Hard Tool Research Articles

A Novel (AlCrNbTaTi)N Multilayer Hard High-Entropy Alloy Nitride Coating with Variable Aluminum Content Deposited by Cathodic Arc Ion Plating

Traditional binary coatings like TiN and CrN display limited thermal stability and wear resistance under extreme conditions. High-entropy alloy nitride (HEAN) coatings offer a promising solution due to their customizable composition and unique properties, including high hardness, corrosion resistance, and thermal stability. This study focused on (AlCrNbTaTi)N HEAN coatings to address a critical need for materials capable of enduring extreme mechanical and tribological demands by examining the impact of aluminum content on their structural and mechanical properties, providing insights for optimizing coatings in harsh conditions through a self-assembled nanolayer structure with enhanced resilience and performance. The coatings were deposited via a cathodic arc by employing an AlCrNbTaTi alloy target composed of aluminum (20, 50, 60, 70%) and equal molar ratios of Cr, Nb, Ta, and Ti. The coatings were characterized through grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, SEM, HR-TEM, a nano-indentation test, and a friction and wear test. The results indicated that with increasing Al content, the structure of (AlCrNbTaTi)N coatings shifted from FCC to an amorphous state, leading to a reduction in the hardness and elastic modulus, accompanied by an increase in the wear rate and friction coefficient. The (AlCrNbTaTi)N coating, with an equal atomic ratio of metallic elements, showed potential as a hard tool coating. It demonstrated outstanding mechanical and tribological properties, with a 34.5 GPa hardness, 369 GPa modulus, 0.35 friction coefficient, and 8.2 × 10−19 m2·N−1 wear rate. The findings highlight the potential of (AlCrNbTaTi)N coatings to extend tool life and improve operational efficiency, helping advance materials engineering for industrial applications.

PROPOSING A GOVERNANCE-RELATED COMPONENT AND INDICATORS EVALUTION MATRIX TO ASSESSING THE SOCIAL INCLUSIVENESS DIMENSION OF THE NEW EUROPEAN BAUSHAUS PROEJCTS

Governance is the political facet of ‘inclusiveness’, one of the three main pillars of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) projects, alongside ‘aesthetics’ and ‘sustainability’. Governance is embodied by rules and norms and implemented through hard tools (laws, planning designs and strategies, funding schemes, etc.) and soft tools (ways of decision-making, targeting, capacity building, etc.) to implement sustainable goals effectively and democratically. In essence, the article presents a methodological proposal for assessing hard and soft governance elements of projects and policies, including elements such as spatial planning legislation, participatory approaches, multi-level governance, and administrative capacity frameworks. As a case study, the analysis is focused on the assessment of governance-related components and respective indicators of the NEB inclusiveness dimension. The proposed methodological approach resulted from more than a year of systematic research and consultation with existing literature and external experts on hard and soft governance. Expectedly, it can be applied to assess the influence and impact of governance-related processes in all sorts of projects and policies, as increasingly policymakers seek to assess their degree of positive impacts, effectiveness, and efficiency. The proposed methodological approach can be of use to a myriad of interested stakeholders and be associated with multi-disciplinary policy evaluation tools.

Combined hybrid machining of laser ablation-drilling small holes in Cf/SiC composites

Combined hybrid machining of laser ablation-drilling small holes in Cf/SiC composites

3D X-ray microscope acts as an accurate and effective equipment of pathological diagnosis in craniofacial imaging

Craniofacial structure and dental hard tissue used to be researched on by traditional imaging tools such as light microscope, electron microscope and micro-CT. Due to the limitations of imaging principle, resolution and 3D rendering reconstruction technique, traditional imaging tools are constrained for presenting fine structure and precise measurements. Here a brand-new imaging equipment–3D X-ray microscope is introduced to realize a more efficient scanning by demonstrating the comparison of the craniofacial structures and dental hard tissue of diabetes and normal DBA mouse. To explore a higher resolution, more efficient imaging measurement and 3D reconstruction method on craniofacial structure and dental hard tissue. The study included 12 DBA mice which were divided into two groups (control group and diabetes group). The heads were separated and scanned by 3D X-ray microscope, after which regions of interest were selected, followed by measurement and 3D reconstruction based on microscope attached software Dragonfly pro©. Hemi-mandibles were collected for enamel mineral density assessment supported by QRM-MicroCT-HA phantom. Data was submitted to paired t-tests at a 95% confidence level. The automatic assessed enamel thickness of diabetes mice decreased on average, whereas the rest of manual measurements and automatic assessed density showed no statistical difference. We constructed HA phantom assisted enamel density procedure in Dragonfly software. Craniofacial structure and dental hard tissue were well-presented both in 2D slide and 3D reconstruction viewport by 3D X-ray microscope which can be routinely used as craniofacial structure and dental hard tissue imaging tool.

The scaling of laser peen forming: A two-experiment finite similitude approach

The scaling of laser peen forming: A two-experiment finite similitude approach

A Detailed Properties Comparison of an Automotive Sealant Nozzle Produced Using Three Metal Additive Manufacturing Technologies.

Choosing the right metal AM equipment and material is a highly intricate process that forms a crucial part of every manufacturing company's strategic plan. This study undertakes a comprehensive comparison of the performance and material properties of three Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies: Powder Bed Fusion (PBF), Metal Filament Deposition Modeling (MFDM), and Bound Metal Deposition (BMD). An automotive nozzle was selected and manufactured using all three technologies and three metallic materials to understand their respective advantages and disadvantages. The samples were then subjected to a series of tests and evaluations, including dimensional accuracy, mechanical properties, microstructure, defects, manufacturability, and cost efficiency. The nozzle combinations were PBF in aluminum, MFDM in stainless steel, and BMD in hard tool steel. The results underscore significant differences in functionality, material characteristics, product quality, lead time, and cost efficiency, all of which are crucial factors in making equipment investment decisions. The conclusions drawn in this paper aim to assist automotive industry equipment experts in making informed decisions about the technology and materials to use for parts with characteristics like these. Future studies will delve into other technologies, automotive components, and materials to further enhance our understanding of the application of metal AM in manufacturing.

Examining the impact of slide burnishing parameters on the 3D surface features of medium carbon steel

Burnishing is a non-cutting finishing technique in which pressure is applied to plastically deform the irregularly distributed surface materials. In this process, the peaks of the surface are pressed into the valleys with a hard tool, resulting in a smoother surface with improved properties. The influence of brunishing parameters such as brunishing force, feed rate and number of passes on the 3D surface roughness of medium carbon steel was analyzed. An orthogonal L9 array Taguchi design was used to create a robust experiment. A CNC milling machine and a confocal microscope were used to grind and measure the workpiece surface. The topography roughness responses Sq, Sv, Sz and Sa were used to evaluate the roughness changes. The optimal parameters for brunishing were a feed rate of 0.05 m/min, 2 passes and a force of 80N for Sq and Sa and a force of 100N for Sv and Sz. This research is expected to provide insights into optimizing mass finishing processes to improve surface integrity, contributing to advances in manufacturing and materials science.

Climate change and security narratives in Colombia

AbstractIn September of 2022, Gustavo Petro presented an alternative vision of the future of Colombia from that which Colombian administrations have pursued for the past two decades. In his speech to the United Nations, Petro called for an end to the irrational war on drugs and described the drug epidemic as a symptom of significant societal failures. Petro directed his criticism at Plan Colombia, a counternarcotics security strategy, speaking directly about vital elements such as the aerial eradication program. Although Plan Colombia has ended, the United States continues to provide significant financial support to the Colombian government to fund its counter narcotics mission. Is Petro serious about ending the counternarcotics mission in Colombia? Given the political climate, should the United States change its policy approach in Colombia? This article argues that despite an increased use of narratives about climate change and a declining relevance of security narratives, US funding for security has remained constant. Our findings suggest that the United States uses aid as a hard power tool to ensure that certain strategic interests are met irrespective of the political climate.

Internally cooled tools as an innovative solution for sustainable machining: Temperature investigation using Inconel 718 superalloy

Internally cooled tools as an innovative solution for sustainable machining: Temperature investigation using Inconel 718 superalloy

BRICS as a Catalyst for Global Governance Transformation: Beyond Western Perceptions

Scholarship on global political economy and global peace and security governance often depicts BRICS members as emerging powers with relatively limited experience in international leadership. These depictions underscore their contested regional leadership and ambiguous institutional, political, ideological, and socio-economic capacities to influence and reshape the global governance system. However, this article challenges some of these characterizations of BRICS members as inaccurate and rooted in Western exceptionalism. Employing a qualitative secondary research approach, it aims to analyze the role of BRICS as a new model for global governance by examining key institutional and political initiatives undertaken by the bloc, as well as by each of its member states.The analysis reveals that institutional initiatives such as the New Development Bank (NDB) demonstrate the BRICS’ capacity to deploy a combination of hard and soft power tools, thereby contributing to the emergence of multipolarity in the global governance architecture. These initiatives have exposed the world's developing regions to new experiences, resources, and understandings of the priorities of emerging powers. Furthermore, political responses to crises, such as turmoil in Zimbabwe, Libya, and Mali, as well as nuclear issues in Iran, where BRICS members have assumed mediatory, supportive, or leading roles, have sparked renewed interest in understanding BRICS as an alternative to traditional conceptions of global peace and security governance. Significantly, BRICS’ soft power diplomacy plays a pivotal role in projecting the bloc as an advocate of alternative global governance architecture and in dispelling negative perceptions. This objective is achieved through the BRICS’ transformative agenda, which offers alternative pathways for attaining international public goods in developing regions with shared historical and ideological affinities.

The Contribution of Āstān-e Quds-e Razavī to Iran’s Soft Power Projection

This article sheds light on the role of Āstān-e Quds-e Razavī, the Iranian foundation that manages the Imam Reza shrine, in furthering Iran’s soft power. Despite the growing body of work on Iranian soft power, the role of Āstān-e Quds has not yet been adequately addressed in the literature. The article is underpinned by three theoretical observations; namely, the key elements of soft power, the soft-hard power nexus, and religious soft power. Based on these theoretical observations, the article analyzes Āstān-e Quds’ contribution to Tehran’s soft power influence, focusing on its activities in the three arenas of education and social services, religion, and political values. The analysis reveals that in the first two areas, Āstān-e Quds engages in various activities to increase the attractiveness of Iran and to create a positive image of the country. In the area of political values, however, Āstān-e Quds’ activities at times juxtapose hard and soft power tools through establishing or strengthening connections with members of groups such as Hezbollah and Ansar Allah (known in the West as Houthis).

Technical and Vocational Education and Training toward Sustainable Development of Japan’s Aid Effectiveness for Industrial Human Resource Development in Lower Mekong Basin Countries

The Official Development Assistance (ODA) is Japan’s salient foreign policy in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) Country, especially for industrial human resource development. Japan has established KOSEN, a Japanese engineering vocational education system in the region to promote the industrial acceleration agenda and the region’s economic, social development, and poverty reduction toward the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, ODA is about more than giving and receiving; it is about actors and administration, including the vis-à-vis mutual benefit for both donor and recipient country, which becomes a debatable issue. This research intends to shed light on the efficacy of Japanese ODA toward LMB by applying the principles of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005) and its impact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) attainment. A qualitative technique with a deductive approach was used to analyze the efficiency of Japan’s aid for KOSEN, including an in-depth interview with a purposive sampling technique of three key informants in this study. The study showed that the donor country predominantly adheres to the assistance ownership concept. Nonetheless, developing the KOSEN system as an assistance program in the area can contribute to the SDGs as hard tool mechanisms and KOSEN values as a soft mechanism related to the 2012 Global Agenda for Greening TVET.

