Automobile Parts Research Articles

The effects of microplastics in oceans and marine environment on public health – a mini-review

Plastic’s versatility is one reason why production or use has not decreased over the years. The production of plastic globally was 359 million metric tons as of 2018, and this number increased by 3.5% in 2019. Microplastics, which are tiny particles of various types and forms of plastic, can be found in cosmetics, fabrics, car parts, machinery, footwear,products packaging, polythene bags and so on. Over time, these particles, through the process of wear and tear of these various plastic products, indiscriminate disposal, runoffs, and erosion, find their way into water bodies from rivers and streams into larger water bodies like seas and oceans. These tiny non-biodegradable particles find their way into living organisms carrying along with them other harmful chemical contaminants. This study reviews the effects that microplastics found in marine environments have on public health in general. It covers the types and sources of microplastics and the various ways in which microplastics have affected human health and different aquatic species in the marine environment. The review showed all pointers of microplastics present in the environment to have negative impacts on the ecosystem. Certain research gaps are pointed out, like the integration of researchinto policies to help improve the environment and the standardization of dedicated procedures and methods of reporting microplastic pollution. Suggestions were made for possible solutions like the reduction of plastic use for product packaging, provision of biodegradable and eco-friendly materials as substitutes, and general public awareness on the harm of microplastic pollution in the immediate environement.

Suppression of Springback for Longitudinally Curved Part by Imparting In-Plane Compression Stress in Press Forming

Dimensional accuracy defects caused by springback behavior are one of the serious problems in press forming for automobile parts using ultrahigh-strength steel sheets. In particular, in hat-shaped parts curved in the longitudinal direction, camber back, which is a kind of springback behavior, occurs. In this study, in order to suppress camber back, a new press-forming method that can impart in-plane compression stress was investigated using parts with a simple hat-shaped section and a W-shaped section simulating automotive parts. As a result, it was found that the amount of camber back decreases on applying compression stress in the longitudinal direction, because the bending moment caused by the difference between stress in the punch bottom area and that in the flange area was reduced. It was also clarified that the sensitivity of the amount of camber back to tensile strength was lowered when this forming method was used. Furthermore, a forming method in which buckling in both ends under a high compression condition can be prevented was developed.

Properties and experience of using 18KhGR steel for car toothed parts

The mechanical properties, chemical composition, hardenability and resistance to grain growth during heating of steel 18HGR were studied. The steel smelted at the Oskol electrometallurgical plant is characterized by narrow limits on the content of both individual chemical elements and the sum of manganese, chromium, nickel and molybdenum. The stability of boron steel in hardenability and its high strength, ductility and impact hardness are shown. When heated to 1000 °C, the steel retains a fi ne-grained structure. The technology of isothermal annealing of forgings for the formation of a favorable steel structure has been developed and substantiated, for subsequent mechanical and hardening processing. It is emphasized that it is necessary to austenitizing forgings at 940-950 °C, uniform and accelerated cooling-down to 680 ± 20 °C, and isothermal holding with a step-down in temperature according to the scheme 680–660–640–600 °C. The relationship between the durability of case-hardened toothed parts and the microhardness of individual structural components of steel in the core of the product is revealed. A resource-saving technology for thermochemical treatment of alloyed low-carbon steels of various composition is proposed. New criteria are recommended for predicting the stability of the properties of steel by its equivalent carbon content and the resistance of parts in operation by the microhardness of the structural components and the difference in values between them in the core of the product.

Ameliorating properties of castor oil based polyurethane hybrid nanocomposites via synergistic addition of graphene and cellulose nanofibers

Castor oil based polyurethanes were reinforced with cellulose nanofibers derived from hemp and graphene nanosheets to yield hybrid nanocomposites using ultrasonication coupled with high shear homogenization. Morphology of nanocomposites assessed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) elucidated 3D network of CNFs and GNS in polyurethane matrix. The paramount properties were obtained with equal amounts of CNFs and GNS attributed to higher degree of crystallinity. Thermal stability was evaluated using Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), which exhibited a substantial increase in peak degradation temperature by 24 °C and glass transition temperature by 36 °C, with mere addition of 1% CNFs and GNS each. The mechanical properties improved by more than 400% attributed to the presence of interconnecting network of GNS and CNFs, initiating enhanced interactions amongst polymer and nanofillers, established by X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Strong intermolecular bonding between the fillers and the polymer matrix reduced the phase separation, facilitating migration of soft segments to the surface increasing the water contact angle by 32°. The decrease in surface energy and work of adhesion contributed to hydrophobicity of nanocomposites. The improved properties of hybrid nanocomposites ascertain their potential applications in protective coatings and automobile parts..

IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE PROPERTIES OF AUTOMOTIVE PARTS BY FORMING WEAR-RESISTANT COATINGS

The work is devoted to solving the scientific and technical problem of ensuring the tribotechnical properties of car parts through the use of wearresistant coatings. The synthesis of the main types of wear of car parts and ways to improve their tribotechnical properties was carried out, which allowed to substantiate the feasibility of using wear-resistant coatings to restore and strengthen them.An urgent problem is the reasonable search and development of highly efficient, easy-to-use technologies for the restoration of parts to improve the performance of cars. Solving this problem requires the introduction into practice of strengthening and restoring car parts wear-resistant coatings. Summarizing the results of research on the main types of wear of car parts allowed us to conclude that they work in conditions where operating loads (pressure, temperature, environmental action, etc.) perceive mainly their surface layers, and therefore it is enough to restore not all parts but only worn surfaces by applying wear-resistant coatings.It has been proven that to improve the performance of car parts, it is important to choose the right simple and affordable ways to apply coatings that will increase their service life. It is substantiated that among the methods of applying wear-resistant coatings are the most common, cheapest and simplest methods of gas-thermal spraying, namely gas-flame spraying and electric arc spraying. Restoration and strengthening of car parts by applying wear-resistant coatings has solved the problem of providing their resource, which is not inferior to the resource of new parts.

Optimizing Friction Stir Welding of Dissimilar Grades of Aluminum Alloy Using WASPAS.

Aluminum is a widely popular material due to its low cost, low weight, good formability and capability to be machined easily. When a non-metal such as ceramic is added to aluminum alloy, it forms a composite. Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) are emerging as alternatives to conventional metals due to their ability to withstand heavy load, excellent resistance to corrosion and wear, and comparatively high hardness and toughness. Aluminum Matrix Composites (AMCs), the most popular category in MMCs, have innumerable applications in various fields such as scientific research, structural, automobile, marine, aerospace, domestic and construction. Their attractive properties such as high strength-to-weight ratio, high hardness, high impact strength and superior tribological behavior enable them to be used in automobile components, aviation structures and parts of ships. Thus, in this research work an attempt has been made to fabricate Aluminum Alloys and Aluminum Matrix Composites (AMCs) using the popular synthesis technique called stir casting and join them by friction stir welding (FSW). Dissimilar grades of aluminum alloy, i.e., Al 6061 and Al 1100, are used for the experimental work. Alumina and Silicon Carbide are used as reinforcement with the aluminum matrix. Mechanical and corrosion properties are experimentally evaluated. The FSW process is analyzed by experimentally comparing the welded alloys and welded composites. Finally, the best suitable FSW combination is selected with the help of a Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM)-based numerical optimization technique called Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS).

Research on High-Quality Development of Auto Parts Manufacturing Industry Based on Machine Learning Model

At present, in China’s automobile manufacturing industry, the main problem is the manufacturing of parts and on-board equipment. Most domestic industries still adopt the step-by-step production of parts, and each manufacturer customizes the required parts according to the scale and production needs of its own enterprise. This situation is easy to cause unstable quality of parts and serious unqualified quality inspection problems. Based on the above situation, we study the high-quality development, parts quality optimization, and remanufacturing of auto parts manufacturing industry with the support of machine learning model. Firstly, based on the analysis of auto parts procurement and production mode, this paper briefly describes the basic problems in the manufacturing process of auto parts in China. Machine learning technology is used to count the changes of quality data in manufacturing, and the quality standard is reflected in the learning model. The machine learning algorithm is used to diagnose and analyze the faults of auto parts and equipment, so as to turn high-quality production to high-quality production. The projection feature extraction algorithm is used to quantitatively analyze the low quality state of automobile parts. Finally, 3D printing technology is used to solve the quality manufacturing problem of parts with high-precision requirements, and the later materials are processed again to achieve the purpose of remanufacturing planning. The results show that the transformation of auto parts manufacturing to high quality can improve the economic development of the auto industry and meet the needs of modern society. The data analysis of parts controlled by machine learning model can help the precision manufacturing of automobile parts.

