Part Of Machinery Research Articles

Mechanical performance and dimensional stability of Washingtonia/Kenaf fibres-based epoxy hybrid composites

In this study, Washingtonia fibres (AW) and Kenaf fibres (KF) were utilized as environmentally friendly fillers to improve the quality of the resin matrix. The mechanical, morphological, and physical properties of the WA/KF biocomposites were assessed throughout this research. The mechanical tests (tensile strength and moduli, elongation at break, flexural strength along with moduli, and the impact properties) were carried out. The hybrid biocomposites (3AW/7KF) exhibited the highest tensile strength (16.05 MPa) and modulus (4.6 GPa) among pure and other hybrid biocomposites. The impact strength and resistance of hybrid biocomposites (1AW/1KF and 7AW/3KF) showed the highest impact strength (1694 J/m2) while the 3AW/7KF hybrid biocomposite, the impact strength value was 1630 J/m2 (17.2 J/m). SEM images indicated good distribution and bonding of hybrid biocomposites. The investigation using morphological tests (Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)) displays the longitudinal roughness on the surface, which acts as a very significant function in the adhesion between the AW/KF fibres and the resin. Furthermore, the results of SEM confirm better bonding in the biocomposites, fibre fracture, pull-out, fibre shearing, and tearing in the pure and hybrid composites. From the water absorption test, it was observed that, when increasing the immersion time of biocomposites, the WA percentage of KF biocomposite significantly increased (37%) compared to other biocomposites. However, the hybrid and pure biocomposites exhibited more resistance to increase the WA percentage after increasing the immersion times, compared to other biocomposites. Furthermore, the thickness swelling (TS) of hybrid biocomposites increased compared to pure biocomposites. The biocomposite sample (3AW/7KF) was thicker on the 7th day exhibiting the greatest increases in thickness swelling (4.98%) while the hybrid biocomposite exhibited greater WA value compared to other correspondence samples. Finally, the KF and AW hybrid blends can be appropriate for several applications, for example, textiles, machinery part production industries, medicine, and automobiles, and construction, specifically buildings, bridges, and structures such as boat hulls, swimming pool panels, racing car bodies, shower stalls, bathtubs, storage tanks. Overall, the findings exhibit that the hybridisation of natural fibres (KF/AW) is a sustainable approach for obtaining biocomposites with advanced mechanical and thermal performance. Hence, they could be used in numerous specific applications, including automobile panels, structural products, sporting goods and furniture tools.

The impact of heat treatment process on the drilling characteristics of Al–5Si–1Cu–Mg alloy produced by sand casting

Aluminum–Silicon (Al–Si) based materials are commonly preferred in engineering studies requiring high mechanical performance as an alternative to steel materials. These alloys are especially preferred in the automotive industry, aerospace components and heavy machinery parts. In post-casting processes, machining operations are of great importance for high geometric precision, surface quality and longer fatigue life in mechanical environments. In this research, the microstructural, mechanical and machining characteristics of the Al–5Si–1Cu–Mg material produced by sand casting method in both as-cast (AC) and heat-treated (HTed) (Solid solution, quenching and aging-SQA) states were experimentally investigated. Microstructural examinations were carried out with optical microscope and SEM images. Mechanical properties were determined by tensile and hardness tests. Then, drilling experiments were performed in the CNC vertical machining center with 8 mm diameter uncoated HSS (High Speed Steel) cutting tools at constant cutting conditions (i.e., cutting speed-V: 125 m/min, feed rate-f: 0.05 mm/rev and depth of cut-DoC: 15 mm). In microstructural investigations, it was determined that the microstructure of the Al–5Si–1Cu–Mg material in AC state consists of α-Al, eutectic Si, β-Fe (β-Al5FeSi) and π-Fe (π-Al8Mg3FeSi6) intermetallics. After the SQA, the existing phases generally exhibited a spherical structure, and it was seen that the β phase in the microstructure transformed into the Ɵ (Al7FeCu2) phase. SQA improved the hardness, yield and tensile durability of the material, whereas decreasing the elongation to fracture. SQA process improved the machining characteristics of the material by decreasing thrust force, moment, surface roughness and built-up edge (BUE) formation. The machined subsurface structure of HTed alloy under constant cutting conditions was determined to be more stable and smooth and the machined surface microhardness of HTed alloy was higher compared to as-cast alloy due to the effect of solid precipitation hardening. In addition, shorter and more broken chips occurred in the machining of HTed alloys due to the effect of low elongation to fracture.

