Mechanical Engineering Products Research Articles

APPLICATION OF ELECTROLYTIC PLASMA HARDENING FOR IMPROVING THE PROPERTIES OF MACHINE PARTS MADE OF STEEL 45

This study examined the effect of electrolytic plasma hardening (EPH) on the properties of 45-grade steel, which can serve as an alternative to traditional heat treatment methods used before the release of finished products. The results of the experiments showed that the mechanical and operational properties of 45-grade steel significantly improved after the application of EPH. Steel 45, widely used in mechanical engineering and agricultural machinery production due to its strength characteristics and durability, demonstrated a significant increase in performance after treatment. It was observed that the properties of 45- grade steel improved considerably after applying electrolytic plasma hardening methods, with the hardness of the samples increasing by 3.1-3.62 times, and wear resistance improving by 7 times. Moreover, the study highlighted the economic efficiency of the proposed treatment method, showing that the introduction of EPH can lead to a significant reduction in material costs, extended product life, and improved environmental performance by reducing energy consumption and emissions. The use of a non-toxic 20% sodium carbonate solution in EPH contributed to the uniform distribution of electric current in the cell and allowed for achieving optimal cooling rates of the sample.

ANALYSIS OF MODERN TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR VACUUM COATING FORMATION TECHNOLOGIES USED IN THE AVIATION FIELD

Modern requirements for technologies and mechanical engineering products necessitate the creation of new technological methods for processing materials and the development of appropriate technical means. Promising are environmentally friendly vacuum, ion, beam and photonic processes for obtaining materials, applying various coatings, and creating multilayer structures. An urgent scientific and technical problem is the creation of devices and methods for processing materials, vacuum devices for producing composite materials and forming coatings. It is known that significant parameters of materials are determined by the properties of their surface layers, therefore surface treatment technology, including the application of coatings and the creation of complex structures based on them, is of great importance. Vacuum-thermal and plasma surface treatment processes are promising in this regard.

Description and Utilization of an Educational Platform for Clean Production in Mechanical Engineering

This study introduces a novel educational mentoring platform that emphasises clean manufacturing techniques and is intended to support engineering education and mentorship. The mentoring platform provides practical, project-based learning opportunities in an educational environment. The platform's foundation lies in a mentoring approach through conducting sessions and defined projects. This paper will outline the primary components of a new educational mentoring platform and highlight some of its most important use cases. The mentoring platform enables the creation of programs like the Sustainable Manufacturing Innovation Program, which is showcased in this paper, equipping students with the knowledge to enhance sustainability in mechanical engineering and foster cleaner production startups. The paper briefly overviews the Novel Educational Methodology (NEM) integrated into an e-learning platform for personalized and adaptive learning materials and courses. The combined use of e-learning and mentoring platforms represents a comprehensive educational system, enhancing developmental outcomes while promoting and achieving clean production practices. Both platforms, e-learning and mentoring, are highly adaptable, facilitating the creation of diverse online course materials and mentoring programs across various scientific disciplines.

Создание и развитие высоконадежных информационно-управляющих систем с элементами искусственного интеллекта для перспективных технологических комплексов

Methods and means of improving complex technological equipment are shown through the operational assessment of the quality of implemented technologies realtime. This is proved by the fact that implementing technological operations on universal equipment each time requires modeling dynamic processes and taking into account a large number of uncertainty factors that affect the geometry generation quality. It is not possible to be a priori aware of these factors. There is a need to create new information technologies with the possibilities of universal application for immediate understanding of various dynamic processes in diagnostic, identification and control systems. Standard computer systems for statistical analysis and optimization of dynamic processes with the possibilities of universal application for various implementations of modern technologies have been introduced. The possibility of using integrative criteria and methods of artificial intelligence for diagnostic systems, identification and control of advanced technological complexes is shown. The implementation of information systems for the management of complex objects of various technological purposes is presented. The proposed modeling methods and approaches have been tested at various machine-building enterprises when processing parts on turning, milling and grinding machines, both universal and CNC. The research results made it possible to implement new principles of automated control and optimal adjustment of technological processes in real time and create an automated system for evaluating their quality, which allows increasing the efficiency and reliability of management decisions by conducting optimization directly on operating equipment. Based on the methods and approaches described above, new results have been obtained in the implementation of plasma technologies for the modification of geometrically complex surfaces of mechanical engineering products aimed at increasing wear resistance, hardness and other technical characteristics of the working surfaces of precision engineering products. A fairly complete approbation of methods, approaches, procedures and decision-making criteria for various technologies allows them to be recommended for universal applicability.

