia was identified and sectioned to produce landmarks. The outer geometry landmarks were used to morph a base FEM, constructed from open source scan images to create semi-subject tibia FEM. Study two applied subject-specific joint reaction and muscle forces to the semi-subject tibia FEM. The strain plots output from Study two were validated against longitudinal geometrical changes from Study three. Study three, used 3D motion capture, pQCT and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to investigate gait and tibial geometry within a lower limb amputee and able-bodied population across twelve months. The coefficient of variation (CV) for able bodied subjects was less than 10% for ground reaction force (GRF) in level walking and less than 4% for bone total area. Study four, used a rigid foot orthosis and a trans-femoral prosthesis, to restrict able-bodied gait. Results showed participants walked significantly slower (p<0.01) in the restricted conditions, with a longer non-restricted step length (p<0.001). The loading rate and maximum GRF were higher in the non-restricted limb (p<0.05). Larger knee adductor moments were shown in the un-restricted leg in the trans-tibial condition (p<0.05). This thesis presents a novel method of constructing semi-subject specific FEMs from pQCT scans. This can be used to further investigate the link between asymmetrical loading and bone health in LLA's and other populations with asymmetrical gait. The use of restrictive devices allow investigation into LLA's specifically, without the interference of prosthetic variability, or comorbidities

Modeling and Control of Piezoactive Micro and Nano Systems

Piezoelectrically-driven (piezoactive) systems such as nanopositioning platforms, scanning probe microscopes, and nanomechanical cantilever probes are advantageous devices enabling molecular-level imaging, manipulation, and characterization in disciplines ranging from materials science to physics and biology. Such emerging applications require precise modeling, control and manipulation of objects, components and subsystems ranging in sizes from few nanometers to micrometers. This dissertation presents a comprehensive modeling and control framework for piezoactive micro and nano systems utilized in various applications. The development of a precise memory-based hysteresis model for feedforward tracking as well as a Lyapunov-based robust-adaptive controller for feedback tracking control of nanopositioning stages are presented first. Although hysteresis is the most degrading factor in feedforward control, it can be effectively compensated through a robust feedback control design. Moreover, an adaptive controller can enhance the performance of closed-loop system that suffers from parametric uncertainties at high-frequency operations. Comparisons with the widely-used PID controller demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller in tracking of high-frequency trajectories. The proposed controller is then implemented in a laser-free Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) setup for high-speed and low-cost imaging of surfaces with micrometer and nanometer scale variations. It is demonstrated that the developed AFM is able to produce high-quality images at scanning frequencies up to 30 Hz, where a PID controller is unable to present acceptable results. To improve the control performance of piezoactive nanopositioning stages in tracking of time-varying trajectories with frequent stepped discontinuities, which is a common problem in SPM systems, a supervisory switching controller is designed and integrated with the proposed robust adaptive controller. The controller switches between two control modes, one mode tuned for stepped trajectory tracking and the other one tuned for continuous trajectory tracking. Switching conditions and compatibility conditions of the control inputs in switching instances are derived and analyzed. Experimental implementation of the proposed switching controller indicates significant improvements of control performance in tracking of time-varying discontinuous trajectories for which single-mode controllers yield undesirable results. Distributed-parameters modeling and control of rod-type solid-state actuators are then studied to enable accurate tracking control of piezoactive positioning systems in a wide frequency range including several resonant frequencies of system. Using the extended Hamilton\u27s principle, system partial differential equation of motion and its boundary conditions are derived. Standard vibration analysis techniques are utilized to formulate the truncated finite-mode state-space representation of the system. A new state-space controller is then proposed for asymptotic output tracking control of system. Integration of an optimal state-observer and a Lyapunov-based robust controller are presented and discussed to improve the practicability of the proposed framework. Simulation results demonstrate that distributed-parameters modeling and control is inevitable if ultra-high bandwidth tracking is desired. The last part of the dissertation, discusses new developments in modeling and system identification of piezoelectrically-driven Active Probes as advantageous nanomechanical cantilevers in various applications including tapping mode AFM and biomass sensors. Due to the discontinuous cross-section of Active Probes, a general framework is developed and presented for multiple-mode vibration analysis of system. Application in the precise pico-gram scale mass detection is then presented using frequency-shift method. This approach can benefit the characterization of DNA solutions or other biological species for medical applications

J-Integral analysis of the mixed-mode fracture behaviour of composite bonded joints

