Effective and eco-friendly lubrication protocol using nanodiamonds in a dry regime for conveyor systems in the beverage industry

Conveyor belts play an important role in the production process. Their efficiency and lifespan are strongly influenced by the use of appropriate lubrication systems, cleaning procedures and operator handling. Overuse of chemicals and detergents can result in belt degradation and corrosion. Excessive friction between the packages and the load bearing surface of the conveyors (e.g. belts or chains) can wear the packaging, delay start-ups and increase product waste. A suitably lubricated conveyor system increases longevity and promotes operational reliability. However this has traditionally been achieved by using large amounts of water and harsh detergents. The solution proposed in this study comprises the formulation of a nanodiamond particle-loaded food-grade lubricating oil, a nanolubricant, for use on packaging transport and conveyor systems. Deployed in a ‘dry’ regime, the nanolubricant is hydrophobic, its viscosity is suitable to be sprayed and a long shelf-life ensures stable dispersions. Tribological performance on HDPE conveyor belts transporting aseptic carton packs was studied. When using the nanolubricant, wearing on the packages was reduced 60% compared to no-lubricating conditions and 17% lower than current commercial solutions used for benchmarking purposes. The preparation of the nanolubricant using sonication technology presents efficiencies and carbon footprint reductions derived from lower energy consumption in the production process. This nanolubricant is an environmentally friendly solution for the maintenance of machinery for packaging and transporting and a novel mechanism to curb product returns due to aesthetic and structural damages on the packaging

The effect of microstructure on the mechanical properties of Ti Scaffolds

The effect of microstructure on the mechanical properties of Ti Scaffold

Transition zone: a training ethos designed to scaffold a PhD degree

The Transition Zone is our bespoke training programme to support transitions through different stages in a researcher’s career: (1) into doctoral studies as a high performing researcher, (2) through doctoral studies to make the most out of their doctorate and associated training and, (3) on exiting, to empower and equip them as highly employable graduates. This paper focuses on the first (i.e. ‘Transition In’) and the second transitions (i.e. ‘Transition Through’). The purpose of this paper is to offer a programme evaluation of these two transitions in order to assess whether the training ethos fulfils the three strategic aims (i.e. continuous learning as second nature, reflection in/on action, and deliberate employability boosters). Students have been encouraged to take ownership of their PhD and personal development from the outset (e.g. each student manages their own time, training, travel and consumables budget). The nature of the training activities has also been varied, accounting for to the student’s learning preferences, exposing students to both individual and group work, technical and non-technical training and with a strong flavour of externally-facing industry experience. A series of tests and self-awareness exercises have allowed the students to explore their own objectives and those of the program so that they dovetail, and allow an informed decision on training components to deliver a rounded engineer and/or scientist who not only is an expert in a research area but also possesses business acumen and industry readiness that are much sought after by employers in the current global market

Development of a nanodiamond-based lubricant for a versatile use in the beverage industry conveyor systems

Purpose: This paper proposes the formulation of a nanodiamond particle-loaded food-grade lubricating oil, a nanolubricant, that can be used over a broad range of loads within the factory (low load applications: conveyor systems; and heavy machinery within the factory were high loads are applied) Design/Methodology: Tribological performance of the nanolubricant at both load levels was studied. A factory-sized conveyor was employed for the low load range using typical beverage packaging (aluminium cans, glass and PET bottles). Coefficients of friction and wear scars were measured and the lubricating performance quantified. A four-ball tester was used to characterise the performance of the nanolubricant as per ASTM D2783/D4172. A comparison between the nanolubricant and the baseline oils was established. Findings: The results show an overall decrease of the coefficients of friction and wear scars for all packages at low pressures when the nanolubricant is used. It also shows a better friction-reduction performance in the high loads. The results indicate that the nanolubricant is versatile at both ranges of loading. Practical/Environmental implications: The current protocols for lubrication in the food and drink factories involve the use of water-based detergents for the conveyor lines, and industry-grade oils for the machinery. The use of a single and versatile lubricant for both ranges of application loads may carry a positive impact on the sustainability and environmental performance of the sector. Originality/value: Beverage processing and packing factories need their mechanised conveyor systems suitably lubricated to avoid excessive friction between the containers and the load bearing surface of the conveyors (e.g. belts or chains). Other areas of the conveying systems, such as motors, gears, rollers and bearings, are also in need of suitable lubrication to prevent failure and lengthen their working life. There is a myriad of lubricants and lubricating solutions for each of these areas independently, but no existing availability of commercial lubricating fluids that could be used on both successfully

Manufacture of graded porosity foams: simulation of local ultrasonic pressure and comparison with experimental results

The manufacture of polymeric solid foams with an engineered distribution of mechanical properties has been possible by irradiating ultrasound on a viscoelastic reacting mixture. Structures with a heterogeneous pore size distribution offer great advantages when compared to homogeneous distributions in many applications that require strength with minimal amount of material (e.g. airplane wings). However, manufacturing solutions lag well behind the demand of these components. Sonication has been recently demonstrated as a potential technique that can support these materials fabrication processes. The mechanism involves bubble growth in a polymeric melt undergoing foaming that is influenced by the ultrasonic environment (i.e. sound pressure, frequency and exposure time). Once the foam solidifies, the final porosity distribution within the solid reflects the sonication conditions. In order to obtain sophisticated distributions of porosity and porosity gradients, fine control on the acoustic pressure field has to be achieved. This paper presents an attempt to correlate acoustic pressure to porosity gradation by comparison of simulated acoustic field and engineered porosity analysed on experimental polyurethane foams. COMSOL Multiphysics™ has been used to recreate the process in the irradiation chamber; and the acoustic fields, both in the environment and the reaction vessel, have been simulated and validated. Results from this study will allow the optimisation of the manufacturing process of functionally tailored materials with the sonication method

Identification of formation-stages in a polymeric foam customised by sonication via electrical resistivity measurements

The polymerisation reactions associated with foam formation have distinct stages (i.e. nucleation, growth, packing, stiffening, solidification) some of which are known to be more sensitive to external inputs than others. Consequently, precise detection of the start and end points of each of the polymerisation stages would enable the fine control of material properties such as porosity in solid foams. The development of such process control can only be pursued if those sensitive stages can be clearly distinguished during the manufacture process. This paper reports how an electrical resistivity tracking method was used to assess the differences in the foaming processes when ultrasound was irradiated to polymeric melts undergoing foaming with the aim of tailoring the architecture of the final solid matrix. The electrical resistivity tracking method is also appraised with regard to its suitability to accurately identify the formation stages in the foam

3D acoustic-structure interaction of ultrasound in fluids for the manufacture of graded materials

Functionally graded materials engineered to meet specific requirements are being increasingly sought after for advanced engineering projects, yet the possibilities for their manufacture lag behind their design. The ability to control the porosity of a cellular material is one such method for adding functional gradients within materials. A novel technique using ultrasound to control the porosity in reacting polymers shows potential to effectively mass-manufacture porosity tailored polymeric foams. In this work the pressure field in a metastable polymer produced by multiple ultrasonic sources is modeled at distinct stages of the polymerisation reaction

Porosity and pore size effect on the properties of sintered Ti35Nb4Sn alloy scaffolds and their suitability for tissue engineering applications

Porous scaffolds manufactured via powder metallurgy and sintering were designed for their structure (i.e. pore size and porosity) and mechanical properties (stiffness, strength) to be controlled and tailored to mimic those of human bone. The scaffolds were realised to fulfil three main objectives: (i) to obtain values of stiffness and strength similar to those of trabecular (or spongy) bone, with a view of exploiting these as bone grafts that permit cell regeneration, (ii) to establish a relationship between stiffness, strength and density that allows tailoring for mass customisation to suit patient's needs; and (iii) to assess alloy cytotoxicity and biocompatibility via in vitro studies. The results obtained using a very low stiffness alloy (Ti35Nb4Sn) further lowered with the introduction of nominal porosity (30–70%) with pores in the ranges 180–300 μm and 300–500 μm showed compatibility for anatomical locations typically subjected to implantation and bone grafting (femoral head and proximal tibia). The regression fitting parameters for the linear and power law regressions were similar to those found for bone specimens, confirming a structure favourable to capillary network formation. Biological tests confirmed non-cytotoxicity of the alloy. Scaffolds of porosity nominal 50%vol and pore range 300–500 μm performed best in the adhesion and propagation assays due to a good balance between surface area and pore cavity volume

Effect of pore size, morphology and orientation on the bulk stiffness of a porous Ti35Nb4Sn alloy

The metal foams of a titanium alloy were designed to study porosity as well as pore size and shape independently. These were manufactured using a powder metallurgy/space-holder technique that allowed a fine control of the pore size and morphology; and then characterized and tested against well-established models to predict a relationship between porosity, pore size and shape, and bulk stiffness. Among the typically used correlations, existing power-law models were found to be the best fit for the prediction of macropore morphology against compressive elastic moduli, outperforming other models such as exponential, polynomial or binomial. Other traditional models such as linear ones required of updated coefficients to become relevant to metal porous sintered macrostructures. The new coefficients reported in this study contribute toward a design tool that allows the tailoring of mechanical properties through porosity macrostructure. The results show that, for the same porosity range, pore shape and orientation have a significant effect on mechanical performance and that they can be predicted. Conversely, pore size has only a mild impact on bulk stiffness

Optimization of assembly instructions for a low-cost housing solution

Bamboo huts have been proposed as a low-cost housing solution in places like India, the Far East and South America. Successful building is strongly linked to the end-user’s ability to interpret and execute their assembly instructions correctly. This article reports a case study in which the planning of the structure of the instructions was carried out to decrease complexity and increase effectiveness so that the assembly could be interpreted and executed correctly by participants. A diagnostic test to assess their suitability was conducted. The results provided insight into the way in which end-users dealt with ambiguity and intrinsic cognitive load, and their preferences for sub-assemblies, action, colored diagrams and self-auditing steps