The Role of STING-Mediated Activation of Dendritic Cells in Cancer Immunotherapy.

The signaling pathway that comprises cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP or GMP-AMP) synthase (cGAS) and Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) is emerging as a druggable target for immunotherapy, with tumor-resident dendritic cells (DC) playing a critical role in mediating its effects. The STING receptor is part of the DNA-sensing cellular machinery, that can trigger the secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators, priming effector T cells and initiating specific antitumor responses. Yet, recent studies have highlighted the dual role of STING activation in the context of cancer: STING can either promote antitumor responses or enhance tumor progression. This dichotomy often depends on the cell type in which cGAS-STING signaling is induced and the activation mode, namely acute versus chronic. Of note, STING activation at the DC level appears to be particularly important for tumor eradication. This review outlines the contribution of the different conventional and plasmacytoid DC subsets and describes the mechanisms underlying STING-mediated activation of DCs in cancer. We further highlight how the STING pathway plays an intricate role in modulating the function of DCs embedded in tumor tissue. Additionally, we discuss the strategies being employed to harness STING activation for cancer treatment, such as the development of synthetic agonists and nano-based delivery systems, spotlighting the current techniques used to prompt STING engagement specifically in DCs.

STING Orchestrates EV-D68 Replication and Immunometabolism within Viral-Induced Replication Organelles.

Some respiratory viruses, such as Human Rhinovirus, SARS-CoV-2, and Enterovirus D-68 (EV-D68), share the feature of hijacking host lipids in order to generate specialised replication organelles (ROs) with unique lipid compositions to enable viral replication. We have recently uncovered a novel non-canonical function of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway, as a critical factor in the formation of ROs in response to HRV infection. The STING pathway is the main DNA virus sensing system of the innate immune system controlling the type I IFN machinery. Although it is well-characterised as part of the DNA sensor machinery, the STING function in RNA viral infections is largely unexplored. In the current study, we investigated whether other RO-forming RNA viruses, such as EV-D68 and SARS-CoV-2, can also utilise STING for their replication. Using genetic and pharmacological inhibition, we demonstrate that STING is hijacked by these viruses and is utilised as part of the viral replication machinery. STING also co-localises with glycolytic enzymes needed to fuel the energy for replication. The inhibition of STING leads to the modulation of glucose metabolism in EV-D68-infected cells, suggesting that it might also manipulate immunometabolism. Therefore, for RO-generating RNA viruses, STING seems to have non-canonical functions in membrane lipid re-modelling, and the formation of replication vesicles, as well as immunometabolism.

Hydrophilicity modification of polyphenylene sulfide: A comparative study on the introduction of Zr by physical blending and copolymerization

Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) is widely used in auto components, machinery parts, electrical accessories, and anti-corrosion coatings, but its hydrophobicity restricts its application in biomaterials, medical equipment, battery separators, and oil pollution separation membranes. To improve the hydrophilicity of PPS, zirconium oxynitrate reacted with 3,5-dichlorosalicylic acid (SA) to generate zirconium-carboxylate (ZrSA). ZrSA was then incorporated into the main chain of PPS through copolymerization to yield hydrophilic copolymers (ZrSA-PPS). Meanwhile, SA was copolymerized into the main chain of the PPS to produce SA-PPS. Next, SA-PPS and ZrO2 were physically blended to obtain hydrophilic composites (ZrO2/SA-PPS). The melting point of ZrSA-PPS ranged from 278.19 to 281.16 °C, which was slightly higher than that of ZrO2/SA-PPS (278.39–279.95 °C), but its crystallinity (34.3–41.2 %) was lower than that of ZrO2/SA-PPS (42.2–51.6 %). The maximum decomposition temperatures of ZrSA-PPS and ZrO2/SA-PPS were increased by about 10 °C, indicating that the Zr–O bonds obstruct the thermally induced movements of the molecular chain. The ZrSA-PPS possessed a tensile strength of 40.8–70.5 MPa and a flexural strength of 46.4–103.4 MPa. The tensile and flexural strengths of ZrO2/SA-PPS (14.6–65.1 Mpa and 23.1–100.3 Mpa) were significantly inferior to that of ZrSA-PPS. This revealed that the ZrSA cross-linked structure can prevent crack propagation. The water contact angle of ZrSA-PPS and ZrO2/SA-PPS were ranged from 59.0° to 76.5° and 61.6°–78.5° (Neat-PPS, ∼87.9°), respectively. The agglomeration of ZrO2 resulted in a slightly higher water contact angle for ZrO2/SA-PPS than for ZrSA-PPS. The enhanced hydrophilicity of ZrSA-PPS benefited from the formation of large chain spacing, strong polar groups, and hydrogen bonds. Our study may shed light on the hydrophilic modification of PPS, which should offer a valuable guide and option for PPS in hydrophilic applications.

EbsA is essential for both motility and biofilm formation in the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.

Many cyanobacteria, both unicellular and filamentous, exhibit surface motility driven by type IV pili (T4P). While the component parts of the T4P machinery described in other prokaryotes are largely conserved in cyanobacteria, there are also several T4P proteins that appear to be unique to this phylum. One recently discovered component is EbsA, which has been characterized in two unicellular cyanobacteria. EbsA was found to form a complex with other T4P proteins and is essential for motility. Additionally, deletion of ebsA in one of these strains promoted the formation of biofilms. To expand the understanding of ebsA in cyanobacteria, its role in motility and biofilm formation were investigated in the model filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme. Expression of ebsA was strictly limited to hormogonia, the motile filaments of N. punctiforme. Deletion of ebsA did not affect hormogonium development but resulted in the loss of motility and the failure to accumulate surface pili or produce hormogonium polysaccharide (HPS), consistent with pervious observations in unicellular cyanobacteria. Protein-protein interaction studies indicated that EbsA directly interacts with PilB, and the localization of EbsA-GFP resembled that previously shown for both PilB and Hfq. Collectively, these results support the hypothesis that EbsA forms a complex along with PilB and Hfq that is essential for T4P extension. In contrast, rather than enhancing biofilm formation, deletion of both ebsA and pilB abolish biofilm formation in N. punctiforme, implying that distinct modalities for the relationship between motility, T4P function and biofilm formation may exist in different cyanobacteria.

MODEL OF SPARE PARTS INVENTORY MANAGEMENT IN THE SUPPLY SYSTEM: THE CASE OF THE ‘OLL TRAK PARTS’ COMPANY

The article identifies the relevance of the problem of optimisation of material reserves of a company and their effective management, as the state of existing reserves has a decisive impact on the competitiveness of the company, its financial condition, and the corresponding performance results. It allows the formulation of the research objective in this development. It is a given that inventory management technology is an integral part of the management system of any manufacturing and trading company. The efficiency of these companies depends on such critical criteria as the number of costs incurred for inventory management. Traditional indicators, such as inventory volume, resource turnover, and continuity of supply, cannot be used in isolation to accurately measure the extent to which an inventory management system is improving since they are part of the overall cost criterion. The article examines scientific developments of theoretical foundations for implementing rational solutions in the supply chain, where the authors use modern research methods and approaches. After analysing these studies, we identify the main problematic issues: determining a rational way of servicing orders by the core production warehouse systems, organising an efficient product supply form, and developing rational inventory management technologies throughout the entire product supply chain. We create a structural model of interaction between the warehouse system of the ‘OLL TRAK PARTS’ company and suppliers and customers, formed with the participation of certain parties in all relevant operations. The structure of stocks accounts for the customer’s needs in a multi-nomenclature offer of spare parts for trucks, cars, and agricultural machinery supplied by ‘OLL TRAK PARTS’. The authors build a mathematical model of spare parts inventory management under limited demand conditions, which considers the following parameters of influence: the period for ordering spare parts, the cost of supplying ordered spare parts, and the cost of storing one unit of spare parts inventory. To achieve maximum measurement accuracy with a minimum number of trials and to maintain the statistical reliability of the results, we develop a full-factor experiment plan for three input parameters with three levels of values, consisting of 27 series of trials. The experiment allowed us to model the change in minimum costs with different order volumes of spare parts. Based on the results of the regression analysis of the obtained values of the estimated indicator, we determined the type of regression model – a linear form with a non-zero coefficient. Keywords: model, warehouse, system, logistics, interaction.