The adhesive technology has been constantly growing and expanding into industrial environments, not only for traditional applications but also for high-end applications, where it has been competing fairly with the conventional connection technologies, such as welding, brazing, bolting and riveting. Its unique key features allow it to raise the type of technology to unreachable levels, for certain applications, by its competitors. Some of the advantages are the lightness of the adhesively-bonded joints, good behaviour under cycling and fatigue loading conditions, flexibility in bonding several types of materials and low stress concentrations. However, in order to design and develop efficient adhesively-bonded joints, the strength prediction must be accurate for the assessment of the fracture properties, mainly the critical energy release rate for tensile (JIC) and shear (JIIC), associated to the mode I and II, respectively. For most of the adhesively-bonded joints applications, the loading conditions under operational service feature a combination of different stresses, for instance tensile and shear stresses, from which the concept of mixed-mode came to exist. For this reason, the assessment of fracture properties under those conditions is essential, especially the energy release rates related to different mode-mixities. The fracture properties are related to Fracture Mechanics and are obtained through energetic analyses, from which three methods are often used: models based on the measurement of the crack length during the damage propagation, models based on an equivalent crack length and methods based on the Jintegral formulation. In the specific case of the J-integral it is furthermore possible to obtain the cohesive laws of the adhesive, which can be later used in the design of adhesively-bonded joints. This current work presents an experimental and numerical analysis of a Single-Leg Bending (SLB) adhesively-bonded joint where the specimens were bonded with three distinct adhesives, in order to assess and compare their behaviour under mixed-mode load conditions, fracture properties and cohesive laws. For that purpose, the J-integral formulation of Ji et al. [1] was considered to obtain the energy release rate for mode I and II, tensile (JI) and shear (JII), respectively, whereas the cohesive laws are attained through direct differential operation of the JI-w0 and JII-δ0 curves, where w0 and δ0 are the local normal separation and local tangential slip between the two adherends at the cross-section of the crack tip, respectively. Afterwards, the fracture analysis was performed, where the experimental results were compared through load-displacement (P-δ) curves. The JI and JII values, obtained through correlation between experimental and numerical results incorporated into the J-integral formulation, were addressed by R curves and fracture envelopes. These latter were used to establish which criterion was more suitable for each adhesive type. For last, the tensile and shear stresses were determined through the cohesive laws, attained by the direct method. Overall, a good agreement on the fracture properties was obtained between the specimens of the same adhesive. Moreover, the cohesive laws also presented a good correspondence between specimens, and further enabled the design of adhesively-bonded joints with arbitrary geometry.A tecnologia adesiva tem vindo a evoluir significativamente, expandindo-se para ambientes industriais, não apenas para aplicações convencionais, mas também para aplicações de elevada exigência, onde compete justamente com outras tecnologias de conexão tradicionais, como a soldadura, brasagem e ligações aparafusadas e rebitadas. As suas características únicas permitem elevar esta tecnologia para níveis inacessíveis, para certas aplicações, relativamente às suas concorrentes. Algumas das vantagens são o baixo peso das juntas adesivas, bom comportamento sob condições de cargas cíclicas e à fadiga, flexibilidade na construção da junta, possibilidade para ligar materiais diferentes e também baixa concentração de tensões. Contudo, a fim de projetar e desenvolver juntas adesivas eficientes, a previsão da resistência deve ser precisa para a avaliação das propriedades de fratura, principalmente a taxa crítica de libertação de energia em tração (JIC) e corte (JIIC), associada ao modo I e II, respetivamente. Na maioria das aplicações de ligações adesivas, as condições de carga cujas juntas estão sujeitas, sob condições de serviço operacional, consistem numa combinação de esforços distintos, como por exemplo tração e corte, a partir dos quais o conceito de modo misto foi criado. Por essa razão, é essencial a avaliação das propriedades de fratura sob essas condições, especialmente as taxas de libertação de energia relacionadas a diferentes modos mistos. As propriedades de fratura estão relacionadas com a Mecânica da Fratura e são obtidas através de análises energéticas, das quais são frequentemente utilizados três métodos: modelos baseados na medição do comprimento de fenda durante a propagação do dano, modelos baseados no comprimento de fenda equivalente e métodos baseados na formulação do integral J. No caso específico do método do integral J, é ainda possível obter as leis coesivas do adesivo, que podem ser utilizadas posteriormente no projeto de juntas adesivas. Nesta dissertação é apresentada uma análise experimental e numérica realizada a uma junta adesiva de configuração Single-Leg Bending (SLB) onde os provetes foram colados com três adesivos distintos, de modo a avaliar e comparar o seu comportamento sob condições de carga em modo misto, as suas propriedades à fratura e as respetivas leis coesivas. Para esse efeito, considerou-se a formulação proposta por Ji et al. [1] do método do integral J, de modo a determinar a taxa de libertação de energia para os modos I e II, tração (JI) e corte (JII), respetivamente, enquanto as leis coesivas foram obtidas por derivação direta das curvas JI-w0 e JII-δ0, onde w0 e δ0 correspondem à separação normal local e deslizamento tangencial local entre os dois aderentes na secção transversal da ponta da fenda, respetivamente. Posteriormente, foi realizada uma análise de fratura onde os resultados experimentais foram comparados, através de curvas carga-deslocamento (P-δ). Os valores de JI e JII, obtidos através da correlação de dados experimentais e numéricos incorporados na formulação do integral J, foram analisados pelas curvas R e envelopes de fratura. Estes últimos foram utilizados para estabelecer qual o critério mais apropriado para cada tipo de adesivo. Por fim, as tensões de tração e corte foram obtidas das leis coesivas, estimadas pelo método direto. No geral, foi conseguido um bom acordo entre as propriedades à fratura entre os provetes colados com o mesmo adesivo. Além disso, as leis coesivas apresentaram uma boa correspondência entre os provetes, possibilitando assim o projeto de justas adesivas de geometria arbitrária

