Modeling the Tribo-Dynamic Behavior of Roller Contact

This study proposes dynamic modeling of lubricated rolling contact and a numerical sub-model for fatigue life prediction of rollers under starved lubrication conditions. Excitation caused by surface defects in rolling disks is numerically calculated and used as a metric in predicting surface pitting failure occurrence. Surface topography of mating surfaces is used as input to the model for determining maximum acceleration, approach velocity, and approach distance of rollers in presence of pits (defects). Resultant bearing force, contacting force versus approach distance are generated and compared for different pit sizes, developing an accurate tool for design purposes. Maximum acceleration and displacement amplitude, bearing force, and contact force are shown to be a direct function of pit size. Further, this study extends on fatigue life prediction of rollers under starved lubrication conditions in which fatigue life is determined by varying tribological conditions: lubrication level, contact pressure, temperature, and surface roughness for different operating conditions

Enhancement of process capabilities in electrically-assisted double sided incremental forming

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Electrically-assisted incremental sheet forming (E-ISF) is an effective method to improve formability by introducing the electric current in ISF process. This method is particularly useful for production of lightweight 'hard-to-form' materials such as magnesium and titanium alloys. However, the use of electricity and heat may also lead to side effects to formed components, such as unacceptable surface finish. In this work, an improved E-DSIF process has been developed by combining the electrically-assisted forming technology, the double sided incremental forming (DSIF) and a newly designed slave tool force control device to ensure stable tool-sheet contact. Different types of forming tools and toolpath strategies are explored to improve surface finish and geometrical accuracy by using a customized DSIF machine. AZ31B magnesium alloy sheets are formed into a truncated cone shape to verify the proposed E-DSIF process. In the investigation, the causes of rough surface finish are investigated in detail, and the surface finish is refined by improving the contact condition at tool-sheet interface. In addition, a hybrid toolpath strategy is proposed to further enhance the geometrical accuracy. The results demonstrate that the two challenging issues, surface finish and geometrical accuracy, could be improved by using the enhanced technologies of E-DSIF

Recognition of objects in orbit and their intentions with space‐borne sub‐THz Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar

An important aspect of Space Situational Awareness is to estimate the intent of objects in space. This paper discusses how discriminating features can be obtained from Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar images of such objects and how these discriminators can be used to recognise the objects or to estimate their intent. If the object is, for example, a satellite of a known type, the scheme proposed is able to recognise it. The ability of the scheme to detect damage to the object is also discussed. The focus is on imagery obtained in the sub-terahertz band (typically 300 GHz) because of the greater imaging capability given by the diffuse scattering which is observed at these frequencies. The paper also discusses the importance of being able to use images obtained by electromagnetic simulation to be able to train the subsystem which recognises features of the objects and describes a practical scheme for creating these simulations for large objects at these very short wavelengths

Recent Developments and Future Challenges in Incremental Sheet Forming of Aluminium and Aluminium Alloy Sheets

Due to a favourable strength-to-density ratio, aluminium and its alloys are increasingly used in the automotive, aviation and space industries for the fabrication of skins and other structural elements. This article explores the opportunities for and limitations of using Single- and Two Point Incremental Sheet Forming techniques to form sheets from aluminium and its alloys. Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF) methods are designed to increase the efficiency of processing in low- and medium-batch production because (i) it does not require the production of a matrix and (ii) the forming time is much higher than in conventional methods of sheet metal forming. The tool in the form of a rotating mandrel gradually sinks into the sheet, thus leading to an increase in the degree of deformation of the material. This article provides an overview of the published results of research on the influence of the parameters of the ISF process (feed rate, tool rotational speed, step size), tool path strategy, friction conditions and process temperature on the formability and surface quality of the workpieces. This study summarises the latest development trends in experimental research on, and computer simulation using, the finite element method of ISF processes conducted in cold forming conditions and at elevated temperature. Possible directions for further research are also identified

Skin-Integrated wearable systems and implantable biosensors: a comprehensive review