Abstract MP32: Megalin and lysosomal disruption in the kidney epithelial cells of high salt diet fed rats: protective role of angiotensin II type 2 receptor

Earlier we have reported that 2-days high salt diet (HSD) feeding caused proteinuria in obese rats and the AT 2 R agonist treatment prevented proteinuria. Since HSD feeding for 2 days and the AT 2 R activation did not affect blood pressure, GFR, glomerular structure, and inflammation, the mechanism responsible for proteinuria remains unknown. Megalin is a proximal tubule epithelial cells endocytic receptor responsible for filtered protein reabsorption. The absorbed proteins are directed to lysosomes for degradation. Lysosomes is a nutrient sensing subcellular compartment and a critical part of the endocytic machinery and cellular trafficking. We hypothesized that high salt intake caused lysosomal stress, which negatively impacted megalin-protein cellular trafficking and thus caused proteinuria. Therefore, we evaluated the markers of lysosomal stress and megalin expression in the proximal tubules of HSD fed obese Zucker rats. Urinary excretion of N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG), which is a marker of lysosomal injury and oxidative stress, was significantly increased in HSD fed rats compared with normal salt diet (NSD: 16.6 vs HSD: 40.5 RFU/hr/µg Cr). This increase was associated with an increase in another oxidative stress marker H 2 O 2 in the urine (NSD: 0.37 vs HSD: 1.72 ΔRFU/min). Confocal analysis revealed that megalin was localized in the lysosomes in HSD fed rats, as megalin was co-localized with the lysosomal marker LAMP-1 in the proximal tubules. Moreover, in HSD fed rats there was a remarkable increase (2-fold) in the lysosomal size (fig) and number per tubule (NSD: 18 vs HSD: 48). The AT 2 R agonist C21 (0.3 mg/Kg/day, i.p.) treatment of HSD-fed rats restored surface megalin expression, reduced urinary NAG and H 2 O 2 and the lysosomal number and size. Our in vitro studies performed in OK cells (proximal tubule epithelial cells) treated with high NaCl (100 mM) without/with the AT 2 R agonist C21 (1µM) also revealed that compared to NSD, high NaCl reduced megalin surface expression and C21 treatment prevented it. We conclude that high salt intake causes lysosomal stress. Particularly, large lysosomal size potentially is affecting endocytic machinery, including impairing megalin-protein dissociation and megalin recycling, thus causing proteinuria.

A fault diagnosis method for hydraulic system based on multi-branch neural networks

As a key part of construction machinery, the hydraulic system is widely used in industrial fields. Due to its complexity and high integration, the fault diagnosis of hydraulic systems has always been a challenging problem. However, existing methods or models mainly focus on individual hydraulic system components while overlooking the interactions between different components, which are limited to specific application scenarios. Therefore, this research aims to develop a multi-task network model to diagnose faults in multiple components of hydraulic systems. Firstly, the initial data was collected from the hydraulic system test bench, in which the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) was introduced to evaluate the importance of all features under different fault types. Then, reduction dimensionality is achieved by setting a threshold for feature selection. Subsequently, a novel multi-branch deep neural network (MBDNN), which utilizes multiple branches to extract different information and correlations in the input data, is proposed and established. The multi-level combination of residual block and multi-branch connections enables MBDNN to achieve multiple types of fault diagnosis simultaneously and compensate for the problem of insufficient information representation in single-branch neural networks. The results of multiple rounds of experimental indicate that the MBDNN has higher robustness and accuracy in hydraulic system fault diagnosis than the existing general methods, and the diagnostic accuracy of multi-type faults is improved to 98.5%.