A new mixed model based on the enhanced-Refined Zigzag Theory for the analysis of thick multilayered composite plates

The Refined Zigzag Theory (RZT) has been widely used in the numerical analysis of multilayered and sandwich plates in the last decay. It has been demonstrated its high accuracy in predicting global quantities, such as maximum displacement, frequencies and buckling loads, and local quantities such as through-the-thickness distribution of displacements and in-plane stresses [1,2]. Moreover, the C0 continuity conditions make this theory appealing to finite element formulations [3]. The standard RZT, due to the derivation of the zigzag functions, cannot be used to investigate the structural behaviour of angle-ply laminated plates. This drawback has been recently solved by introducing a new set of generalized zigzag functions that allow the coupling effect between the local contribution of the zigzag displacements [4]. The newly developed theory has been named enhanced Refined Zigzag Theory (en- RZT) and has been demonstrated to be very accurate in the prediction of displacements, frequencies, buckling loads and stresses. The predictive capabilities of standard RZT for transverse shear stress distributions can be improved using the Reissner’s Mixed Variational Theorem (RMVT). In the mixed RZT, named RZT(m) [5], the assumed transverse shear stresses are derived from the integration of local three-dimensional equilibrium equations. Following the variational statement described by Auricchio and Sacco [6], the purpose of this work is to implement a mixed variational formulation for the en-RZT, in order to improve the accuracy of the predicted transverse stress distributions. The assumed kinematic field is cubic for the in-plane displacements and parabolic for the transverse one. Using an appropriate procedure enforcing the transverse shear stresses null on both the top and bottom surface, a new set of enhanced piecewise cubic zigzag functions are obtained. The transverse normal stress is assumed as a smeared cubic function along the laminate thickness. The assumed transverse shear stresses profile is derived from the integration of local three-dimensional equilibrium equations. The variational functional is the sum of three contributions: (1) one related to the membrane-bending deformation with a full displacement formulation, (2) the Hellinger-Reissner functional for the transverse normal and shear terms and (3) a penalty functional adopted to enforce the compatibility between the strains coming from the displacement field and new “strain” independent variables. The entire formulation is developed and the governing equations are derived for cases with existing analytical solutions. Finally, to assess the proposed model’s predictive capabilities, results are compared with an exact three-dimensional solution, when available, or high-fidelity finite elements 3D models. References: [1] Tessler A, Di Sciuva M, Gherlone M. Refined Zigzag Theory for Laminated Composite and Sandwich Plates. NASA/TP- 2009-215561 2009:1–53. [2] Iurlaro L, Gherlone M, Di Sciuva M, Tessler A. Assessment of the Refined Zigzag Theory for bending, vibration, and buckling of sandwich plates: a comparative study of different theories. Composite Structures 2013;106:777–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2013.07.019. [3] Di Sciuva M, Gherlone M, Iurlaro L, Tessler A. A class of higher-order C0 composite and sandwich beam elements based on the Refined Zigzag Theory. Composite Structures 2015;132:784–803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2015.06.071. [4] Sorrenti M, Di Sciuva M. An enhancement of the warping shear functions of Refined Zigzag Theory. Journal of Applied Mechanics 2021;88:7. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4050908. [5] Iurlaro L, Gherlone M, Di Sciuva M, Tessler A. A Multi-scale Refined Zigzag Theory for Multilayered Composite and Sandwich Plates with Improved Transverse Shear Stresses, Ibiza, Spain: 2013. [6] Auricchio F, Sacco E. Refined First-Order Shear Deformation Theory Models for Composite Laminates. J Appl Mech 2003;70:381–90. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1572901

Micro/Nano Manufacturing

Micro- and nano-scale manufacturing has been the subject of ever more research and industrial focus over the past 10 years. Traditional lithography-based technology forms the basis of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) manufacturing, but also precision manufacturing technologies have been developed to cover micro-scale dimensions and accuracies. Furthermore, these fundamentally different technology platforms are currently combined in order to exploit the strengths of both platforms. One example is the use of lithography-based technologies to establish nanostructures that are subsequently transferred to 3D geometries via injection molding. Manufacturing processes at the micro-scale are the key-enabling technologies to bridge the gap between the nano- and the macro-worlds to increase the accuracy of micro/nano-precision production technologies, and to integrate different dimensional scales in mass-manufacturing processes. Accordingly, this Special Issue seeks to showcase research papers, short communications, and review articles that focus on novel methodological developments in micro- and nano-scale manufacturing, i.e., on novel process chains including process optimization, quality assurance approaches and metrology

NASA Tech Briefs, July 1991

Topics include: New Product Ideas; NASA TU Services; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery; Fabrication Technology; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences