Tool Material Selection Research Articles

Thermal and Frequency Response Analysis on Friction Stir Welding Tool with Different Materials by Using FEA Method

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining technique that joins two facing workpieces without melting the workpiece material. It makes use of a deceased item. The region surrounding the FSW tool softens due to heat produced by friction between the revolving tool and the workpiece material. We are now working on specialised applications (lap and butt welding) while concentrating on test sorts. In addition to being faster than the state of the art, both provide lap welds that are 190% of the plate thickness, improve weld honesty, and lessen upper plate decline. Friction stir welding, or FSW for short, is a popular solid state joining method for soft materials like aluminium alloys. For stronger alloys like steel and titanium alloys, the FSW process's economic sustainability hinges on the creation of long-lasting, moderately cost equipment that reliably yields welds with outstanding structural integrity. The performance of the tool, weld quality, and cost are all impacted by material design and choice. This research reviews and critically examines many key FSW tool components, including process economics, geometry and load bearing capacity, frequency response analysis, tool degradation mechanisms, and tool material selection. The Finite Element Method (FEM) approach is used to characterise the process and provide a more comprehensive knowledge of the thermal effects and thermal inaccuracies on the tool materials.

Experimental and statistical damage analysis in milling of S2‐glass fiber/epoxy and basalt fiber/epoxy composites

AbstractS2‐glass fiber reinforced plastics (S2‐GFRP) and basalt fiber reinforced plastics (BFRP) have emerged as crucial materials due to their exceptional mechanical properties, and milling of composite materials plays an important role in achieving desired properties. However, they have proven challenges due to relative inhomogeneity compared with metals, resulting unpredictability in quality of milling operations. The objective of this work is to investigate the effect of cutting parameters, tool geometry and tool surface materials on the surface quality of composites using burrs as a metric. S2‐GFRP and BFRP composites were produced by the vacuum infusion method. Helical and straight flute end mills were manufactured from high‐speed steel (HSS) and carbide rounds, and half of them were coated with titanium nitride using reactive magnetron sputtering technique. Taguchi L18 orthogonal array is used to determine the effect of tool material, tool angle, coating, cutting direction, spindle speed, and feed rate on the machining quality of S2‐GFRPs and BFRPs with respect to burr formations. Milling experiments were conducted under dry conditions and then the burrs were imaged to calculate the total area and length. Statistical analysis was also performed to optimize the machining parameters and tool type for ensuring the structural integrity and performance of the final composite parts. The results showed that the selection of tool material has the most significant impact on the burr area and length of the machined surface. The novel image analysis allows to analyze the extent of the burr size with a desirable operation speed for industrial applications.Highlights Aerospace grade S2‐Glass (S2‐GFRP) and basalt fiber reinforced plastics (BFRP) were manufactured. Carbide and HSS end mills were fabricated and coated with titanium nitride protective layer. FRPs were machined at various process parameters designed by Taguchi method. Distinctive image processing was firstly used to compute milling induced Burr area and length. Statistical analysis was performed to quantify the contribution of parameters and optimize milling.

Tool material selection methodology for aircraft elements design

The technology and technological equipment selection have to be substantiating for the modern materials for product the aircraft construction elements from polymer composition. The physical and technical characteristics of the material, ensuring the required accuracy of manufacturing equipment, as well as economic feasibility are the main criteria for choosing the material of technological equipment. The material equipment choosing is depends on the polymer composite construction technology manufacturing. The methodic of rigging materials selection for aircraft constriction elements production from polymer composition by vacuum infusion is considered in that paper. The results of a comparative analysis of typical materials equipment used in production are presented are considered in that paper. It is shown that the main criteria for a comparative analysis are: temperature, resistance to solvents, resistance to mechanical stress; maintainability; the value of the coefficient of linear thermal expansion; the stability of the geometry of the equipment and its tightness. It was showing that the metals and carbon fiber composite are the most appropriate for equipment manufacture that used in high temperature processes manufacturing composite components. The materials equipment algorithm choosing for polymer composite components manufacturing is considered in that paper. It is noted that the same material have to be choosing for equipment manufacturing as the carbon fiber or fiberglass polymer composite component. This allows to ensure the same CLTE, which is important in hot forming of the composite component, and to eliminate warping of the composite component during its cooling on the equipment. However, the equipment gelcoat processing has to be taking into account for specified accuracy achievement. The quantitative assessment of the economic feasibility of material equipment choosing is considered in that paper. It is shown that only a combination of technical, technological and economic factors makes it possible to substantiate the expediency of the rigging material used for the specific production of aircraft construction elements.

