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Abstract Dynamic stresses exist in parts of a catalyst muffler caused by the vibration of a moving vehicle, and it is important to clarify and predict the vibration response properties for preventing fatigue failures. Assuming a vibration isolating installation in the vehicle frame, the vibration transmissibility and local dynamic stress of the catalyst muffler were examined through a vibration machine. Based on the measured data and by systematically taking vibration theories into consideration, a new prediction method of the vibration modes and parameters was proposed that takes account of vibration isolating and damping. A lumped vibration model with the six-element and one mass point was set up, and the vibration response parameters were analyzed accurately from equations of motion. In the vibration test, resonance peaks from the hanging bracket, rubber bush, and muffler parts were confirmed in three excitation drives, and local stress peaks were coordinate with them as well.

Abstract The present study aims to join the dissimilar materials such as Dual-Phase (DP) 600 Steel and AA6082-T6 Aluminum (Al) alloy via the friction stir welding (FSW) process with a reduced intermetallic compound (IMC) layer. The five different tool tilt angles of 0°, 0.5°, 1°, 1.5°, and 2° were selected to fabricate the joints. The weld characteristics such as tensile strength, hardness, macrostructure, and microstructure were analyzed. The weld interface was studied by employing an optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The joint produced with a 0.5° tilt angle has achieved the highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 240 MPa. The IMCs were identified as Fe2Al8 and FeAl2 from the joint interface studies.

Abstract The causes of failure due to cracking in the resistance spot welding of the advanced high-strength steels dual-phase 590 (DP590) were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy, and the tensile-shear test. The results showed that by increasing the current amount, the formation of the melting zone occurred in the heat-affected zone, leading to the cracking in this area, reducing the tensile strength and decreasing the mechanical properties; the initiation and growth of cracking and failure in this region also happened. In the heat-affected zone, by increasing the current amount with the softening phenomenon, the recrystallized coarse grains also occurred, eventually resulting in the loss of mechanical properties. The results of the tensile-shear test also indicated that by increasing the current up to 12 kA, the strength was raised, but the ductility was reduced.

Abstract Sound ductile iron (DI) welded joints were performed using developed coated electrode and optimized welding parameters including post weld heat treatment (PWHT).Weldments consisting of weld metal, partially melted zone (PMZ), heat affected zone (HAZ) and base metal were austenitized at 900 °C for 2 hour and austempered at 300 °C and 350 °C for three different holding time (1.5 hour, 2 hour and 2.5 hour). In as-weld condition, microstructures of weld metal and PMZ show ledeburitic carbide and alloyed pearlite, but differ with their amount. Whereas microstructure of HAZ shows pearlite with some ledeburitic carbide and base metal shows only ferrite.

Abstract Reducing a vehicle’s weight is an efficient method to reduce energy consumption. Aluminum alloy is the best material for lightweight automobiles. However, the poor formability of aluminum means that it is difficult to develop stamping dies. This study designs a suitable forming tool for aluminum fenders. A simulation and an experiment are used to analyze the formability of aluminum fenders. A theoretical calculation, experimental testing, and sampling comparison are used to verify the design. The material properties of steel and aluminum are firstly studied and compared. The results show that a traditional S-type blank die face design is not suitable for aluminum because of its low tensile strength and the potential for elongation. A relatively flat trapezoid blank die face design is proposed to smooth the variation. However, a flat die face for a trapezoidal blank limits stretching, so another design is essential to improve the formability.

Abstract The paper presents a complete description of the design and manufacturing of a Carbon Fiber/epoxy mold with an embedded Carbon Fiber resistor heater, and the mold performances in terms of its surface temperature distribution and thermal deformations resulting from the heating. The mold was designed for manufacturing aileron skins from Vacuum Bag Only prepreg cured at 135°C. The glass transition temperature of the used resin-hardener system was about 175°C. To ensure homogenous temperature of the mold working surface in the course of curing, the Carbon Fiber heater was embedded in a layer of a highly heat-conductive cristobalite/epoxy composite, forming the core of the mold shell. Because the cristobalite/epoxy composite displayed much higher thermal expansion than CF/epoxy did, thermal stresses could arise due to this discrepancy in the course of heating.

Abstract In this article, forming residual stresses in cold-formed small-radius corner sections are analytically predicted with the consideration of the shift in the neutral axis and the nonlinear strain-hardened material model. The predicted forming stress results in the transverse direction show a trend of increased compressive residual stress in the outer surface and reduced tensile residual stress in the inner surface as the corner radius-to-thickness ratio increases in small-radius bends. In the longitudinal direction, there is no significant change in the residual stress values observed in the inner and outer surfaces with respect to an increase in corner radius-to-thickness ratios. But a considerable decrease in compressive residual stress and an increase in tensile stress values are observed in the midsection areas with an increase in the corner radius-to-thickness ratio.

Abstract The use of Abrasive Water Jet (AWJ) cutting technology can improve the edge stretchability in sheet metal forming. The advances in technology have allowed significant increases in working speeds and pressures, reducing the AWJ operation cost. The main objective of this work was to determine the effect of selected AWJ cutting parameters on the Hole Expansion Ratio (HER) for a DP800 (Dual-Phase) Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS) with s0 = 1.2 mm by using a fractional factorial design of experiments for the Hole Expansion Tests (HET). Additionally, the surface roughness and residual stresses were measured on the holes looking for a possible relation between them and the measured HER. A deep drawing quality steel DC06 with s0 = 1.0 mm was used for reference. The fracture occurrence was captured by high-speed cameras and by Acoustic Emissions (AE) in order to compare both methods.

