688 research outputs found
Application of statistical filtering for optical detection of tool wear
The application of automated tool condition monitoring systems is very important for unmanned machining systems. Tool wear monitoring is a key factor for optimization of the cutting processes. Basically, tool wear monitoring systems can be subdivided into two classes: direct and indirect. Currently direct tool wear monitoring systems are most frequently based on machine vision by camera. Several approaches have been studied for tool wear detection by means of tool images, and an innovative statistical filter proved to be very efficient for worn area detection. A new approach has been implemented and tested in order to develop an automatic system for tool wear measurement. This new approach is described in this paper and the main topics related to tool wear monitoring using wear images have been discussed
Influence of the Experimental Setup on the Damping Properties of SLM Lattice Structures
Background: Metal lattice structures obtained through Selective Laser Melting may increase the strength-to-weight ratio of advanced 3D printed parts, as well as their damping properties. Recent experimental results showed that AlSi10Mg and AISI 316L lattices are characterized by higher Rayleigh damping coefficients with respect to the fully dense material. However, some unclear or contradictory results were found, depending on the experimental setup adopted for modal analysis. Objective: In this work the influence of the experimental setup when performing modal analysis on different SLM AISI 316L lattice structures was deeply investigated. The study provides a critical comparison of various experimental modal analysis approaches, allowing to evaluate the influence of external damping sources and material internal damping phenomena. Methods: The dynamic behaviour of SLM AISI 316L specimens incorporating lattice structures was estimated by means of pulse testing and sinusoidal excitation through an electromagnetic shaker. The validity of the viscous damping model was assessed by means of sinusoidal excitation with different levels of vibration velocity. Moreover, the influence of experimental setup on modal analysis results was critically evaluated, by considering different actuators, contact and non-contact sensors and boundary/clamping conditions. Results: The classical viscous damping model describes with good approximation the damping properties of SLM lattice structures. When exciting single specimens in free-free conditions, those embedding lattice structure and unmelted metal powder filler were characterized by superior internal damping properties with respect to the specimens incorporating the lattice structure without any filler, which was however more effective than the full density equivalent material. Most of the other experimental setups introduced additional external damping sources, that could alter this important outcome. Conclusions: SLM lattice structures embedded into 3D printed components provide superior damping properties against mechanical and acoustic vibrations and the metal powder filler does significantly enhance such damping capacity. A correct estimation of material internal damping was achieved by applying non-contact sensors and free-free boundary conditions, whereas other experimental setups were partly inadequate
Upgraded Kalman filtering of cutting forces in milling
Advanced piezoelectric dynamometers with a wide frequency bandwidth are required for cutting force measurement in high-speed milling and micromilling applications. In many applications, the signal bandwidth is limited by the dynamic response of the mechanical system, thus compensation techniques are necessary. The most effective compensation techniques for a full 3D force correction require an accurate and complex identification phase. Extended Kalman filtering is a better alternative for input force estimation in the presence of unknown dynamic disturbances. The maximum bandwidth that can be currently achievable by Kalman filtering is approximately 2 kHz, due to crosstalk disturbances and complex dynamometer\u2019s dynamics. In this work, a novel upgraded Kalman filter based on a more general model of dynamometer dynamics is conceived, by also taking into account the influence of the force application point. By so doing, it was possible to extend the frequency bandwidth of the device up to more than 5 kHz along the main directions and up to more than 3 kHz along the transverse directions, outperforming state-of-the-art methods based on Kalman filtering
Digital upgrade of a bandsaw machine through an innovative guidance system based on the digital shadow concept
Nowadays, there is an increasing trend towards advanced CNC machine tools having a high level of automation. Nevertheless, manually operated equipment is still playing an important role in many industrial workshops. Operators’ experience is still essential in the perspective of increasing productivity, enhancing product quality, reducing manufacturing costs related to tool wear, waste and maintenance. Thus, even manual operations that are apparently less important in terms of product added value may deserve attention and need to be improved according to the principles of the digital transformation era. This paper introduces a structured approach for design, development and implementation of an operator guidance system for a manual bandsaw machine, based on the digital shadow concept and additional feedback sensors. This provides an actual example of how the digital transformation of a small-scale equipment may improve the manufacturing performance and ergonomics as well
Passive chatter suppression of thin-walled parts by means of high-damping lattice structures obtained from selective laser melting
Chatter vibrations arising during machining operations are detrimental for cutting process performance, since they may cause poor surface quality of the machined part and severe damages to machine tool elements. Passive approaches for chatter suppression are based on the integration of special mechanical components with high-damping properties within the machining system. They represent a good solution to this problem thanks to their intrinsic simplicity. Recently, the application of metallic lattice structures inside 3D printed parts obtained from the Selective Laser Melting technology have proven superior damping properties with respect to the same full density material. Here, this idea is further explored by considering the novel configuration where the unmelted powder grains are retained inside the lattice structure by an external shell, acting as a multiplicity of microscopic mechanical dampers. This concept is applied for passive chatter suppression of thin-walled parts that are of particular relevance for industry. Preliminary experimental investigation was first carried out on simple beam-like specimens, and then on thin-walled benchmarks that were identified through modal analysis and tested under real cutting conditions. The main conclusion is that the novel proposed configuration (lattice plus unmelted powder) has higher damping properties with respect to the full density and lattice alternatives. Accordingly, it may be successfully applied for passive chatter suppression in real machining operations
A novel thermo-geometrical model for accurate keyhole porosity prediction in Laser Powder-Bed Fusion