NEW WOOD DUST REINFORCED RECYCLED POLYPROPYLENE COMPOSITE FILAMENT AND TRADITIONAL POLYPROPYLENE FILAMENT FOR FDM APPLICATIONS: LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT STUDY

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an effective method for determining the environmental impact of a composite material over its lifetime. Consequently, it is important to the composites sector, particularly for Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) filament manufacturers as a material selection tool when determining the usability of recycled material utilised in component design phases. This article investigates the LCA framework of utilising wood dust as reinforced material and recycled polypropylene material in the production of composite filament for the FDM sector. Eco Audit, a feature of the CES Edupack programme, was utilised to evaluate the LCA from an environmental standpoint for product makers. Using recycled polypropylene containing an increasing weight percentage of wood dust to produce new types of composite filament materials reduces energy consumption (MJ) and lowers the carbon footprint (kg). This is because the quantity of energy required for recycling is far less than that required for initial manufacture. When compared to the new polypropylene material that is used to create filament, this study reveals a 56% and 37% reduction in energy consumption and CO2 emissions, respectively. This is a considerable improvement from an environmental point of view.

Development of a prior model to predict the cracking performance of asphalt mixture in general for asphalt material selection and mix design

ABSTRACT The main objective of this proposed study is to explore the correlations between the performance parameters measured from the state-of-practice mixture laboratory cracking tests and develop a prior model to predict the mixture cracking performance using the identified significant mix design variables for asphalt material selection and mix design stages. Total 20 plant-produced asphalt mixtures with varying design information were evaluated and the disparate mixture cracking performance tests were performed on these mixtures to characterise their performance. The analysis results indicate that the Flexibility Index (FI) parameter shows the overall good correlations with other cracking indices and thus is selected as the index to modelling mixture cracking performance in general. The stepwise regression model was employed to identify the significant mix design variables which were then used for the development of the prediction models to predict the mixture cracking performance in the form of FI parameter. The developed models can be used as a prior tool for material selection and mix design procedure, eliminating the time and effort for sample preparations and running the tests.

Perspective role of phase change materials for energy efficiency in Algeria

Various measures have been considered in Algeria to improve energy efficiency but other effective ways are promising such as integration of phase change materials. The potential of these smart materials is reviewed for energy efficiency improvement in various systems including energy storage, refrigeration, and air conditioning, building envelope as well as cooling of photovoltaic systems. The literature review shows the high potential of this new class of materials. The survey indicates up to 12% energy savings due to integration of these new materials in refrigeration, 17.82% for air conditioning systems, and 10% for photovoltaics. The highest impact was achieved for the building envelope where energy savings of 34.8% were reported. On the other hand, limitations, challenges, and future concerns are revealed and highlighted for both researchers and policy-makers. New eco-friendly materials should be searched and adapted to the Algerian climate zones. Artificial intelligence can be a handy tool for material selection and optimization of thermal performance. Investment should be implemented together with adequate policy and awareness. Finally, the Algerian building regulations should be updated to include this new class of materials in buildings.