Evaluating the sustainability of car mat manufacturing

In recent years, the automotive industry has become increasingly concerned about environmental sustainability. Scant information is available on the environmental impacts of car parts. Therefore, this paper aims to assess the life cycle environmental impacts of one of the most important car interior accessories - rubber car mats - and to identify potential improvements. Sensitivity analysis was performed on alternative raw materials and energy sources used in the production of the rubber mat, as well as different raw material supply transport distances. Rubber and carpet mats for a car have also been compared in terms of environmental sustainability. The inventory is primarily based on primary data, and the evaluation considers a broad variety of environmental impact categories to both human and ecosystem health. The results reveal that the global warming potential of a set of rubber car mats is estimated at 5.9 kg CO2-eq. The car mat manufacturing is the main contributor to the majority of impact categories (47%–83%) due to the high energy consumption caused by the long mixing time and hot-pressing process. The only exception to this is the depletion of abiotic resources and the ozone layer, which are primarily caused by the production process. The impacts are highly sensitive to the electricity source and types of rubber. The use of carpet mats instead of rubber mats in motor vehicles increased environmental impacts (26%–92% higher) in all categories. The findings of this study will help the automotive industry benchmark the industry and maximize its environmental sustainability. Consumers will be interested in the findings as well, as they will help them identify environmentally more sustainable car parts.

Potential of Using Amazon Natural Fibers to Reinforce Cementitious Composites: A Review.

The engineering application of natural lignocellulosic fibers (NLFs) has been intensifying all over the world due to their low cost and abundance, as well as their being eco-friendly and presenting favorable technological properties in polymeric and cementitious composites. Brazil, especially the Amazon region, owing to its climate and geographic position, has an abundant variety of NLFs that are still unexplored with great potential for use in various composite materials and applications such as civil construction, automobile parts and armor. Therefore, this review aims to establish a parallel between the technological properties of cementitious composites reinforced with Amazon NLFs, both in fresh and hardened states, and to analyze, compare results and contribute to a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the types of reinforcements. A relevant contribution of this review is the possibility of improving knowledge about Amazon NLFs, showing their potential for application in eco-friendly materials, in addition to contributing to studies with new NLFs not yet applied in composite. For this, it was necessary to carry out a literature survey on the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of cementitious composites reinforced with NLFs, in addition to analyzing case studies involving fibers such as curaua, açai, bamboo, jute and sisal. It can be concluded that the physical and chemical characteristics of the Amazon NLFs directly influence the technological properties of cementitious compounds, such as mechanical strength and water absorption. However, there might be a need for surface treatment aimed at improving adhesion and durability of the cementitious composite. Finally, some suggestions for future research work are highlighted in order to show the need to continue investigations on the application of Amazon NLFs in cementitious composites.

Heat and let dye: Fixing blood-contaminated fingermarks using heat.

Blood-contaminated fingermarks are significant evidence for forensic investigators in high-profile cases providing a direct link between the suspect and the crime. Although these marks are often visible, blood enhancement techniques are operationally used to recover maximal ridge detail. The standard protein dye-staining procedure includes a chemical blood-fixing step, which requires an initial, prolonged drying period, for natural coagulation to occur. However, in special cases, when it is crucial to detect forensic traces quickly, there is a need to speed up the enhancement process. This study explored, both theoretically and empirically, the use of heat as an alternative method to the standard chemical fixing. Three consecutive experiments were conducted in which blood-contaminated fingerprints were deposited on different types of surfaces (car parts, glass, and flooring tiles), and heated for different periods, prior to development by amido black solution. The results showed that heat was successful in fixing blood, while the required temperature and heating durations, were inversely proportional. This observation was in correlation with theoretical heat-transfer data, calculated by the Lumped Heat Capacity model, also demonstrating the impact of the thermal time constant of each surface, on the conditions required for the full fixing of blood. The experimental findings led to a design of a portable, and tailor-made heating device, examined for the use in crime scenes, allowing to shorten the necessary fixing process from hours to minutes. For future crime-scene work, this novel approach may be utilized for a rapid blood-fixing, especially in cases when the scene cannot be preserved.

Social interdependencies as facilitators of cooperative learning in new product development: The moderating effect of technological novelty

As automobile manufacturing firms often outsource third-party designers to produce key innovative components, the suppliers of these third-party designers must be capable of collaborative innovation through cooperative learning in today's changing technology and customers’ demands. However, research has rarely investigated how suppliers’ relationships - specifically, the mutual dependence among suppliers - can be leveraged to enhance cooperative learning and thus the final product quality. This research draws on social interdependence theory to examine the associations between two main types of interdependence (task and resources) and cooperative learning under different levels of technology novelty conditions. Based on data collected from automobile parts suppliers in China, the results indicate that resource and task interdependence were positively associated with cooperative learning. However, high task interdependence is unfavorable under high technological novelty; whereas, resource interdependence is a key driver of inter-organizational learning under higher levels of technological novelty. The results of this study have significant theoretical and implications for researchers and designers to nurture suppliers’ cooperative learning capabilities under diverse technology novelty conditions.

