Micro-flood (MF) technology for sustainable manufacturing operations that are coolant less and occupationally friendly

This paper presents a new technology for minimizing the use of metalworking fluids (MWFs) during the machining process that is atomization-less and occupational friendly. Micro-flood (MF) technology utilizes direct contact between the cutting tool and the MWF without the interaction of a gas medium. Experiments were conducted in high volume mass production environment turning HSLA (high strength low alloy) SAE 070Y steel. Machining performance and total air mass particulates were investigated in dry machining, Near dry machining (NDM) via atomized spray mist and MF technology. Open-atmosphere air monitoring indicated that total mass particulates behaved in an almost linear fashion with respect to gas atomization pressure, whereas the MWF flow rate demonstrated logarithmic trends in NDM applications using an atomized spray. Nozzle orientations directed upward into the air also produced higher mg/m³ concentrations (such as flank) than chip and rake face orientations that were directed down. Greater separation existed at higher gas atomization pressures, MWF flow rates and by changing the MWF type. At extreme limits, nozzle orientation affected mg/m³ concentration as much as 4–5 mg/m³ for water-miscible MWFs and 15–22 mg/m³ for non-water-miscible MWFs. Tool-life performance varied greatly among MWF type and flow rate, and in all cases MF technology performed better than NDM using an atomized spray mist. Direct and consistent MWF penetration to cutting zone using MF technology lowered tool-wear on the average of 12–75% compared to NDM at the same MWF flow rate. Compared to dry machining, NDM improved tool-wear on the average by 20–243%. In one case, tool-wear performance was improved by 616% at 0.15 mm using MF technology compared to dry machining at a nominal 0.925 mm tool-wear. Overall, a large mass reduction of particulates can be achieved employing MF technology that would have been unrealistic for an open-atmosphere machining environment employing an atomized spray mist. On the average, MF technology can maintain a total air mass particulate of less than 0.4 mg/m³ in the occupational work zone using MWF flow rates up to 1260 ml/h, regardless of the MWF classification. Atomized spray mist applications are capable meeting the 5 mg/m³ OSHA limit if MWF flow rates are less than 160 ml/h, air pressures are less than 0.137 MPa (20 psi) using water-miscible MWFs and air pressures are less than 0.0344 MPa (5 psi) using non-water-miscible MWFs.     

Nanosecond pulsed laser micromachining of PMMA-based microfluidic channels

This paper reports an investigation into the effects of nanosecond laser processing parameters on the geometry of microchannels fabricated from polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). The Nd:YAG solid-state pulsed laser has a wavelength of 1064 nm and a measured maximum power of 4.15 W. The laser processing parameters are varied in a scanning speed range of 400–800 pulses/mm, a pulse frequency range of 5–11 Hz, a Q-switch delay time range of 170–180 μs. Main effects plots and microchannel images are utilized to identify the effects of the process parameters for improving material removal rate and surface quality simultaneously for laser micromachining of microchannels in PMMA polymer. It is observed that channel width and depth decreased linearly with increasing Q-switch delay time (hence average power) and increased non-linearly with higher scanning rates and not much affected by the increase in pulse frequency.     

Using micro deep drawing with ironing stages to form stainless steel 304 micro cups

The needs of stainless steel 304 micro cups have been increasing tremendously due to the trend of miniaturization in medical and electronic devices, etc. For application purpose, it is highly desired to have stainless steel micro cups with high CH/OD (cup height/outer diameter) ratios. Due to the constraints of the limit draw ratio (LDR) of stainless steel 304 sheets in micro deep drawing, forming a micro cup with high CH/OD ratio at room temperature cannot be achieved by using a single stage deep drawing die. A process consisting of one micro deep drawing and two ironing stages was proposed for achieving this goal; three micro dies were designed, fabricated and used for experimental validation. A series of experiments were conducted by using the stainless steel 304 sheets of 200 μm thickness annealed at four different temperatures to understand the influence of size effects on this process for generating knowledge, know-how and technologies to form high quality stainless steel micro cups with large CH/OD ratio. No lubricant was used in this study. It was proven that the proposed process is a robust process as long as the sheets are annealed at the temperature no less than 900 °C for more than 3 min.     