Effect of milling parameters on machinability of SA508-3 steel in high-speed milling with uncoated and coated carbide tools

SA508-3 steel is popularly used to produce core unit of nuclear power reactors due to its outstanding ability of anti-neutron irradiation and good fracture toughness. Additive forging is a new technology for manufacturing SA508-3 steel forgings. However, the production efficiency and interface bonding quality of heavy forgings are respectively limited by the processing efficiency and surface quality of substrates in the additive forging process. High-speed milling technology is an effective method for improving machining efficiency and quality. Unfortunately, only a few studies on the milling of SA508-3 steel have been reported. In this study, we studied high-speed milling of SA508-3 steel and compared the cutting performances of uncoated, titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN)-coated, and Al2O3-coated carbide tools. The tool life and cutting force were evaluated using various milling parameters under dry milling conditions. The wear modes and mechanisms were also investigated. The results show that adhesive wear occurs more frequently in the uncoated carbide tool, whereas coating flaking is predominant in the Al2O3- and TiAlN-coated carbide tools. Furthermore, the Al2O3-coated carbide tool showed better cutting performance than the TiAlN-coated and uncoated carbide tools considering the tool life and surface quality. The tool life of the Al2O3-coated carbide tool reached 200 min and the removed workpiece material was 182 × 103 mm3 under the blunt tool criteria. The study of tool life and wear behavior based on the practical cutting experiments contribute to the improvement of the milling quality and provides a theoretical basis for tool material selection and process optimization in milling SA508-3 steel.

Strategic selection tool for thermoplastic materials in a renewable circular economy: Identifying future circular polymers

To progress towards a renewable circular economy for thermoplastic materials it is imperative to decouple from fossil feedstocks, to maximise looping strategies and to manufacture occasionally littered articles from readily biodegradable materials. This transition is complex due to the combination of stringent technical specifications that are required for ordinary plastic products and the demands that all end-of-life scenarios foist on these products. The presented strategic material selection tool for fast moving consumer goods in a renewable circular economy prioritises their suitability for the expected end-of-life fates and the contrived technical performance. This framework is tested for 17 common consumer articles and 21 biobased plastics. The strategic selection tool shows that consumer articles that are made from foamed and fibrous plastics, such as matrasses and textiles, can potentially be produced from biobased alternatives, such as biobased poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT). On the other hand, the tool also reveals that there are currently no adequate alternatives in barrier (food) packages and in elastomeric products such as tyres, soles of footwear and gloves. Biobased PET is a good polymer for beverage bottles provided that the leakage to the natural environment is minimised with an effective collection, reuse and recycling system. Although there are no viable single-biobased-polymeric alternatives for flexible packages to pack for instance dried foods, solutions could be developed in the form of multi-layered films of various biobased and biodegradable materials. But it would also imply that a dedicated new recycling technology needs to be developed for such multilayer films. The presented tool demonstrates that the technology is ready to start the transition towards a renewable circular economy for consumer articles such as matrasses, cushions, beverage bottles. Simultaneously, new biobased polymeric solutions need to be developed for multiple other applications such as tyres, footwear, gloves and flexible barrier packaging.

An interval-valued neutrosophic based MAIRCA method for sustainable material selection

A plethora of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods is available for selecting an optimal material for a design problem with quantitative measurements. However, little research has been conducted on material selection methods in an interval neutrosophic environment to address uncertainty. In this research paper, a unique framework is presented that combines Interval-Valued Neutrosophic Sets (IVNSs) with the entropy–MultiAtributive Ideal-Real Comparative Analysis (MAIRCA) framework with the aim of simultaneously handling the objective criteria with crisp inputs and subjective criteria with ambiguous or uncertain information. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach, a wing-spar of a Human-Powered Aircraft (HPA) is considered. At first, a panel of three subject experts makes judgments on the alternatives or criteria linguistically through IVNSs. Next, the skill level of each expert involved in the decision-making process is assessed using a novel weighting approach with linguistic information. After obtaining the objective criteria weights using the entropy weighting method, the performance of candidate materials for the HPA spar is evaluated using the MAIRCA method. The results indicate that S-glass70%-Epoxy Continuous Fibers, Ti-2Fe-3Al-10V and Al-7075 T6 are the top-ranked alternatives for spar application. The strong correlation of the proposed approach with other extant MCDM techniques demonstrates the reliability of the results obtained. In addition, the efficacy and practicality of the material selection tool is also validated with an outranking method in a simplified neutrosophic environment.

Tool Wear Issues in Hot Forging of Steel.