Caspase-8 promotes scramblase-mediated phosphatidylserine exposure and fusion of osteoclast precursors

Efficient cellular fusion of mononuclear precursors is the prerequisite for the generation of fully functional multinucleated bone-resorbing osteoclasts. However, the exact molecular factors and mechanisms controlling osteoclast fusion remain incompletely understood. Here we identify RANKL-mediated activation of caspase-8 as early key event during osteoclast fusion. Single cell RNA sequencing-based analyses suggested that activation of parts of the apoptotic machinery accompanied the differentiation of osteoclast precursors into mature multinucleated osteoclasts. A subsequent characterization of osteoclast precursors confirmed that RANKL-mediated activation of caspase-8 promoted the non-apoptotic cleavage and activation of downstream effector caspases that translocated to the plasma membrane where they triggered activation of the phospholipid scramblase Xkr8. Xkr8-mediated exposure of phosphatidylserine, in turn, aided cellular fusion of osteoclast precursors and thereby allowed generation of functional multinucleated osteoclast syncytia and initiation of bone resorption. Pharmacological blockage or genetic deletion of caspase-8 accordingly interfered with fusion of osteoclasts and bone resorption resulting in increased bone mass in mice carrying a conditional deletion of caspase-8 in mononuclear osteoclast precursors. These data identify a novel pathway controlling osteoclast biology and bone turnover with the potential to serve as target for therapeutic intervention during diseases characterized by pathologic osteoclast-mediated bone loss.Proposed model of osteoclast fusion regulated by caspase-8 activation and PS exposure. RANK/RANK-L interaction. Activation of procaspase-8 into caspase-8. Caspase-8 activates caspase-3. Active capase-3 cleaves Xkr8. Local PS exposure is induced. Exposed PS is recognized by the fusion partner. FUSION. PS is re-internalized.

Підвищення тріщиностійкості чавунів з кулястим графітом та їх термічна обробка при виготовленні зносостійких виробів

Methods of achieving the maximum values of crack resistance of Spheroidal graphite cast irons (SGCI) due to the combination of strength of bainite with high plasticity of residual austenite (in the amount of 30-35%) are considered. The results of such studies are suitable for use, in particular, in the manufacture of teeth or crowns of buckets of excavators and other working bodies of mining, earthmoving or earth-moving machinery, as well as parts that function in extreme conditions. These data are comparable to the known results of work on increasing the wear resistance of SGCI for variable parts of agricultural machinery and transport. In addition to crack and wear resistance, the long-term performance and efficiency of the working organs depends on maintaining their pointed part or blade in a sharp condition. The creation of functional-gradient materials, which are characterized by the effect of self-sharpening during their operation and wear, is considered. This effect is proposed to be implemented through the use of gradient heat dissipation in the material of the sand mold, increasing these values by introducing a refrigerant near a specific surface of the casting to accelerate its cooling. For this, casting molds made of loose sand were used in the Lost Foam casting (LFC) process. The method of manufacturing metal working bodies is described on the example of casting by the LFC method of an excavator bucket tooth, it is proposed to obtain its gradient structure according to the regime of heat treatment of castings in a foundry mold due to intensive cooling of its given surface to increase its hardness. At the same time, such conditions were used for the construction and formation of the pattern cluster in the sand, which cause the cooling of the opposite surface to slow down with its lower hardness, which corresponds to the conditions of self-sharpening of the tooth under its operating conditions. Keywords: Spheroidal graphite cast iron, austempering, heat treatment, castings, austenite, Lost Foam casting, bainite.