Scale-up modeling of the twin roll casting process for AZ31 magnesium alloy

In the present study, a 2-D finite-element method (FEM) thermal-fluid-stress model has been developed and validated for the twin roll casting (TRC) of AZ31 magnesium alloy. The model was then used to quantify how the thermo-mechanical history experienced by the strip during TRC would change as the equipment was scaled up from a laboratory size (roll diameter = 355 mm) to a pilot scale (roll diameter = 600 mm) and to an industrial scale (roll diameter = 1150 mm) machine. The model predictions showed that the thermal history and solidification cooling rate experienced by the strip are not affected significantly by caster scale-up. However, the mechanical history experienced by the strip did change remarkably depending on the roll diameters. Casting with bigger rolls led to the development of higher stress levels at the strip surface. The roll separating force/mm width of strip was also predicted to increase significantly when the TRC was scaled to larger sizes. Using the model predicted results, the effect of both casting speed and roll diameter was integrated into an empirical equation to predict the exit temperature and the roll separating force for AZ31. Using this approach, a TRC process map was generated for AZ31 which included roll diameter and casting speed.     

The development of a microscale strain measurement system applied to sheet bulge hydroforming

Micro and multiscale sheet metal forming processes represent new and attractive solutions to many manufacturing problems. However, evaluating the strains in these products is a difficult endeavor. Larger organizations are utilizing commercially available microscale digital image correlation systems to measure the strains in microscale parts or on macroscale parts with critical microscale features. The cost of these strain measurement systems is preventing smaller research and development organizations from entering this challenging area or they are forgoing the ability to determine strains. The present paper describes the development of a method for creating microscale grids and measuring strains on microscale parts or microscale locations on larger parts. The method developed was able to measure true strains up to 0.618 for square grids that are 127 μm measured from center-to-center. Microscale strains resulting from sheet bulge hydroforming experiments using 11 mm, 5 mm, and 1 mm diameter dies were evaluated and material properties of the sheet metal were estimated based upon the strains measured in conjunction with FEA simulations and compared to analytical solutions and microscale tension tests. The material properties determined using the strains and FEM approach were consistent with the other methods.     

Effect of specimen planar area on electromagnetic flanging

The specimen parameter that is often mentioned with respect to the ability to achieve electromagnetic forming (EMF) is the specimen thickness. If the skin depth is small compared to this parameter, efficient forming will be achieved. However, another parameter that may affect the ability to achieve efficient forming is the specimen's planar area, i.e., the length and width of the specimen. This would particularly become an important factor if EMF is used to fabricate meso/microscale components. In this research, a flat spiral coil was used to flange 0.508 mm thickness, CuZn30 specimens of varying widths (i.e., 10, 14, 18, 22, 35, and 47 mm). These widths were varied in order to modify the projected area of the coil over the specimen. Results showed that a decrease in the specimen width was generally associated with a decrease in forming (i.e., lower flanging angle) due to edge effects in induced eddy currents. Since the magnetic field distribution from the flat spiral coil is asymmetric, material was overhung on both sides of the die. This yielded an extra half turn on the left side of the specimen, and increased forming. The die was also translated to assess differences in flanging generated. In order to achieve meso/microforming with EMF, attention to the interaction between coil design and specimen dimensions is required.     

Soil-profile organic carbon and total nitrogen during 12 years of pasture management in the Southern Piedmont USA

Soil organic C (SOC) and total soil N (TSN) sequestration estimates are needed to improve our understanding of management influences on soil fertility and terrestrial C cycling related to greenhouse gas emission. We evaluated the factorial combination of nutrient source (inorganic, mixed inorganic and organic, and organic as broiler litter) and forage utilization (unharvested, low and high cattle grazing pressure, and hayed monthly) on soil-profile distribution (0–150 cm) of SOC and TSN during 12 years of pasture management on a Typic Kanhapludult (Acrisol) in Georgia, USA. Nutrient source rarely affected SOC and TSN in the soil profile, despite addition of 73.6 Mg ha^?1 (dry weight) of broiler litter during 12 years of treatment. At the end of 12 years, contents of SOC and TSN at a depth of 0–90 cm under haying were only 82 ± 5% (mean ± S.D. among treatments) of those under grazed management. Within grazed pastures, contents of SOC and TSN at a depth of 0–90 cm were greatest within 5 m of shade and water sources and only 83 ± 7% of maximum at a distance of 30 m and 92 ± 14% of maximum at a distance of 80 m, suggesting a zone of enrichment within pastures due to animal behavior. During 12 years, the annual rate of change in SOC (0–90 cm) followed the order: low grazing pressure (1.17 Mg C ha^?1 year^?1) > unharvested (0.64 Mg C ha^?1 year^?1) = high grazing pressure (0.51 Mg C ha^?1 year^?1) > hayed (?0.22 Mg C ha^?1 year^?1). This study demonstrated that surface accumulation of SOC and TSN occurred, but that increased variability and loss of SOC with depth reduced the significance of surface effects.     