What is Mechanical Engineering?

Abstract In a World of Diverse Challenges, Mechanical Engineers are Developing the Solutions. Their Contributions Have Never Been as Valuable As They are Today. “Almost everyone comes into contact with the products of mechanical engineering on a daily basis, but very few people—including some engineers themselves—can provide a succinct explanation of what mechanical engineering is. ”

Identification of structural defects and their impact on the magnetic memory, static and cyclic strength of VNS9-SH thin sheet trip-steel

Identification of microstructure defects, which are stress concentrators (SC) during the operation of mechanical engineering products, is an important scientific and practical task relevant for manufacturing enterprises. This problem becomes especially urgent and difficult for critical helicopter parts made of sheet TRIP steel VNS9-Sh (23Kh15N5AM3-Sh) and operating under cyclic loads due to the complex microstructure of the steel and small thickness of strips and sheets. To assess the impact of structural defects on the cyclic strength of products made of the steel under study, the specimens were preliminary sorted proceeding from the results of their testing using the method of metal magnetic memory (MMM) and metallographic studies. The MMM method is a structure-sensitive procedure which provides information about the presence of structural defects that arise during the manufacture. Magnetic anomalies in the form of sharp local changes in the intrinsic stray magnetic field (SSMF) (H) and its gradient |ΔH| along the length of the controlled section Δx, were identified on the surface of sheets cut from five different batches. A conventional classification of the identified anomalies was made according to the magnitude of the magnetic field gradient. The specimens of two types were cut in zones of magnetic anomalies and outside them: type 1 — for cyclic tests and type 2 — for metallographic studies. The geometric parameters and field gradient values of magnetic anomalies on specimens of type 1 and type 2 were the same. Metallographic studies in zones of maximum magnetic field gradient on type 2 specimens revealed defects in the form of a strip at the boundary of different structures, which is a structural stress concentrator (SSC) and a source of the inhomogeneity and changes in the magnetic properties. Type 1 specimens with similar magnetic anomalies and Type 1 specimens cut from sheets outside zones of magnetic anomalies were then selected for cyclic testing. Comparative tests for cyclic strength of the specimens with and without specified SSC were carried out. It is shown that the presence of SSC zones in the specimens reduces the number of cycles to failure during cyclic tests by 1 – 2 orders of magnitude compared to the specimens free of SSC. Based on cyclic tensile tests of specimens, a limiting value of the magnetic field gradient was determined that corresponds to the acceptable level of stress concentration on structural defects. This value is recommended for use as a rejection criterion when examining a new tape by the MMM method.

Control of the parameters of the surface layer of steel parts during their processing applying the material homogeneity criterion

The main goal of the presented research is to assess the technological damageability of the material, which can be used as a criterion for analyzing the technological route of product machining in the "blank-workpiece-final part" technological chain. This technological chain is examined in detail in the most important stages of the life cycles of mechanical engineering products in order to take into account the principles of technological inheritability of their characteristics and quality parameters. The technological inheritability of the properties of the surface layers of machines and mechanisms parts from steel during their machining evaluates and predicts the transformation of the structurally heterogeneous material obtained after the production of blanks into the structurally homogeneous material of the final parts. The procedure for evaluating the homogeneity of the processed material for each technological step by the LM hardness method is presented. The developed methodology was implemented and proven during the manufacturing process of the conveyor belt drive drum shaft.

Минимизация трудоемкости выполнения комплекса вспомогательных действий для операций механической обработки

Abstract. The technological process of manufacturing mechanical engineering products using metal-cutting machines is a structurally complex process. This process can be described by the combination of two types of actions: the working stroke, which results in a change in the structure and properties of the workpiece, and an auxiliary transition, the task of which is to prepare the technological system for the execution of the working process. The execution 
 of auxiliary transitions does not entail a change in the structure and properties of the product, but leads to an increase in the complexity of its manufacture, therefore, increasing the efficiency of technological processes of mechanical processing largely depends on optimizing the complexity of performing a complex of auxiliary transitions. The purpose of the work is to develop a model for optimizing the parameters of a complex of auxiliary transitions for machining operations. The structure of the control object “Technological system” is described, within which two subcategories of control objects are defined: the control object “Technological equipment” and the control object “Wearable equipment”. Hypergraphs of changes in their intermediate states are presented for these subcategories of control objects. According to the presented models, the subcategory of the control object “Technological equipment” has 4 levels of control, the subcategory of the control object “Wearable tooling” has 3 levels of control. Lists of single and vector optimization criteria have been formed for the intermediate states of control objects. A description of a set of actions for the transition of control objects from the (i – 1) state to thei-estate is presented. A list of control parameters has been defined for each subcategory of the control object. The use of the presented model contributes to increasing the efficiency of the technological process by optimizing the values of the parameters of the complex of auxiliary actions at the stage of technological preparation of production.