Evolution of agricultural machinery parts restoration industry in Russia

The paper shows the effectiveness of agricultural machinery parts restoration by reducing metal and fuel consumption as well as labor costs. (Research purpose) The paper analyzes the evolution of the machine part restoration system during the agricultural industrialization process in Russia, and explores the role of industrial science in developing methodologies for machine repairing and part restoration. (Materials and methods) Publications on the history of the parts restoration industry were thoroughly reviewed. Special attention was given to the decrees issued by Soviet government bodies, including the targeted comprehensive program of the State Committee of Science and Technology, the USSR State Planning Committee, and the State Committee for Agricultural Technology. These programs were aimed at establishing and expanding the production base for the repair and restoration of agricultural machinery parts. (Results and discussion) In the early stages of agricultural industrialization, equipment repairs primarily involved the use of new spare parts, while worn parts were typically discarded for remelting. A significant advancement in parts restoration was the introduction of repair sizes for crankshafts and cylinder liners. Since 1975, the cost of maintaining equipment has surged sharply due to the prices of new spare parts. The paper also presents an analysis of the efforts by the All-Union Scientific and Production Association «Remdetal» to develop flow-mechanized lines and equipment for restoring agricultural machinery parts. (Conclusions) The paper illustrates the significant growth in parts restoration volumes, rising from 68 million rubles in 1965 to 539 million rubles in 1988, as well as metal savings that increased from 136 thousand tons to 1,110 thousand tons over the same period. Additionally it highlights the role of the USSR Academy of Sciences, leading scientific institutes, and machine-building enterprises in executing the targeted program to increase the restoration volumes of agricultural machinery parts and components.

УПРОЧНЕНИЕ РАБОЧИХ ОРГАНОВ СЕЛЬСКОХОЗЯЙСТВЕННЫХ МАШИН ВИБРОПЛАЗМЕННЫМ МЕТОДОМ

The task of increasing the service life of agricultural machinery by hardening the surfaces of its working parts has always been relevant. Currently, this problem is most successfully solved with the use of plasma technologies. In this paper, we present the results of some studies on the vibrating plasma treatment of the surface layer of samples made of steel 65G. (Research purpose) The research purpose is determining the possibilities of vibrating plasma methods for hardening the working parts of agricultural machinery and studying the physical and mechanical properties and structural changes in the surface layer of these products. (Materials and methods) Four samples of 65G steel were taken for research: the initial one; a sample with electric spark treatment; a sample with vibrating arc treatment with a single-rod electrode; a sample with vibrating arc treatment with a three-rod electrode. The morphology of the surface, the elemental composition of the samples and the microstructure of the coatings were studied using electron and metallographic microscopes. (Results and discussion) It has been shown that electric spark treatment in some modes increases the hardness of the surface of the material by more than four times. Vibrating arc treatment with a copper graphite electrode allows carburization of the surface layer of the material; the hardened layer has a hardness of more than three times the hardness of the base. (Conclusions) The results of the study are consistent with the results of studies by other authors on electric spark and vibrating arc discharges. The surface layer formed during the processing of the part with vibrating plasma is a new composite structure. Hardening of the base material along the depth of the part during electric spark processing occurs by 0.5-1.0 millimeters, during vibrating arc processing - up to 3-4 millimeters.

Structural basis of substrate recognition and allosteric activation of the proapoptotic mitochondrial HtrA2 protease

The mitochondrial serine protease HtrA2 is a human homolog of the Escherichia coli Deg-proteins exhibiting chaperone and proteolytic roles. HtrA2 is involved in both apoptotic regulation via its ability to degrade inhibitor-of-apoptosis proteins (IAPs), as well as in cellular maintenance as part of the cellular protein quality control machinery, by preventing the possible toxic accumulation of aggregated proteins. In this study, we use advanced solution NMR spectroscopy methods combined with biophysical characterization and biochemical assays to elucidate the crucial role of the substrate recognizing PDZ domain. This domain regulates the protease activity of HtrA2 by triggering an intricate allosteric network involving the regulatory loops of the protease domain. We further show that divalent metal ions can both positively and negatively modulate the activity of HtrA2, leading to a refined model of HtrA2 regulation within the apoptotic pathway.