Microstructure and thermal properties of dissimilar M300-CuCr1Zr alloys by multi-material laser-based powder bed fusion

AbstractMulti-material laser-based powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) allows manufacturing of parts with 3-dimensional gradient and additional functionality in a single step. This research focuses on the combination of thermally-conductive CuCr1Zr with hard M300 tool steel. Two interface configurations of M300 on CuCr1Zr and CuCr1Zr on M300 were investigated. Ultra-fine grains form at the interface due to the low mutual solubility of Cu and steel. The material mixing zone size is dependent on the configurations and tunable in the range of 0.1–0.3 mm by introducing a separate set of parameters for the interface layers. Microcracks and pores mainly occur in the transition zone. Regardless of these defects, the thermal diffusivity of bimetallic parts with 50vol% of CuCr1Zr significantly increases by 70%–150% compared to pure M300. The thermal diffusivity of CuCr1Zr and the hardness of M300 steel can be enhanced simultaneously by applying the aging heat treatment.

Innovative Approaches in the Management of Healthcare Organisations

Our study provides a comprehensive view of innovations in the management of healthcare facilities (HCF). It fills the research gap and contributes to discussions on the need to introduce new innovative management tools into the curricula of healthcare managers and professionals. The design of the study is based on answering research questions (RQ) by statistical processing of data from 181 managers of various types of HCF in Slovakia, obtained by questionnaire. We evaluate the use of innovative approaches in the management of healthcare organisations in the application of hard and soft management tools and their relationship to the economic results of these organisations. RQs are aimed at differentiating the application of innovative approaches in management depending on the characteristics of HCF and their managers and depending on the economic results. There is a positive relationship between the use of innovative approaches in management and the economic results of HCF. There are significant differences in the degree of application of innovative approaches between different types of facilities, the leaders in their implementation are university hospitals. The medical education of managers with the additional completed specialised management study has a significant relation to the application of innovative approaches in management.

Effect of the Tool Path on Hardness Uniformity in an Annular Zone of X20Cr13 Steel Surface-Hardened by Friction Stir Processing

This paper presents the numerical and experimental results of hardening of an annular zone on the flat surface of an X20Cr13 steel specimen by friction stir processing (FSP) with a WC-Co hard alloy tool moving along circular and fan-shaped paths. A finite element model of the process is proposed for predicting the temperature distribution through the width and depth of the annular zone for the considered tool paths and for detecting the reverse tempering regions. The influence of the paths of a cylindrical friction stir tool with a flat end on microhardness distribution in the surface layer of the hardened zone was studied experimentally. It was shown that FSP along the fan-shaped path provides uniform hardening of the annular zone, while processing along the circular trajectory leads to softening of the material in the regions where the friction tracks overlap. The uniformity of surface hardness in the friction stir processed annular zone of X20Cr13 steel was evaluated by calculating the “covering uniformity” (CU) index proposed by Campana. The hardening behavior is in full agreement with the results of finite element simulation of the FSP process. Hardness measurements and microstructural studies showed that the fan-shaped tool path provides surface layer hardening to a depth of 400 μm with the CU index ranging from 0.78 to 1.00. In the case of the circular path, the CU index ranges from 0.48 to 0.72 at the same depth. The proposed research methods can be applied to evaluate the FSP efficiency when using other workpiece and tool materials.

Diffusion bonding among hard alloy, tool steel, and alloy steel by hot isostatic pressing: Interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties

Diffusion bonding among hard alloy, tool steel, and alloy steel by hot isostatic pressing: Interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties

Simulation model of contact interaction during surface strengthening of steel parts

In the processes of surface strengthening of steel parts, the stress-strain state is decisive for explaining the physical processes of strengthening, forming the dimensions of the contact area. Analytical dependences of contact parameters are quite approximate. In this work, based on the Ansys software complex, a simulated model of the contact of a truncated torus with a cylinder is proposed, which demonstrates the kinetics of the process of pressing a hard alloy tool into a steel workpiece - a cylinder. The experiment was conducted for 4 seconds in order to determine the maximum level of stresses, the distribution of stresses and the amount of residual stresses after removing the load. The clamping force was applied mainly in the zone of elastic deformations. The results showed an uneven stress distribution with a maximum in the center of the contact spot of 1082 MPa. After changing the load direction, small residual deformations at the level of 0.00311 μm were observed in the center of the contact patch. This indicates a violation of the elastic region on a small contact area, which does not affect the general nature of the stress distribution and can be removed during the finishing process. The results of simulation of the stressed state are used for the correlation with the observed structural changes of the material during the action of thermal and power stresses. The stress peak was formed at a distance of 200 μm, which contributes to the formation of maximum values of microhardness at this depth.