The effect of pitting corrosion on split sleeve cold hole expanded,bare 7075-T651 aluminium alloy

As part of an aircraft fleet fatigue life improvement program, investigation has been carried out into the effect pitting corrosion has on bare 7075-T651 which had undergone split sleeve cold hole expansion. Constant amplitude sinusoidal loading was applied to fatigue test coupons which had pitting corrosion induced upon them by a modified cyclic immersion process using a 3.5% NaCl solution. A pit depth of 39–58 μm was found to significantly reduce the increased fatigue life gains achieved by carrying out cold hole expansion. At 137.9 MPa fatigue life was reduced from achieving run out of ten million cycles to an average 371 × 10³ cycles, while at 165.5 MPa average fatigue life was reduced from 810 × 10³ to 65 × 10³ cycles. The fracture surfaces were analysed under a scanning electron microscope where each displayed an individual crack initiation site located on the material surface within the zone of residual circumferential stress.     

Toward chemical-free reclamation of biologically pretreated greywater: solar photocatalytic oxidation with powdered activated carbon

Heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation is a water reclamation technology which avoids chemical consumption and can be powered by solar radiation. Because this generally sustainable process is of limited efficiency for the treatment of biologically pretreated greywater, it was combined with activated carbon adsorption. The effluent of a constructed wetland for treatment of separately collected greywater was subjected to photocatalytic oxidation using the photocatalyst titanium dioxide (TiO₂) “P25” in both the absence and the presence of powdered activated carbon (PAC). Photocatalytic oxidation alone with UV fluences of about 10 Wh L^?1 was not capable of reducing total organic carbon (TOC) from an initial concentration of 5.5 mg L^?1 safely below 2 mg L^?1 as a prerequisite for high-quality water reuse purposes. However, when PAC was added, TOC concentrations subsequent to photocatalytic oxidation were less than 2 mg L^?1 even after reusing the TiO₂/PAC mixture 10 times. PAC addition is estimated to reduce the insolation area necessary to achieve this target by solar photocatalytic oxidation of biologically treated greywater by a factor 7. This combination process represents an innovative chemical-free technology within wastewater reuse schemes.     

Energy based phenomenological model for optimizing the sheared edge in the trimming of steels

Attributes related to the dimensional quality of hot rolled steels are very important in commercial sectors that make direct use of this product, because delay or equipment damage can be avoided when forming in downstream operations. In this research, the steel sheet edge trimming process and its relationship with the defect known as broken edge is experimental and numerically studied. The type of material, horizontal clearance between knives and the energy spent during the cutting process are analyzed in detail. A metal-mechanical study is carried out for obtaining a microstructural hardness and flow stress characterization. Consequently, the edge trimming process is FEM simulated and its results in relation to knife penetration and shear stress lead to determining the energy spent during the cutting process. A mathematical model is determined under the consideration that minimum energy gives the optimum cutting conditions. The model proposes a reliable value for the horizontal clearance (H_c), between knives, taking as the principal factors: energy consumed during the edge trimming process, sheet thickness (T_h), carbon content (C) and/or its ultimate tensile strength, expressed as: H_c = α + βT_h − γC. A comparison of the recommended numerical results with the best practical conditions is carried out and a high coincidence is successfully found. This model is expected to be easily adopted as a tool where operators can adjust and control the parameters of process, and then, as a result, produce a sheet without edge trimming defects as well as a reduction in efficiency costs.     