Development of a-C:H coatings doped with trimethylsilyl acetate prepared using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

The main aim of the present study was to develop hard a-C:H:SiOx coatings prepared from the unique gaseous mixture of trimethylsilyl acetate (TMSAc) with methane using plasma of RF capacitively coupled glow discharge. Studied coatings were prepared using different methane ratios in TMSAc/CH4 gaseous mixtures ranging from 7.1 % to 85.7 %. Simultaneously, the influence of the power supplied to the discharge (25–100 W) on the properties of resulting coatings was investigated. The presented research work discusses in detail the evolution of chemical composition, mechanical characteristics, and optical properties of resulting coatings depending on variable CH4 ratio and discharge power. Within this study, various materials with the smooth surface structure were achieved. Applying low CH4 ratio and 25 W power led to the formation of soft SiOxCyHz coatings with high content of Si–O and –CH3 groups exhibiting hardness of approx. 0.95 GPa. Gradually increasing the CH4 ratio and discharge power up to the specified limit values (85 % and 100 W, respectively) induced structural changes, resulting in a-C:H:SiOx coatings with a remarkable hardness of 11 GPa and excellent fracture resistance. These attributes are of utmost importance in numerous industrial applications, including anticorrosive coatings, low-friction wear-resistant coatings to prolong the lifetime of car engines, biocompatible coatings, components for plastic molds, as well as parts for optical disc molds and textile machinery.

The Effects of Weaving Process on the Damage Formation of the E- Glass Yarn

The woven fabric production can be executed in the weaving machine by the using of different mechanisms, which are working simultaneously. Because of the weaving mechanisms, the yarn has under tension and changed between the determined range within the repetitive cycles. The mechanisms and unsteady tension cause to damage on the yarns in the woven fabric production process. The breakable fibers like carbon or glass are more sensitive to degrade in the weaving machine because of their low friction resistance in comparison with the traditional fibers. The several of studies had been carried out to determine the tension of yarns and their damage mechanisms in the weaving process. However, they focused on the damage evolutions of warp yarns in the weaving process. In addition to the warp yarns, the damage evolution of weft yarns was investigated for industrial production in this study. The prevalent weft tensioning systems were evaluated, and the spring yarn tensioning system shown the best performance. Moreover, the yarn- to- machinery part type of friction was determined as the main reason to degrade warp yarns in the industrial production of glass woven fabric.

Study of frictional wear and desorption of nanoparticle‐rubber blend modified UHMWPE composites

AbstractTo address the issues of abrasive wear, impact wear, and soil adhesion that can lead to wear failure and excessive operational resistance in agricultural soil touching parts during farming. This study focuses on UHMWPE composites, modified by filling Nano‐SiC as a hard phase filler and XNBR as an elastic filler. These fillers were dispersed into the UHMWPE matrix through melt blending technology to create a high‐performance composite material for the surface protective material of soil touching parts. The study discovered that by adding hard and elastic fillers to the UHMWPE matrix, the density, hardness, flexural modulus and thermal stability of the materials were all increased. Specifically, the density increased by 5.67% and the flexural modulus increased by 107%. In the block on ring wear test the volumetric wear rate decreased by 98%, while in the mortar wear test the mass wear rate decreased by 64.64%. Additionally, the contact angle on the surface of the specimen after mortar erosion and wear increased to 102.76°, 18% higher than that of pure UHMWPE. These results demonstrate that the modified fillers can improve the abrasion and plastic deformation resistance and hydrophobic desorption of UHMWPE. UHMWPE composite material, serving as the surface protection for soil touching parts, resolves the issues of abrasion of soil abrasive particles and excessive soil adhesion resistance on these parts. This significantly prolongs the service life of soil touching parts of agricultural machinery and improves the operational efficiency and economy.Highlights Research on nanoparticles and elastomer‐modified composite materials. Research has shown the enhancement of UHMWPE composite materials by Nano‐SiC. XNBR improves the plastic deformation resistance of UHMWPE composites. Effects of Nano‐SiC and XNBR on the desorption behavior of composite materials. UHMWPE composites reduce soil contact wear and soil adhesion.