Effect of HG40 and HS123 hard alloy tool substrates on the properties of hardening coating

This article examines the impact of surface and near-surface layer properties of a hard alloy on the physico-mechanical and tribological properties of Mo–Ti–Ni–Si–Al–N CAPVD-coatings deposited on HG40 and HS123 cutting tools. In both cases, the coatings had similar composition, multilayer architecture, and nanograin structure, with crystallite sizes ranging from 6 to 10 nm. However, there were significant differences in the hardness, elasticity modulus, and relative work of plastic deformation between the coatings. Specifically, on HG40 substrates, the hardness, elasticity modulus, and relative work of plastic deformation were equal to 27.6 GPa, 647 GPa and 38.2 %, respectively, while on HS123 substrates, they were 34.2 GPa, 481 GPa and 46.2 %, respectively. Furthermore, coatings formed on HS123 hard alloy demonstrated superior wear resistance and stronger adhesion. This can be attributed to the presence of higher compressive macrostresses within the coating. The maximum value of this property, approximately 5.2 GPa, was achieved when deposed to HS123 hard alloy, whereas the coating applied to HG40 reached a maximum value of approximately 3.2 GPa. Additionally, a more extensive diffusion zone between the substrate and coating components, along with associated structural phase heterogeneity, was observed at the coating-substrate interface when applied to HS123 substrate.

Solving the Problem of Reducing the Audiences’ Favor toward an Educational Institution by Using a Combination of Hard and Soft Operations Research Approaches

Because of hyper-complexity, a difficulty to define, multiple stakeholders with conflicting perspectives, and a lack of clear-cut solutions, wicked problems necessitate innovative and adaptive strategies. Operations research (OR) has been a valuable tool for managers to make informed decisions for years. However, as we face increasingly complex and messy problems, it has become apparent that relying solely on either hard or soft OR approaches is no longer sufficient. We need to explore more innovative methodologies to address these wicked problems effectively. This study has bridged the research gap by proposing a structured process encompassing a subdivision-based problem structuring method for defining the wicked problem, a multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) for prioritizing subproblems, and a hard OR technique, data envelopment analysis (DEA) for tackling one of the most critical subdivisions. The proposed methodology, the subdivision-based problem structuring method (SPSM), implemented in a case study, focuses on a higher education institution experiencing a decline in student admissions and involves five steps. First, a diverse group of stakeholders is formed to ensure the comprehensive consideration of perspectives. Second, the wicked problem is defined, considering long-term consequences, multiple stakeholders, and qualitative stakeholder opinions. Third, a hierarchical structure is created to break down the wicked problem into manageable subproblems. Fourth, a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method prioritizes subproblems. Finally, the subproblems are addressed one by one using a combination of soft and hard OR tools. The findings highlight the benefits of integrating hard and soft OR approaches. The study concludes with reflections on the implications of using a combined OR approach to tackle wicked problems in higher education and beyond.

Study Effect of HIP & Heat Treatment on MIM Porous Tool Steel SKD11

Hard tool steel SKD11 had a lot of industrial practical applications because it had super mechanical properties such as wear resistance and toughness. There is a trend to manufacture components with competitive costs. The wear resistance and hardness of the sintered components are insufficient to meet the cutter and dies’ strict requirements. The HIP process can further reduce pore size, quantity, and even distribution of pores of as-sinter blanks. As a result, the higher density, lower porosity, and high hardness of components can be obtained without obvious growing of grain size. After heat-treatment and subzero treatment, hardness increased up to HRC58-61, and wear resistance significantly improved.