When performing Laser Powder-Bed Fusion, undesired physical phenomena, such as balling, preballing and keyhole, must be avoided in order to achieve high-quality products. To date, keyhole-free process parameters can be identified either using demanding empirical methods or complex numerical simulations, while only a few analytical models can be found in literature for this purpose. In this work, state-of-the-art analytical models for predicting keyhole porosity were summarized and proved to be rather inaccurate because they are only based on thermodynamic principles, whereas they neglect the geometry and both the kinetics and kinematics of the keyhole cavity, which do also influence cavity collapse and porosity formation. Here an innovative physics-based semi-analytical model for predicting the formation of keyhole-related porosities was conceived, in which both thermodynamic and geometrical factors are taken into account. The proposed model was validated by performing single tracks experiments on Ti6Al4V according to a full factorial DoE on laser power and scanning speed. Produced samples were cross-sectioned and analyzed to evaluate keyhole porosity formation. The comparison between experimental data and model predictions confirmed the higher accuracy of the new model with respect to state of the art models. Besides improving the understanding of the keyhole phenomenon, the proposed model may provide a novel, effective and simple tool for fast process parameter optimization in industry
Study of the Effect of L-PBF Technique Temporal Evolution on Microstructure, Surface Texture, and Fatigue Performance of Ti gr. 23 Alloy
Titanium alloys are widely used in various technological fields due to their excellent performance. Since the early stages of the 3D printing concept, these alloys have been intensively used as materials for these processes. In this work, the evolution of the performance of the 3D printing process has been studied by analysing the microstructure and the mechanical properties, fatigue and tensile, of the Ti gr. 23 alloy produced by two different models of Concept Laser M2 Cusing machines (an old model and a more recent one). The process parameters recommended by the manufacturer were adopted for each machine. Both microstructural and surface texture characterisations were carried out to better correlate the differences with the production process technique. For the same purpose, tensile tests and microhardness profiles were obtained, while the dynamic mechanical properties were evaluated by means of fatigue tests aimed at determining the fatigue limit of the material using a staircase approach. The mechanical tests were carried out on specimens with three different orientations with respect to the building platform, using two different SLM techniques. The fatigue behaviour was then analysed by evaluating the fracture surfaces and, in particular, the crack nucleation sites. By comparing the calculated fatigue values with the results of local fatigue calculations, an estimate of the residual stresses near the crack nucleation site was obtained. The results showed that the specimens produced on a newer machine had lower roughness (about 10%), slightly higher ductility, and a higher fatigue limit (10–20 MPa) compared to the specimens produced with the same material but on older equipment
Glial metabotropic glutamate receptor-4 increases maturation and survival of oligodendrocytes
Genotype influence on shelf life behaviour of minimal processed loquat (Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.) fruit: the role of sugar, acid organics and phenolic compounds
Background: Loquat cultivars cultivated in Southern Italy are very appreciated by consumers for their sensorial characteristics, such as persistent aroma and taste. Apposite maturity indexes for peeling and processing loquat fruit were investigated to increase diffusion of minimally processed loquat. The genotype’s effect on the minimally processed loquat fruit shelf life and quality harvested at commercial maturity (80% yellow color) was investigated on peeled fruit stored at 5 °C for 10 days. The role of sugars, organic acids and phenols composition was observed through in depth qualitative analysis. In addition, several qualitative analyses were carried out to determine the quality of minimal processed fruit. Results: Loquat fruits harvested at commercial ripening stage performed very good palatability and flesh color persistency. Late ripening fruits genotypes shown a low rate of pulp oxidation and quality decay, while early ripening fruits were not suitable for fresh-cut. Genotype had a great influence on weight loss, β-carotene content, fruit respiration, ascorbic acid and total phenols content during the shelf life. Conclusions: This work shows how the amount of the composition of sugars and organic acids as an intrinsic characteristic of genotype influences the quality of loquat fruits minimal processed. The higher values of glucose, sorbitol and ascorbic acid accumulated in the cv ‘Nespolone Trabia’ contributed to a reduction in chilling injury and oxidative stress after cutting. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.
Effects of post-printing heat treatment on microstructure, corrosion and wet wear behavior of CoCrW alloy produced by L-PBF process
CoCr alloys are widely used as human implants because of both their superior corrosion resistance and superior mechanical properties (fatigue, wear resistance, etc.) respect to other metal alloys used in biomedical field. In particular, CoCrW alloys are used mainly to produce dental implants. In this study, the effects of thermal treatment on the corrosion resistance and wet wear resistance of CoCrW alloys produced via Laser-Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) were investigated, and the corrosion resistance and wet wear resistance of the L-PBF specimens were compared with those of the specimens obtained after forging. The heat treatment involved the solubilization of the alloy at 1150 °C in an Ar-saturated atmosphere, followed by furnace cooling. A detailed microstructural characterization of the L-PBF specimens was carried out using a light microscope and a scanning electron microscope in both the horizontal and vertical growth directions. Scanning Kelvin probe measurements were performed on the heat-treated specimens obtained by three-dimensional printing and forging. The void contents of the specimens were evaluated using the Archimedes’ method and image analysis. Vickers (HV2) hardness measurements were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties of the specimens. The corrosion properties of the specimens were evaluated by carrying out potentiodynamic tests in two different corrosive media (aqueous solution (9 g/L NaCl) at pH = 2 and 7). The corroded areas of the specimens were then examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, tribological tests were performed using the pin (Ti counter material)-on-flat configuration under dry and wet conditions, using the same corrosive environments as those used in the potentiodynamic tests and two different stroke lengths. The worn samples were characterized using SEM to investigate their wear mechanisms, and a stylus profilometer was used to determine the wear rates of the materials. The experimental results showed that the additively manufactured CoCrW L-PBF alloy had higher corrosion resistance than the wrought material. In addition, the additively manufactured material showed better dry and wet wear performances than the wrought material. Nevertheless, the heat treatment did not affect the properties evaluated in this study
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