On wear resistance of tool steel

Maintaining a reasonably low cutting tool wear when producing forming tools is a general challenge in the development of new forming tool materials. The tool life of a hot forming tool steel (H13) has been significantly improved by reducing its Si-content from 1.0 to 0.06 wt.%. However, this modified H13 (MH13) also displays a reduced cutting tool life due to higher cutting forces and a stronger tendency to form built up layers (BUE) on the cutting edge. This paper explains why.Gleeble tests of MH13 revealed a significantly higher flow stress in the 820–900 °C temperature interval in MH13 compared to H13. Thermo-Calc simulations showed that when reducing the Si-content from 1.0 to 0.06 wt.% the initial temperature for ferrite-to-austenite transformation (A1) was reduced from 900 °C to 820 °C. Knowing that austenite has totally different mechanical and thermal properties than ferrite, the difference in A1 between the two steels explains the higher cutting forces and higher tendency for BUE-formation. The conclusion is that the difference in machinability between H13 and MH13 is primarily related to their difference in A1.An attempt was also made to find a new tool material composition that can combine the wear resistance of MH13 and the good machinability of H13. Thermo-Calc simulations were performed with slightly modified alloying content without changing its properties as a good forming tool material, with the aim to increase A1. For instance, reducing the Mn content from 0.5 to 0.05 wt.% proved to increase A1 from 820 to 850 °C.     

Shared control of robotic friction stir welding in the presence of imperfect joint fit-up

In this paper a shared control strategy is presented that allows a skilled operator to identify irregularities that occur during robotic friction stir welding (FSW) and assist the robotic system in producing an appropriate response. Human operators are adept at identifying disturbances; however, the complexity of the friction stir welding process makes it difficult for the operator to respond. While examining the capabilities of shared control in friction stir welding, this paper focuses on responding to defects that are caused by a lack of workpiece material during butt welding, such as gaps. A compensation strategy is presented that combines the human operator's perceptual strengths with an automated procedure for adjustment of the process parameters (i.e. travel angle and plunge depth). Experiments comparing four control strategies are performed while welding 5083-H116 aluminum. Through our experiments we demonstrate that if the FSW control task is appropriately shared between the human operator and the computer control system, the weld quality (strength) can be improved (from 9 ksi to 31 ksi for a gap size of 2.5 mm) as compared with the nominal case in which no corrections are made.     

Long-term impact of a gliricidia-maize intercropping system on carbon sequestration in southern Malawi

Tree/crop systems under agroforestry practice are capable of sequestering carbon (C) in the standing biomass and soil. Although studies have been conducted to understand soil organic C increases in some agroforestry technologies, little is known about C sequestered in simultaneous tree/crop intercropping systems. The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of agroforestry practice on C sequestration and CO₂-C efflux in a gliricidia-maize intercropping system. The experiment was conducted at an experimental site located at the Makoka Agricultural Research Station, in Malawi. The studies involved two field plots, 7-year (MZ21) and 10-year (MZ12), two production systems (sole-maize and gliricidia-maize simultaneous intercropping systems). A 7-year-old grass fallow (Grass-F) was also included. Gliricidia prunings were incorporated at each time of tree pruning in the gliricidia-maize. The amount of organic C recycled varied from 0.8 to 4.8 Mg C ha⁻¹ in gliricidia-maize and from 0.4 to 1.0 Mg C ha⁻¹ in sole-maize. In sole-maize, net decreases of soil carbon of 6 Mg C ha⁻¹ at MZ12 and 7 Mg C ha⁻¹ at MZ21 in the topsoil (0–20 cm) relative to the initial soil C were observed. After 10 years of continuous application of tree prunings C was sequestered in the topsoil (0–20 cm) in gliricidia-maize was 1.6 times more than in sole-maize. A total of 123–149 Mg C ha⁻¹ were sequestered in the soil (0–200 cm depth), through root turnover and pruning application in the gliricidia-maize system. Carbon dioxide evolution varied from 10 to 28 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ in sole-maize and 23 to 83 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ in gliricidia-maize. We concluded that gliricidia-maize intercropping system could sequester more C in the soil than sole-maize.     