Steel forging tools are subjected to a number of tribological wear mechanisms depending on the geometry and surface of the tool and the flow of the material. Thus, there is no single general tribological wear mechanism, and only the predominant wear mechanisms in this case can be indicated. The problem has been known for years, but due to its complexity research on it is still relevant. In this study, the various wear mechanisms of hot work tools are analyzed on the basis of original research. Moreover, the influence of the micro- and macrostructure of the material and of its mechanical, physical, and technological characteristics on susceptibility to a given type of wear is considered. Adhesive wear, wear caused by plastic deformation, mechanical fatigue, thermal fatigue, the influence of hardness, heat treatment, and impact strength on tool wear and the mechanisms causing this wear are discussed in addition to tribological wear mechanisms such as abrasive wear. The influence of thermomechanical history and the characteristics of the tool material, including structural anisotropy, on the wear of these tools is indicated. The analysis of wear mechanisms performed will enable more precise definition of the principles of tool material selection and tool material condition for the hot forging of steel.

A Contemporary Review on Friction Stir Welding of Circular Pipe Joints and the Influence of Fixtures on This Process

The permanent metal joining processes play a vital role in assembling the complex aluminium structures of the aerospace, automotive, marine, and oil industries. The invention of friction stir welding (FSW) redefined the mechanism of metal joining to produce high-quality welds by eliminating the consumption of electrodes and shielding gases, resulting in economical processes. Research works still lack to explore the application of FSW in complex geometries. In this view, the present work reports a critical review of various geometries welded by FSW, mainly circular geometries that are majorly used in the oil and gas industries. The various aspects of the FSW of pipes, such as process facilitation, process parameters, tool material selection, and tool design selection are discussed. The paper also presents insights into the parameters responsible for the weld quality, the feasibility of optimization techniques, and the status of various fixture arrangements. The facilitation requisites for FSW of pipes are also provided based on the reviews made. The review concludes by discussing the challenges associated with the FSW of pipes, economic aspects, and future research directions.

Sustainable material selection with crisp and ambiguous data using single-valued neutrosophic-MEREC-MARCOS framework

Many industries around the globe are opting for environment-friendly and intelligent solutions. In this regard, the materials and manufacturing sectors have also evolved beyond the fundamental requirements for industrial applications by incorporating sustainable practices into their operations. To promote carbon-neutral growth for sustainable production, green materials that can be reused and recycled have gained significant importance. Previous work on material selection has relied on parameters that either take crisp or ambiguous inputs. However, criteria based on the core concept of sustainability, such as environmental considerations, require uncertain or indeterminate expert assessments solved using single-valued neutrosophic sets (SVNSs). For this reason, sustainable material selection necessitates the development of a unique framework to evaluate both crisp and ambiguous data concurrently without losing any information. In this work, a novel integrated framework combining method based on the removal effects of criteria (MEREC) and measurement alternatives and ranking based on compromise solution (MARCOS) under the SVNSs environment is developed to assist designers in solving real-time engineering problems, taking inputs from three decision-makers. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework, a case study for the material selection of a lightweight aircraft wing spar is considered. The criteria assessment factors used for the material selection are economic, structural, damage-tolerance, manufacturing, and environmental impact. To underline the advantages of the proposed methodology, a comparative analysis is carried out with distinct integrated frameworks. Furthermore, the findings of sensitivity analysis indicate that the suggested technique is an effective, efficient, and practical decision-making tool. The excellent correlation of the Spearman coefficient of the proposed approach with interactive and multiple attribute decision making (TODIM) and complex proportional assessment (COPRAS) under SVNSs shows the legitimacy of the obtained ranking. The material selection tool is practical because it is developed using MATLAB and may be adapted to other applications with more criteria and alternatives.