Factory Asia Meets Factory North America: How Far Does Latin America Get Involved in Machinery Production Networks?

International production networks in machinery industry have formed three large clusters, each of which is in East Asia, North America, and Europe. This paper investigates the recent evolvement of the connection between Factory Asia and Factory North America with highlighting the role of Latin American countries as a mediator. For this purpose, we utilized trade matrices and gravity equations to measure each country’s level of commitment to each bilateral machinery trade after controlling the size of the economies, distance, and others. Our major findings are threefold: first, Mexico is the only Latin American country that plays a connecting role between two Factories. Second, in 2010–2019, the linkage of exports to Mexico from not only China but also other East Asian countries is strengthened particularly in machinery parts and components. Third, export linkage of China with Mexico is further intensified in 2019–2021 particularly in machinery parts and components due to the US-China confrontation, the USMCA, and other factors.

Research Progress on Key Mechanical Components of the Pneumatic Centralized Fertilizer Discharge System

The pneumatic centralized fertilizer discharge system is an important part of pneumatic fertilization machinery and mainly includes a fertilizer discharge device, an air–fertilizer mixing device and a pneumatic distribution device. In this paper, the mechanical structure, key parameters and research methods of pneumatic centralized discharge devices, air–fertilizer mixing devices and pneumatic distribution devices at home and abroad are briefly analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of these existing devices are summarized, the existing problems are discussed and improvement methods are put forward. In this paper, the structural adaptability, uniformity and stability of the fertilizer discharge of different types of fertilizer discharge devices, such as external groove wheel types, spiral types and centrifugal types, are comprehensively analyzed. The working principle of air–fertilizer mixing devices using the Venturi effect to achieve the uniform mixing of fertilizer and airflow is expounded. The effects of air–fertilizer mixing devices with different structural forms and parameters on mixing performance and the motion characteristics of air–solid two-phase flows are analyzed. The influence of the internal structure, key parameters and distribution mode of pneumatic distribution devices on the uniformity and accuracy of fertilizer distribution are analyzed. This paper focuses on how to improve the uniformity, stability and consistency of discharge across rows provided by the pneumatic centralized fertilizer discharge system. The research status and progress made regarding the core components of the pneumatic centralized fertilizer discharge system at home and abroad are summarized. Based on different research results, the key factors and methods for improving the uniformity of fertilizer discharge are discussed.

Role of the dynamin-related protein 2 family and SH3P2 in clathrin-mediated endocytosis in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is vital for the regulation of plant growth and development through controlling plasma membrane protein composition and cargo uptake. CME relies on the precise recruitment of regulators for vesicle maturation and release. Homologues of components of mammalian vesicle scission are strong candidates to be part of the scission machinery in plants, but the precise roles of these proteins in this process are not fully understood. Here, we characterised the roles of the plant dynamin-related protein 2 (DRP2) family (hereafter DRP2s) and SH3-domain containing protein 2 (SH3P2), the plant homologue to recruiters of dynamins, such as endophilin and amphiphysin, in CME by combining high-resolution imaging of endocytic events in vivo and characterisation of the purified proteins in vitro. Although DRP2s and SH3P2 arrive similarly late during CME and physically interact, genetic analysis of the sh3p123 triple mutant and complementation assays with non-SH3P2-interacting DRP2 variants suggest that SH3P2 does not directly recruit DRP2s to the site of endocytosis. These observations imply that, despite the presence of many well-conserved endocytic components, plants have acquired a distinct mechanism for CME.