Influence of welding speed and power on residual stress during gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) of thin sections with constant heat input: A study using numerical simulation and experimental validation

The temperature distribution and residual stresses for a GTAW circumferential butt joint of AISI 304 stainless steel using numerical simulation have been evaluated. For evaluation of weld induced residual stresses, the analysis of heat source fitting was carried out with heat inputs ranging from 200 to 500 J/mm to arrive at optimal heat input for obtaining proper weld penetration and heat affected zone (HAZ). For this chosen heat input, the influence of different weld speeds and powers on the temperature distribution and the residual stresses is studied. The heat source analysis revealed the best choice of heat input as 300 J/mm. The residual stresses on the inner and outer surfaces, and along the radial direction were computed. Increase in temperature distribution as well as longitudinal and circumferential residual stresses was observed with the increase in weld speed and power. The validity of the results obtained from numerical simulation is demonstrated with full scale shop floor welding experiments.     

Metal-cored arc welding process for joining of modified 9Cr-1Mo (P91) steel

In the present work, metal-cored arc welding process was used for joining of modified 9Cr-1Mo (P91) steel. Metal-cored arc welding process is characterized by high productivity, slag-free process, defect-free weldments that can be produced with ease, and good weldability. Toughness is essential in welds of P91 steel during hydro-testing of vessels. There is a minimum required toughness of 47 J for welds that has to be met as per the EN1557:1997 specification. In the present study, welds were completed using two kinds of shielding gases, each composition being 80% Argon + 20% CO₂, and pure argon respectively. Microstructural characterization and toughness evaluation of welds were done in the as – weld, PWHT at 760 °C – 2 h and PWHT at 760 °C – 5 h conditions. The pure argon shielded welds (‘A2’ and ‘B2’) have higher toughness than 80% argon + 20% CO₂ shielded welds (‘A1’ and ‘B1’). Pure argon shielded welds show less microinclusion content with low volume fraction of δ-ferrite (<2%) phase. Themo-calc windows (TCW) was used for the prediction of equilibrium critical transformation points for the composition of the welds studied. With increase in post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) duration from 2 h to 5 h, there was increase in toughness of welds above 47 J. Using metal-cored arc welding process, it was possible to achieve the required toughness of more than 47 J after PWHT at 760 °C – 2 h in P91 steel welds.     

Study on machinability of a stellite alloy with uncoated and coated carbide tools in turning

Stellite alloys, which have been widely used in the aerospace, automotive and chemical industries, are hard-to-cut cobalt-based materials. This study investigates the machinability of stellite 12 alloys with uncoated carbide cutting tool grades YG610 (K01-K10) and YT726 (K05-K10/M20) and SANDVIK coated carbide tool SNMG150612-SM1105 under dry cutting conditions. Both wear mechanisms and failure modes of the uncoated and coated tools were investigated with turning experiments. The results show that the coated tool SM1105 remarkably outperforms the uncoated tools; and the cutting tool YG610 generally outperforms YT726 under all cutting conditions. Built-up edge was found with YG610 in some cutting conditions and with SM1105 at cutting speed of 16 m/min. Tool surface burning marks were observed on YT726 at relatively higher cutting speeds. Wear develops slowly with coated tools SM1105 until VB reaches 0.2 mm at most conditions (except at v = 43 m/min, f = 0.25 mm/r). Excessive tool flank typically resulted in tool breakage at the cutting edge for uncoated tools. Abrasive and adhesive wear of cutting tools were observed at low cutting speeds while diffusion and chemical wear occurred at higher cutting speeds.     

Numerical modelling of electrohydraulic free-forming and die-forming of DP590 steel

Electrohydraulic forming (EHF) is a high energy rate forming process in which the strain rate in the sheet metal can vary from 5 × 10² to 10⁵ s⁻¹ depending on various factors. Several mechanisms have been reported to cause an improvement in formability in EHF such as material deformation mechanisms, inertial effects and the dynamic impact of the sheet against the die. EHF is a complex high speed forming process and experimental work alone is not sufficient to properly understand this process. To understand the variation of some influential variables in EHF, electrohydraulic die-forming (EHDF) and free-forming (EHFF) of DP590 dual phase steel were simulated in ABAQUS/Explicit by considering the fluid/structure interactions. Three-dimensional finite element simulations were conducted by modelling the water with Eulerian elements with a view to investigating the effect of released energy on the sheet deformation profile history, strain distribution, loading path and damage accumulation type. The Johnson–Cook constitutive material model was used to predict the sheet behaviour and the parameters in this model were calibrated based on experimental test results available for DP590 at various strain rates. The Johnson–Cook phenomenological damage model was also used to predict the ductile failure (damage accumulation) in both EHDF and EHFF. Predicted final strain values and damage accumulation type showed good agreement with the experimental observations.     