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics in Space: Life Cycle Assessment towards Improved Sustainability of Space Vehicles

Composite materials, specifically carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs), are used in various applications such as the automotive, aerospace, and renewable energy industries, thus increasing their global production and volume consumption and creating a subsequent increase in CFRP waste. Especially in space applications and Vega launcher construction, the use of CFRP components to replace metal envisages significant benefits in the use phase by reducing weight and fuel consumption requirements. The current and future waste management and environmental legislation, considering the actual and impending EU framework on waste management, requires all engineering materials to be properly recovered and recycled from EoL products. In this study, the potential of recycling and the subsequent environmental benefits have been assessed by investigating the EoL of CFRPs through a life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA is a valuable tool for evaluating a composite material’s environmental ecological burdens over its lifetime. Therefore, it is important to the composites industry as a material selection tool when determining the applicability of recycled composites in the design phase. Particularly, the benefits from recycling methods were systematically studied in order to assess the environmental impacts of EoL scenarios, to underline the importance and necessity for the maturity increase in recycling technologies for CFRPs.

The Role of Bias Extension Testing to Guide Forming of Non-Crimp Fabrics

The increased production rate targets of the aerospace industry has driven the development of dry fibre processes and biaxial Non-Crimp Fabrics (NCFs). Understanding the forming behaviour of NCFs at scale is key to achieving high quality parts at high rates. The bias extension test is commonly used to characterise the shear behaviour of dry fabrics, for example as input to drape forming models. In industry, it is still often used as a standalone material selection tool as part of initial material selection processes. It is however well known that the boundary conditions of this test are often not representative of full-scale forming trials. A direct comparison with wrinkles observed during a forming experiment is carried out to show that the bias extension test overpredicts wrinkle height. Overall, the bias extension is considered unsuitable on its own for predicting preform quality in an NCF forming process where excess length is generated due to part geometry. If the bias extension is to be used as an NCF material ranking tool, wrinkle height data should be captured alongside force shear data, as shown in this study.

NanoPCM based thermal energy storage system for a residential building

Implementation of thermal energy storage (TES) systems into a building and facilities improves the performance of the heating/cooling system by reducing energy waste. Thermal performance of a TES relies on the thermophysical properties of the thermal storage medium (TSM). In the present study, a novel two-step selection model has been implemented to choose the best TSM to improve TES system performance. Various types of thermal storage media are investigated considering phase change materials combined with nanoparticles. Thermal storage capacity, heat storage rate, and thermal storage efficiency have been considered as the main selection parameters in a hierarchy method. A significant contribution of this work is the development of a modelling methodology which can be used as a material selection process or tool. It enables the selection of the most efficient TES on a case-by-case basis. This TSM selection technique adds new understanding of selection tools, and new modelling capabilities to this field. It works with a variety of building cooling/heating loads, and helps minimize the environmental impact of extracting/releasing heat to the ground in geothermal applications. The TSM includes PCM and various PCMs have been considered with a melting range of 5–11℃. A material database of 90 different nano phase change materials (nanoPCMs) has been generated by considering ten types of TSMs and nine types of nanoparticles. First, a 2D numerical model has been used to investigate the heat transfer characteristics of the TSM filled in a cylindrical enclosure with a height of 5 cm and a diameter of 1.2 cm. Fourteen different nanoPCMs were selected to further study based on their thermal storage capacity, heat storage rate, and improvement coefficient (ξ) and implemented into a second numerical model (3D) to calculate the thermal storage efficiency of the designed underground TES system with a height of 20 m and a diameter of 1.5 m. Finally, a building heating/cooling load has been implemented in the numerical model to evaluate the performance of the final designed system on the ground temperature throughout five years of operation. The ground temperature and its variation have an effect on the performance of the ground source heat pump. After five years of operation simulation of the no-PCM system, the ground temperature has increased by 1.78℃ to 9.78℃. However, by adding PCM and nanoPCM, the average temperature reduced to 8.95℃ and 8.72℃, respectively.

Experimental and numerical investigation of laser-FSW hybrid welding technique for high strength materials

Friction stir welding (FSW) of high-strength materials and thicker plates has a number of challenges that are preventing widespread industry application such as (i) premature tool failure, (ii) selection of tool material and design, and (iii) weld productivity. A finite element (FE) based analysis for Laser-FSW hybrid welding technology is carried out in ABAQUS, commercially accessible FE software, to solve these typical difficulties. The thermal analysis of Laser-FSW hybrid technique is done using two moving heat sources for the case of 3.2 mm thick S45C steel plate. A negative moving heat source is placed as a replacement of the backing plate material in the high contact pressure region under the FSW tool. It was shown that the laser heat source needs to be 10 mm ahead of the FSW tool for achieving the duplex phase (Ferrite + Bainite/Martensite) microstructure.