Importance of engineering technologists in the development of the country’s industrial potential

The role of mechanical engineering technologists in the design and technological preparation of production and the manufacture of mechanical engineering products is considered. The insufficient use of the technological potential of the industry by enterprises is shown. Examples of new technological developments are given. Keywords:mechanical engineering, technology, industry, serial production, productivity, cost, technological equipment, economics naukatm@yandex.ru, dipetreshin@yandex.ru

Structure and calculations of the test stand for piston hydraulic cylinder trials

When testing finished products of mechanical engineering, including hydraulic engineering, a large amount of energy has to be expended, which, as a rule, is irretrievably lost, while contaminating the environment. In this regard, the problem of energy saving in testing processes is given great attention. One of the directions of energy saving in testing of hydraulic machines is energy recovery. The purpose of the work is to develop the structure and circuit diagram of the test bench for piston hydraulic cylinders, providing the recovery of part of the energy used for testing. Piston hydraulic cylinders are widely used in hydraulic drives of mobile machines and in various stationary technological equipment. Working time of a hydraulic cylinder up to failure is regulated by the manufacturer, as a rule the number of operation cycles or the total length of the hydraulic cylinder piston passage is indicated. In the process of achieving the goal proposed structure of the test bench for piston hydraulic cylinders and developed its schematic diagram. On the basis of application of the theory of volumetric stiffness the modeling of the stand functioning process is made. A computer program based on the SimInTech software package has been developed, preliminary calculations of the test bench functioning process have been made, and the characteristics of the test bench functioning have been obtained.

КОНЦЕПЦИЯ МЕТОДОЛОГИИ ПРОГНОЗИРОВАНИЯ ВОСТРЕБОВАННОГО ПОТРЕБИТЕЛЯМИ КАЧЕСТВА ПРОДУКЦИИ МАШИНОСТРОЕНИЯ ПРИ ВЫХОДЕ КОМПАНИИ-ПРОИЗВОДИТЕЛЯ НА НОВЫЕ КОНКУРЕНТНЫЕ РЫНКИ

The article presents the results of developing the concept of a methodology for predicting the quality of mechanical engineering products demanded by consumers when a manufacturing company enters new competitive markets, using the example of automotive production.

ПРЕДПОСЫЛКИ УСТОЙЧИВОСТИ И ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ РАЗВИТИЯ МАШИНОСТРОЕНИЯ В УСЛОВИЯХ САНКЦИОННОГО ДАВЛЕНИЯ

The article examines in detail the impact of sanctions pressure from Western countries on the state of the domestic industry as a whole and its separate branch - mechanical engineering. The purpose of the study was to analyze the current state of mechanical engineering in Russia in order to identify existing problems, determine optimal directions and formulate proposals for achieving sustainable economic development of the Russian Federation. The objectives of the study were: analysis of the current state of mechanical engineering; identification of problems of the efficiency of mechanical engineering development; determination of directions of development of the mechanical engineering industry in the Russian Federation; development of measures for import substitution in the mechanical engineering complex. The study used the methods of scientific knowledge: analysis and synthesis, monographic, methods of statistical and economic analysis, graphical method, system-structural and formal-logical methods. The information base was the data of Rosstat, the Industrial Development Fund and the Institute for Statistical Research and Economics of Knowledge, presented on the official website and scientific materials of domestic and foreign researchers. We identified the optimal directions for the development of the mechanical engineering industry of the Russian Federation: overcoming the technological gap and increasing demand for machinery and equipment manufactured in the Russian Federation; Innovation-oriented integration into import substitution processes; Creation of modern and progressive technologies in mechanical engineering; Digitalization of business processes and implementation of the Industry 4.0 production management technology; Establishment of cooperation with domestic and friendly foreign enterprises; Increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of mechanical engineering enterprises, etc. The following measures are proposed for import substitution in the mechanical engineering complex: Purchase of components in friendly countries; Cooperation with manufacturing enterprises; Preferential lending by industrial development institutes; Creation by executive authorities of a unified information and industrial system to solve logistics problems; Placement of production segments of the mechanical engineering industry; Stabilization of the domestic product market and Development of cooperative interaction between industries. It is recommended to focus mechanical engineering production on the implementation of priority projects, development projects, projects for the digitalization of industry and SPIC, financed by the FRP, which will allow bringing the enterprise to a modern level and improving the state of the industry as a whole. The directions of future research will be the mechanisms of technological development of the domestic mechanical engineering. The conducted research and its results can be applied by researchers and students in economic fields interested in the state of mechanical engineering in Russia.