Biosensors devices have attracted the attention of many researchers across the world. They have the capability to solve a large number of analytical problems and challenges. They are future ubiquitous devices for disease diagnosis, monitoring, treatment and health management. This review presents an overview of the biosensors field, highlighting the current research and development of bio-integrated and implanted biosensors. These devices are micro- and nano-fabricated, according to numerous techniques that are adapted in order to offer a suitable mechanical match of the biosensor to the surrounding tissue, and therefore decrease the body’s biological response. For this, most of the skin-integrated and implanted biosensors use a polymer layer as a versatile and flexible structural support, combined with a functional/active material, to generate, transmit and process the obtained signal. A few challenging issues of implantable biosensor devices, as well as strategies to overcome them, are also discussed in this review, including biological response, power supply, and data communication.This research was funded by FCT- FUNDAÇÃO PARA A CIÊNCIA E TECNOLOGIA, grant numbers: PTDC/EMD-EMD/31590/2017 and PTDC/BTM-ORG/28168/2017

Testing of Materials and Elements in Civil Engineering

This book was proposed and organized as a means to present recent developments in the field of testing of materials and elements in civil engineering. For this reason, the articles highlighted in this editorial relate to different aspects of testing of different materials and elements in civil engineering, from building materials to building structures. The current trend in the development of testing of materials and elements in civil engineering is mainly concerned with the detection of flaws and defects in concrete elements and structures, and acoustic methods predominate in this field. As in medicine, the trend is towards designing test equipment that allows one to obtain a picture of the inside of the tested element and materials. Interesting results with significance for building practices were obtained

Single point incremental forming: An assessment of the progress and technology trends from 2005 to 2015

The last decade has seen considerable interest in flexible forming processes. Among the upcoming flexible forming techniques, one that has captured a lot of interest is single point incremental forming (SPIF), where a flat sheet is incrementally deformed into a desired shape by the action of a tool that follows a defined toolpath conforming to the final part geometry. Research on SPIF in the last ten years has focused on defining the limits of this process, understanding the deformation mechanics and material behaviour and extending the process limits using various strategies. This paper captures the developments that have taken place over the last decade in academia and industry to highlight the current state of the art in this field. The use of different hardware platforms, forming mechanics, failure mechanism, estimation of forces, use of toolpath and tooling strategies, development of process planning tools, simulation of the process, aspects of sustainable manufacture and current and future applications are individually tracked to outline the current state of this process and provide a roadmap for future work on this process

Investigation of Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF) using Advanced Numerical and Analytical Approaches

The incremental sheet forming process (ISF) is a suitable candidate for manufacturing lightweight components while achieving cost-effectiveness for low volume production. The critical difference that incremental forming presents compared to the conventional sheet metal forming process is that it does not require dedicated equipment such as a press and specific dies for each shape of the part. The equipment is replaced by a robust setup on a CNC milling machine or a robot in incremental forming. This setup includes a finger-type tool mounted on the head of the CNC or the robot and a clamping system to hold the initial blank. The process is called single point incremental forming (SPIF). For parts with complex geometries, it uses two point incremental forming (TPIF), where the setup includes a back die to support forming the three-dimensional shape. Despite their robustness and low-cost manufacturing, ISF processes are facing challenges in their large-scale adoption because of a lack of understanding of the material-tool interaction and, consequently, lack of possibilities to optimize the process for zero errors. In ISF, the tool-material interaction has a nonlinear relationship dependent on a series of process parameters and local contact conditions, enabling enhanced formability compared with conventional processes. There are currently limited analytical models and finite element models that allow extraction of the relationships between process parameters and material response and prediction of the formed geometry and the defects. However, limited experimental results for complex geometries are an obstacle in the validation of these models. Thus, ISF is still using trial and errors to find the right process parameters to form parts within the given design tolerance. Hence, any attempts to eliminate the trial and error associated with the forming process contribute significantly to the cost reduction related to manufacturing the part by reducing the amount of material, tooling, and workforce required in the process. Advancement of numerical modeling, such as multiscale modeling approaches, is a current solution for understanding the forming mechanism of ISF and gives answers to the material defects found during the forming process. Understanding how the instabilities are formed makes it possible to predict what combination of process parameters leads to such conditions and minimize their occurrence. Once the mechanism of incrementally forming is understood is possible to build reduced-order models capable of accurately predicting the geometry and thickness with significantly less computational cost comparing with finite element models.PHDMechanical EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/169612/1/jkshin_1.pd