Effectiveness of buffer strips in removing pollutants in runoff from a cultivated field in North-East Italy

Buffer strips are an efficient and economical way to reduce agricultural nonpoint source pollution. Local researches are necessary to gain information on buffer performance, with particular emphasis on narrow buffers. The effect of a 6 m buffer strip (BS) in reducing runoff, suspended solids and nutrients from a field growing maize, winter wheat and soybean was assessed in a field experiment conducted in North-East Italy during 1998–2001. The BS was composed of two rows of regularly alternating trees (Platanus hybrida Brot.) and shrubs (Viburnum opulus L.), with grass (Festuca arundinacea L.) in the inter-rows.The BS reduced total runoff by 78% compared to no-BS, in which cumulative runoff depth was 231 mm over 4 years. With no-BS runoff appeared to be influenced mostly by total rainfall, while with BS maximum rainfall intensity was more important. The filtering effect of the BS reduced total suspended solids (TSS), particularly after the second year, when the median yearly concentrations ranged from 0.28 to 0.99 mg L⁻¹ and were smaller than 0.14 mg L⁻¹, with no-BS and with BS respectively. The combination of lower concentrations and runoff volumes significantly reduced TSS losses from 6.9 to 0.4 t ha⁻¹ over the entire period.A tendency to increased concentrations of all forms of N (total, nitrate and ammonium) while passing through the BS was observed, but total N losses were reduced from 17.3 to 4.5 kg ha⁻¹ in terms of mass balance. On the contrary, P concentrations were unmodified (soluble P), or lowered (total P) by the BS, reducing total losses by about 80%. The effect on total P, composed mainly of sediment-bound forms, was related to particulate settling when passing through the BS.A numerical index (Eutrophic Load Index), integrating water quality and runoff volumes, was created to evaluate the eutrophication risk of runoff with or without the BS. It showed that the BS effect was mostly due to a reduction of runoff volumes rather than improving the overall water quality.     

Shape calibration of high strength metal sheets by electromagnetic forming

Electromagnetic (EM) forming is an emerging technique that is gaining acceptance for its complementary benefits to conventional metal forming techniques. In this work an innovative application of this impulse forming technique has been demonstrated: the EM shape calibration and correction of springback (sidewall curl) of DP600 and TRIP700 high strength steel (HSS) workpieces. This method has been applied as a second corrective step to previously deep drawn U-channels. The experimental results confirm the sidewall curl angle correction, achieving them with a 22 kJ discharge for DP600 samples and 24 kJ for TRIP700.On the other hand, an uncoupled multiphysical simulation strategy has been carried out in order to virtually validate the EM shape calibration method. The EM fields were simulated by Maxwell 3D and then the Pamstamp code was used to obtain the deformation process.     

Process modification in the scouring process of textile industry

The effects of scouring parameters on the scouring efficiency, including the weight ratio of de-sizing agent and fabric (5–80 g/g fabric), temperature of de-sizing agent tank (60–90 °C) and dipping time (2–8 s), were investigated. The results demonstrated that weight loss of sizing agent was significantly observed only in the de-sizing agent tank particularly in the first de-sizing tank and was found to a small extent in water tank. The optimum condition in the scouring machine was found at a de-sizing agent to fabric ratio of 20 g/g fabric, with a temperature of the first de-sizing agent tank of 80 °C, a temperature of the second de-sizing agent tank of 90 °C, and dipping time of fabric of 7 s. According to these conditions, more than 89% of the sizing agent was eliminated and only 3.52 mg/g fabric of sizing agent remained in the scoured fabric which was in an acceptable range for feeding to the down stream process known as dyeing process. Application of our results to actual textile plant has shown that there is a cost reduction due to improved utilization of rinse water, chemicals and energy in the process and consequent decreases in the generation of wastewater. Furthermore, the production capacity was increased from 30 m/min to 34.4 m/min.