A decision-making model for tool material selection in electrical discharge machining

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) has emerged as an essential process for machining dies/moulds in electrically conductive materials. Apart from workpiece erosion, the inherent characteristic of the process leads to tool wear. Thus, selecting EDM tool material is critical for achieving higher efficiency and accuracy. The present study deals with framing a decision-making model to facilitate the selection of tool material for the EDM process. Key factors such as density, electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, linear expansion coefficient, melting point, specific heat and cost are chosen as criteria. The concept of fuzzy logic has been applied to assign the weightage of each criterion by taking experts’ decisions in linguistic terms. Thereafter, the TOPSIS method is applied to rank the alternatives, wherein tungsten evolved as the best material, followed by copper graphite, copper, copper tungsten and tellurium copper. Further, sensitivity analysis is conducted to check the robustness of the developed model.

Effect of tool material and process parameters on friction stir weld formation of maraging steel

ABSTRACT 18% Ni maraging steel is an ultra-high strength steel widely used in defence and aerospace applications. Fusion welding of maraging steel is encountered with a drop in properties due to the segregation of alloying element and hence, solid-state welding process such as friction stir welding (FSW) is a possible alternative. However, welding of high strength material using FSW is a challenge considering the tool material durability, tool material cost, and selection of tool geometry and process parameters. Therefore, the main focus of this paper is towards the selection of tool geometry, tool material, and process parameters that will result in least tool wear/failure in addition to obtaining defect-free welds of maraging steel using FSW. It was observed that polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) and tungsten-molybdenum are durable tool material for welding maraging steel. It is recommended to use a minimum tool pin diameter (top 12 mm and bottom 8 mm) and shoulder diameter (20 mm) below which failure of pin and surface defects are encountered during FSW. It is also observed that there exists a narrow range of tool rotational speed (250–450 rpm) and tool travel speed (25 mm/min) at which defect-free maraging steel welds can be obtained.

Design Guidelines for implementation of User-Friendly Mass Customization Toolkits

Mass Customization (MC) Toolkits are basically user interfaces that facilitate communication between the company and customer for customization of products, which transfers design data to customers and user data to companies. These toolkits have some characteristics such as 3D visualization, price feedback, material selection and design tools that make them different from common websites. Therefore, current guidelines for common user interfaces should be improved specifically for mass customization toolkits. This paper aims to propose design guidelines from users’ point of view for web-based MC toolkits that enable software developers and designers to have some fundamentals in hand and to follow them. First the elements of mass customization toolkits, which had been obtained by literature review were presented. Next, result of a study was illuminated to demonstrate the ranking of the elements and their preferred on-screen position. Finally, guidelines were provided for designers and software developers, followed by conclusions and future works.

Local Strain Measurement in Tensile Test for an Optimized Characterization of Packaging Steel for Finite Element Analysis

The continuous development of packaging steels for thickness reduction processes requires an advanced process design. This process is increasingly supported by finite element analysis to simplify tool construction and material selection purposes. Therefore, the fundamental basis is always the precise material characterization of packaging steel commonly based on tensile tests to determine flow curve and Lankford coefficients. However, due to strong temper rolling and the occurrence of slip bands, most packaging steels just show little elongation in tensile test. Therefore, a method of Paul et al. to determine the flow curve with digital image correlation (DIC) methods in the necking zone was applied in this work to meet the requirements of packaging steel. For the use of anisotropic yield functions, it is necessary to determine Lankford coefficients. Thus, a new method is proposed to measure Lankford coefficients locally with a DIC system in tensile test, also in case that no homogenous forming condition is reached. With the presented approaches the packaging steel TH415 was characterized. In order to validate the developed methods, a demonstrator was simulated with anisotropic yield function Yld2000-2d . The comparison between simulation and experiment showed clear improvements in simulation accuracy when using the newly presented methods for packaging steel.