Galling wear detection and measurement in sheet metal forming

Galling wear of sheet metal stamping tooling is an expensive issue for sheet metal forming industries. Forming of high strength steels, particularly in the automotive industry, has led to accelerated tool wear rates. These wear rates lead to product quality and die maintenance issues, making galling wear an expensive issue for automotive manufacturers and the sheet metal forming industries in general. Process monitoring allows for the continuous monitoring of tooling condition so that wear development can be detected. The aim of this investigation was to develop an in-depth understanding of the relationship between punch force variation and wear for implementation in future process monitoring regimes. To achieve this aim, the effect of wear and other friction influencing factors on punch force signatures were investigated. This required the development of an accurate method for quantifying galling wear severity so that the relationship between galling wear progression and punch force signature variation could be quantified. Finally, the specific effects of wear and friction conditions on the punch force signatures were examined. An initial investigation using a statistical pattern recognition technique was conducted on stamping force data to determine if the presence of galling wear on press tooling effected punch force variation. Galling wear on tooling, changes in lubrication type, and changes in blank holder pressure were all found to effect variation in punch force signatures shape. A new galling wear severity measurement methodology was developed based on wavelet analysis of 2D surface roughness profiles that accurately provided an indication of the location and severity of galling wear damage. Using the new method for quantifying galling wear severity in the relationship between punch force variation and galling wear progression was investigated, and a strong linear relationship was found. Finally, two prominent vii forms of punch force signature shape variation were linked to friction conditions driven by wear, lubrication, and blank holder pressure. This work describes and quantifies the relationship between galling wear and punch force signature variation. A new methodology for accurate measurement of galling wear severity is presented. Finally, specific forms of punch force signature variation are linked to different friction conditions. These results are critical for future implementation of punch force based galling wear process monitoring and a significant reduction in costs for the metal forming industries

Using stamping punch force variation for the identification of changes in lubrication and wear mechanism

The growth in use of Advanced High Strength Steels in the automotive industry for light-weighting and safety has increased the rates of tool wear in sheet metal stamping. This is an issue that adds significant costs to production in terms of manual inspection and part refinishing. To reduce these costs, a tool condition monitoring system is required and a firm understanding of process signal variation must form the foundation for any such monitoring system. Punch force is a stamping process signal that is widely collected by industrial presses and has been linked closely to part quality and tool condition, making it an ideal candidate as a tool condition monitoring signal. In this preliminary investigation, the variation of punch force due to different lubrication conditions and progressive wear are examined. Linking specific punch force signature changes to developing lubrication and wear events is valuable for die wear and stamping condition monitoring. A series of semi-industrial channel forming trials were conducted under different lubrication regimes and progressive die wear. Punch force signatures were captured for each part and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to determine the key Principal Components of the signature data sets. These Principal Components were linked to the evolution of friction conditions over the course of the stroke for the different lubrication regimes and mechanism of galling wear. As a result, variation in punch force signatures were correlated to the current mechanism of wear dominant on the formed part; either abrasion or adhesion, and to changes in lubrication mechanism. The outcomes of this study provide important insights into punch force signature variation, that will provide a foundation for future work into the development of die wear and lubrication monitoring systems for sheet metal stamping

Alterations in local chromatin environment are involved in silencing and activation of subtelomeric var genes in Plasmodium falciparum

Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), encoded by the var gene family, undergoes antigenic variation and plays an important role in chronic infection and severe malaria. Only a single var gene is transcribed per parasite, and epigenetic control mechanisms are fundamental in this strategy of mutually exclusive transcription. We show that subtelomeric upsB var gene promoters carried on episomes are silenced by default, and that promoter activation is sufficient to silence all other family members. However, they are active by default when placed downstream of a second active var promoter, underscoring the significance of local chromatin environment and nuclear compartmentalization in var promoter regulation. Native chromatin covering the SPE2-repeat array in upsB promoters is resistant to nuclease digestion, and insertion of these regulatory elements into a heterologous promoter causes local alterations in nucleosomal organization and promoter repression. Our findings suggest a common logic underlying the transcriptional control of all var genes, and have important implications for our understanding of the epigenetic processes involved in the regulation of this major virulence gene family

AI is a viable alternative to high throughput screening: a 318-target study

: High throughput screening (HTS) is routinely used to identify bioactive small molecules. This requires physical compounds, which limits coverage of accessible chemical space. Computational approaches combined with vast on-demand chemical libraries can access far greater chemical space, provided that the predictive accuracy is sufficient to identify useful molecules. Through the largest and most diverse virtual HTS campaign reported to date, comprising 318 individual projects, we demonstrate that our AtomNet® convolutional neural network successfully finds novel hits across every major therapeutic area and protein class. We address historical limitations of computational screening by demonstrating success for target proteins without known binders, high-quality X-ray crystal structures, or manual cherry-picking of compounds. We show that the molecules selected by the AtomNet® model are novel drug-like scaffolds rather than minor modifications to known bioactive compounds. Our empirical results suggest that computational methods can substantially replace HTS as the first step of small-molecule drug discovery

A new methodology for measuring galling wear severity in high strength steels

With the increased usage of Advanced High Strength Steels, galling wear has become a significant challenge for sheet metal stamping industries. Galling, in particular, can have a large economic impact due to the high costs and lost productivity associated with manual monitoring, refinishing/resurfacing damaged tooling and formed parts, and the need to apply expensive treatments or coatings to tool surfaces. This has led to a push for automated galling wear detection systems. However, developing such systems requires an accurate measurement of galling wear severity that can be easily implemented in industrial situations. Parameters used for measuring galling wear are often difficult to collect in large industrial style trials, and can be inaccurate as they are not targeted towards characterising the localised features associated with galling wear damage. In this study, a new galling wear characterisation and measurement methodology is introduced that accurately measures galling wear severity by targeting the localised features on sheet metal parts. This methodology involves calculating Discrete Wavelet Transform detail coefficients of 2D surface profiles. A case study on a series of deep drawn channel parts demonstrates the accuracy of the Discrete Wavelet Transform methodology when compared to visual assessment of galling wear severity. Based on comparison to visual assessment the presented Discrete Wavelet Transform galling wear measurement methodology outperforms other commonly used wear measures. The methodology provides a targeted, repeatable and non-subjective measure of galling wear severity. The specific outcome of this work provides an important tool for research into galling wear monitoring and detection systems in sheet metal forming, and the study of galling wear and its prevention in general.This research was supported by an Australian Research Council (Australia) Linkage Project (LP120100239)