A Study on the Status of Automobile Parts Distribution for the Revitalization of Alternative Parts Market in Korea

A Study on the Status of Automobile Parts Distribution for the Revitalization of Alternative Parts Market in Korea

An evolutionary structural optimization algorithm for the analysis of light automobile parts using a meshless technique

PurposeThe purpose of the present work is to develop the combination of the radial point interpolation method (RPIM) with a bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) algorithm and extend it to the analysis of benchmark examples and automotive industry applications.Design/methodology/approachA BESO algorithm capable of detecting variations in the stress level of the structure, and thus respond to those changes by reinforcing the solid material, is developed. A meshless method, the RPIM, is used to iteratively obtain the stress field. The obtained optimal topologies are then recreated and numerically analyzed to validate its proficiency.FindingsThe proposed algorithm is capable to achieve accurate benchmark material distributions. Implementation of the BESO algorithm combined with the RPIM allows developing innovative lightweight automotive structures with increased performance.Research limitations/implicationsComputational cost of the topology optimization analysis is constrained by the nodal density discretizing the problem domain. Topology optimization solutions are usually complex, whereby they must be fabricated by additive manufacturing techniques and experimentally validated.Practical implicationsIn automotive industry, fuel consumption, carbon emissions and vehicle performance is influenced by structure weight. Therefore, implementation of accurate topology optimization algorithms to design lightweight (cost-efficient) components will be an asset in industry.Originality/valueMeshless methods applications in topology optimization are not as widespread as the finite element method (FEM). Therefore, this work enhances the state-of-the-art of meshless methods and demonstrates the suitability of the RPIM to solve topology optimization problems. Innovative lightweight automotive structures are developed using the proposed methodology.

Evaluation of automobile parts design scheme for intelligent manufacturing

Aiming at the selection of modern auto parts design schemes, an evaluation method of automobile parts design scheme for intelligent manufacturing is proposed. Considered the environment-friendly factors and traditional manufacturing factors, the evaluation index system of automobile parts design scheme was established, which taken technology, environment, economy and quality reliability as the first level evaluation index, and 12 second level indexes under the first level index. The game theory method was used to comprehensively consider the proportion of subjective and objective weights to determine the composite weight of each index. Aimed at the certainty and uncertainty of the evaluation index, the set pair analysis relative closeness method was used to calculate the composite weight and established the model. Three sets of automobile panel design schemes of a company were selected, and the mathematical model was used to calculate them. With the help of C language program, the advantages and disadvantages of the three design schemes were evaluated, and the optimal scheme was obtained. The calculation example proves that the method is true and effective, conforms to the background of modern intelligent manufacturing, and the calculation is simple, and has good feasibility and practicability.

Rule and optimization-based selection of car body parts for the application of tailor rolled blank technology

The majority of parts in modern car bodies is manufactured from sheet metal. Rarely these parts are fully stressed due to design space restrictions and complex requirements. The usage of tailor rolled blanks (TRB) enables the reduction of sheet thickness in areas less loaded and thus reduces part weight. Technically most sheet metal parts are potentially suited for the application of TRB. Economic circumstances like the additional flexible rolling process and technology-specific nesting constraints limit the application to a subset of parts. The search for the best candidate parts taking mass and cost into account is currently challenging. This article presents an optimization strategy for the selection of the parts in a vehicle structure that are best suited for the application of TRB. As a first step, a priori preferencing is performed to select parts based on engineering rules. Using a reduced number of candidate parts, high quality metamodels are trained to perform multiobjective optimizations of all possible combinations of remaining parts, revealing the most efficient part selection under consideration of mass and cost.

POD analysis of the wake behind a circular cylinder with splitter plate

Flow past a circular cylinder is a widely studied phenomenon which finds application in a wide array of real life scenarios, like flow past cables, poles, building protrusions, automobile parts etc. The present study aims at analysing the vortex shedding phenomenon occurring in the wake of a circular cylinder and observing the effect of a splitter plate, attached to the rear stagnation point, on this flow. Finite volume method has been utilized via commercial CFD software, ANSYS Fluent, to solve transient, laminar, incompressible, isothermal flow. The study has been carried out in the low Reynolds number regime with Re = 100, 125 and 150, where the flow remains two-dimensional. The effect of splitter plate on the flow properties, such as coefficient of lift and drag, have been studied. Validation shows that the present numerical model is in good agreement with available literature. Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) technique has been employed on vorticity field in order to study the dominant modes and their corresponding enstrophies along with the time coefficients. It is found that the first six modes contribute more than 95% of the total enstrophy in all the cases studied.