МІСЦЕ ІНЖИНІРИНГУ В ЖИТТЄВОМУ ЦИКЛІ ПРОМИСЛОВИХ ВИРОБІВ

In undertaking the exploration, the authors endeavored to disseminate to the readership a developed comprehension of the essence of engineering as a distinct form of economic endeavor and its positioning within the lifecycle of generating consumer value. Emphasis is placed on shipbuilding artifacts, considering their pivotal role in both the global and, by extension, national economies increasingly enmeshed within the international economic milieu. It is discerned that the upsurge in demand for Engineering services is attributable to the steep ascension in fleet size, notably within its most robust segment - the commercial sector. The doubling of the fleet size for transporting various types of cargo over the past twenty years has been confirmed by visualized statistics. This phenomenon is not merely a result of a surge in maritime freight transportation, which has increased by nearly three hundred percent over the analyzed period. Simultaneously, there is a growing interest among shipowners in extending the operational lifespan of vessels. In this context, they place hopes on vessel repair, modernization, and conversion. Furthermore, even the disposal of these complex engineering structures, in accordance with the requirements of the International Maritime Organization and the standards of the European Union and participating countries, should occur without causing harm to the personnel of specialized shipyards and the environment. It has been demonstrated that solving this problem is also impossible without engineering support. A model has been provided, defining the role of Engineering in the life cycle of industrial products (using shipbuilding as an example). It confirmed the working hypothesis regarding the parallel-sequential organization of relationships between Engineering and other stages of the life cycle of mechanical engineering products. Attention is focused on the fact that addressing the challenges that arise at each stage is facilitated by digital twins of physical objects. The "lives" of both are completely synchronized, as events occurring during the real-time operation of the offline object and their consequences are automatically reflected in the virtual "twin". This conclusion is of particular significance in the context of applying the concept and corresponding tools of Product Lifecycle Management in practice.

Integration of Technological Preparation of Production into Automated Design Systems

The concept of the development of an integrated system for the design of technological processes for the manufacture of mechanical engineering products is considered. The research relates to the field of automation of technological preparation of production in the development of the technological process of manufacturing a product (part, assembly unit). An algorithm for automated analysis of a three-dimensional product model (CAD model) made by the KIT system (KIT-computer information technology) is proposed to identify and formalize significant product parameters. As a discrete element of the part, a structural element is considered as the basis for choosing the manufacturing technology of the product as a whole. The general functional structure of the system being developed is described, which is necessary for the formation of the product manufacturing route taking into account the production process data structured in the product database. The practical result of the system when introduced into production is a reduction in the cycle of technological preparation for the release of a new product. The system allows you to design route-operational TP for all technological conversions of the enterprise. It is possible to design technologies for a group of parts. There are no restrictions on the size of the TP. The volume of the Database of Technological Design (BDTP) to date is more than 7000 technological processes, including existing production and discontinued products. The number of jobs on the enterprise network for the system is more than 150, the degree of coverage of the technological design system in the main production is 100 %.

ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF MR MATERIAL FOR NOISE REDUCTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PRODUCTS

ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF MR MATERIAL FOR NOISE REDUCTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PRODUCTS

Formation of conjugate curved surfaces that exclude interference

The object of the study is the method of geometric design of conjugate curved surfaces. The subject of the study is the possibility of achieving the absence of interference of the designed surfaces of kinematic pairs of technical structures, for example, products in mechanical engineering (cutting tools, gearing), based on an invariant method. This problem is of significant importance for a wide class of products, but especially for gears from the point of view of the precision of manufacturing the tooth surface, load-bearing capacity, and, consequently, the reliability and durability of the transmission. When calculating the strength, each tooth of the gear can be considered as a cantilever beam, loaded at the free end by the force of interaction with the second gear wheel. In the presence of interference (for trimming gears), not only the shape of the tooth surface is disrupted, but also the cross-sectional area of the tooth base is significantly reduced. Therefore, solving such a problem is important when designing and manufacturing gears. That is why, when forming the initial curved tool surface of a cutting tool, the conjugacy condition between the points of the product and the tool is taken into account. As a result, when designing a cutting tool using the proposed invariant method using a unified methodology, a wide class of complex curved surfaces can be formed. In particular, this applies to technological operations on numerically controlled machines. The generated conjugate curvilinear transformations of the cutting tool using an invariant method make it possible to avoid interference of mating surfaces at the design stage. At the same time, the curvilinear characteristics of surfaces are analyzed, defining a family of normals as common to two conjugate surfaces with linear contact, which is essential for the design process

Impact of EU sanctions on trade in engineering products between Russia and Central-Eastern European countries: An applied econometric approach

Aim. To assess the impact of Western European sanctions on trade cooperation between Russia and Central-Eastern European (CEE) countries in the machine-building sector.Objectives. Statistical analysis of the dynamics of Russia’s trade relations with CEE countries in the field of mechanical engineering under current sanctions conditions; construction of an econometric model for regression analysis of the impact of Western European sanctions on trade in mechanical engineering products; identification of key trends and problems in trade and economic cooperation between Russia and the CEE region in the mechanical engineering sector in 2021–2023.Methods. The authors used such research methods as statistical and econometric analysis, syntax, description, graphical modeling.Results. The results obtained in the course of econometric analysis indicate that the impact of Western European sanctions on the main indicators of trade in engineering industry products between the Russian Federation (RF) and CEE countries was ambiguous. European Union (EU, EU) sanctions had a greater impact on CEE countries’ export flows than on RF exports to the region.Conclusions. The current sanctions conditions have determined an unfavorable medium-term trend in trade relations in the mechanical engineering sector between Russia and the CEE region. The trade and economic indicators analyzed in this article are the main determinants of econometric analysis that affect the interaction between Russia and CEE countries in the machine-building sector. During the studied period of 2021-2022 the volume of mutual investments showed a negative effect, industrial production had a positive impact on trade in engineering products.

Analysis of the Electrical Impedance of Graphite and Silver Graphite Carbon Brushes for Use in the Impedance Measurement of Sensory Utilizable Machine Elements

The ongoing digitalization of processes and products in mechanical engineering is accompanied by an increasing demand for data. In order to provide this data, technical systems are being extended with sensory functions. To supply those sensory functions on rotating elements—such as shafts—with electrical energy, and to be able to transmit signals out of the system, sliding contacts can be used as a cost-effective and established solution. However, if electrical properties of machine elements are utilized for sensing purposes, such as condition monitoring of rolling element bearings by means of impedance measurement, sliding contacts are directly in the measurement path and can thus influence the measured impedance. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impedance of graphite and silver graphite carbon brushes under different rotational speeds, in different positions, and with different carrier frequencies. The material of the carbon brushes as well as the position have significant effects on the impedance behavior. Furthermore, carbon brushes show a significant running-in behavior. The results are discussed, and indications for use in impedance measurements are given. Silver graphite carbon brushes in axial positioning are particularly suitable for impedance measurements of sensory utilizable machine elements. Sufficient running-in time must be considered.

METHODOLOGY FOR TECHNOLOGICAL DESIGN OF THE PARTS RECOVERY PROCESS

The authors of the paper, each with their own experience of scientific activity and accumulated knowledge in the field of parts recovery and mechanical engineering technology, set out to generalise them and develop a methodology for technological design of the process of recovery of worn parts from the standpoint of a systematic approach. For the stages of the life cycle of mechanical engineering products that solve the problem of extending their service life by repairing and restoring worn parts, a general scheme and structure of information support for technological design using methods of improving the quality of the surface layer have been developed. A scheme for specifying the life cycle of parts by repairing and restoring them is proposed. The process of formation of quality indicators of worn parts is presented in the form of a system that allows to give a multilevel assessment of the quality of restoration of a part.

A Safety Device Based on a High Temperature Shape Memory Alloy

A device has been developed based on alloys with a high-temperature shape memory effect. It aims to be used in mechanical engineering products, in particular, nuclear technology, in order to prevent emergency situations of man-made and natural nature. The device works by breaking the electrical circuit in the event of an emergency increase in the ambient temperature above the permissible temperature by cutting the electrical cable. The shape restoration properties of thermosensitive working elements made of the Ni49.5Ti48.0Hf2.5 alloy with high temperature shape memory have been studied. The results of the experiments allow us to conclude that it is possible to use the device in electrical systems for cutting heat-resistant electrical cables with an outer diameter of dout = 3.4–5.0 mm and a copper wire cross-section of 0.2–1.5 mm2 with a knife in an emergency situation, when the ambient temperature exceeds 100°С and the maximum heating reaches 200°С.