Sisal fiber reinforced polyethylene terephthalate composites; Fabrication, characterization and possible application

The use of thermoplastics (TPs) for natural fiber composites is restricted to commodity ones like polypropylene and polyethylene However, using engineered TPs such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) will benefit from its technical and economic advantages. The research aims to characterize injection molded PET composites reinforced with sisal fibers treated differently. Polyethylene terephthalate composites containing 40 wt.% of untreated, alkaline-treated, and alkali/acetylation treated sisal fibers were prepared using compounding and injection molding processes and then characterized. It has been found that production of sisal-PET composites by compounding and injection molding has been shown to be possible. Thermal damage to sisal fiber was noticed during composite production. Based on the thermogravimetric analysis analysis, a net weight loss (excluding water loss) of 11.1%–14.0% was observed at the operating temperatures of the two processes. The addition of 40 wt.% of sisal to the PET matrix improved the tensile modulus by 137%. Further improvement by 179% was observed when alkali-treated sisal fiber was used. The combined alkali/acetylation treatment of sisal yields more enhancement by 233%. This is a significant advancement because modulus is the most influential parameter during the design and service of an engineering product. Generally, compared to the raw sisal composite (RSC) the interfacial, mechanical, thermal, and water absorption properties of the alkali treated sisal composite (Al-SC) and alkali/acetylated sisal composite (Al-ASC) specimens recorded an improvement. Relative to the natural fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites that were commercialized in the automotive industry, the produced sisal–PET composites resulted in a considerable improvement of 66.6%–190% in flexural strength and by 110.5%–410.0% in flexural modulus, depending on sisal fiber treatment and the composite to be compared. Thus, the studied composites can be recommended for various parts of automobiles.

РАЗРАБОТКА МАТЕМАТИЧЕСКОЙ МОДЕЛИ ПРОГНОЗИРОВАНИЯ ПОТРЕБНОСТИ В ЗАПАСНЫХ ЧАСТЯХ ПРИ УПРАВЛЕНИИ ДИЛЕРСКОЙ СЕТИ СТО

The article is devoted to the development of mathematical models for forecasting the needs for spare parts for cars by service stations or motor transport enterprises. Also, the conditions for con-ducting research are determined under which the level of demand for spare parts for AUDI brand cars, which is under the warranty period, is determined. The dependencies of the required volume of spare parts on the mileage, etc., imposed on the owner of the LATS during downtime for current repairs and the trend of changing the AUDI brand, are revealed.

Modeling of recovery systems for motor vehicles and road construction machines

The application of the typification of technological processes in the restoration of the most wearing parts of cars, vehicles and road-building machines is considered from the point of view of the application of optimization of the choice of the best quality parameters. A mathematical model for the restoration of a part is proposed using the solution of a multicriteria dynamic problem using the zoning method. The goal is to achieve maximum efficiency in structuring the technological process of restoring parts of cars, vehicles and road-building machines according to a number of reasonable criteria. Keywords: car, vehicle, road construction vehicle, restoration parts, mathematical model

Recent developments in TIG torch assisted coating on austenitic stainless steel: A critical review

This article describes about the TIG torch assisted coating on austenitic stainless steel for tribological applications. Austenitic stainless steel is very important material used in manufacturing of structural components and automobile parts. The austenitic stainless steel is very sensitive to wear failure due to its low hardness. Therefore by depositing coating material on the surface of the austenitic stainless steel the tribological and mechanical properties can be improved. The TIG torch assisted coating are widely used for coating operation on the austenitic stainless steel due to its attractive characteristics like good metallurgical bonding between coating material and substrate material, high deposition rate, production of thick coating, less equipment cost, easy handling, and less hazardous. The materials which are generally used for coating operation on austenitic stainless steel are hard transition metals, alloys, ceramics, metal matrix composite, nanomaterials, high entropy alloys, solid lubricants and special additives like rare earth oxide. The deposition of coated layer on surface of austenitic stainless steel increases its surface hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance and its service life. The important process parameters of TIG torch coating process are welding current, torch travel speed, stand of distance, argon flow rate, electrode diameter and voltage. The proper optimization of these parameters produces very good quality of coating with excellent mechanical and tribological properties. The characterization technique used for performance analysis of coating are x-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, hardness testing, friction and wear testing and corrosion testing methods, which are discussed in brief. Also, the problem arises in surface coating on austenitic stainless steel and future directions are described.