Abstract In this study, active-passive filling friction stir repairing (A-PFFSR) process was employed to repair the volume defects in friction stir welding (FSW) joints of Al-Cu alloy. The volume defects with varied geometries were first machined into taper holes, which are similar to keyhole defect by a rotational tool with a threaded pin. Then, the keyhole defect was effectively filled with the materials around the keyhole and an additional filler using a number of nonconsumable pinless tools with the shoulders having six spiral flutes. The macro/microstructures, microhardness, and tensile properties of the repaired joints were investigated. The influences of plunge speed on macro/microstructures and mechanical properties of the repaired joints have been analyzed too. It was noticed that decreasing plunge speed was effective to improve the frictional heat and material flow, which increased joint surface integrity avoiding interfacial drawbacks.

Abstract Sustainable practices are taking precedence across many industries, as evident from their shift towards the use of environmentally responsible materials, such as natural fiber-reinforced acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (NF-AESO). However, due to the lower reactivity of AESO, the curing reaction usually requires higher temperatures and longer curing time (e.g., 150°C for 6-12 h), thus making the entire process unsustainable. In this study, we demonstrate the potential power of photons towards manufacturing NF-AESO composites in a sustainable manner at room temperature (RT) within 10 min. Two photoinitiators, i.e., the 2,2-dimethoxy phenylacetophenone (DMPA) and 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone (HCPK), were evaluated and compared with the thermal initiator, i.e., tert-butyl perbenzoate (TBPB). Based on the mechanical performance of the AESOs, the photoinitiation system for NF-AESO was optimized.

Mechanical and thermal properties of the rubber compounds of a tire play an important role in the overall performance of the tire when it is in contact with the terrain. Although there are many studies conducted on the properties of the rubber compounds of the tire to improve some of the tire characteristics, such as the wear of the tread, there are a limited number of studies that focused on the performance of the tire when it is in contact with ice. This study is a part of a more comprehensive project looking into the tire-ice performance and modeling. In this study, to understand the effect of different rubber compounds on the tire performance, three identical tires from the same company have been chosen. The tires’ only difference is the material properties of the rubber. Two approaches have been implemented in this study.

Abstract The usual method of calculating spring deflection is to assume the end force acts through the central axis of the spring. The author takes a different approach where he calculates the eccentricity of the end force and from this calculates the spring deflection due to combined bending and torsion using a completely new model which he names the Noonan XymT Method. Also, the usual method widely used, where a strain energy approach is used, is proven to be in error. That statement is proven using a special example. Rough measurements have shown that the displacements calculated using the Strain Energy Method, can have errors as high as 40%, at a position up 0.6 coils from the bottom of the spring, and 10% at the top of the spring. The reason for this error has been identified, and calculations using Noonan’s XymT Method greatly reduces, if not eliminates, this error. This is particularly relevant in calculating individual coil stiffness and binding.

Abstract As bicycle design continues to develop, consumers are not satisfied with just the convenience and power-saving features of bicycles, but they also demand a fancy appearance. To achieve dramatic deforming of bike frames, an extreme high-profile difference is required. Thus, this study used rotary swaging, which is the best forging method among shrink forming processes, as the preforming process. The tube diameter reduction rates of 0.28 and 0.31 were set as the main parameters, and the effects of feeding speed, feeding method, and friction factor on the formed tube were analyzed. The results indicated that a higher feeding speed results in a lower rate of tube thickness increase and a lower friction factor results in a lower rate of tube thickness increase. Regarding the effects of feeding methods, the automatic feeding method yielded better surface roughness than the manual method.

Abstract The restoration and renovation of old industrial buildings has become a key issue in the field of engineering. In this article, the application of nano-materials in concrete was analyzed, nano-modified cement materials with different nano-silica (NS) content were designed, which were divided into group N, group NS1, group NS2, and group NS3, and the compression and fracture resistance, frost resistance, and bond performance of each group were analyzed. The results showed that the addition of NS could improve the compression and fracture resistance of the material. When the age was 28 days and the content of NS was 2%, the compression and fracture resistance of the material were better, 65.48 MPa and 8.34 MPa, respectively; when the freeze-thaw cycle reached 50 times, the mass loss rate and strength loss rate of different NS groups were lower than those of group N.

Abstract Single point incremental forming (SPIF) is a sheet forming technology giving low volume production with high flexibility characteristics. The flexibility of the process is mainly related to the fact that incremental forming does not require a dedicated die to operate as compared to other forming processes. Polymers are extensively used for many applications because of their good mechanical properties. Considerable research has been reported for the SPIF of metals, but the researches on polymers are in scarce. In the present work, SPIF is performed on one of the polymers known as polyvinyl chloride. The effect of wall angle, feed rate, and step size on springback, thinning, and surface roughness is observed. It was found that the springback mainly depends on the wall angle but it is least dependent on the feed rate. The thinning and the surface roughness also mainly depend on the wall angle but are least dependent on step size.

Abstract Using an ultrasonic-assisted stir casting method, a pure aluminum (Al) matrix (99% purity) was mixed with Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNPs) in various proportions ranging from 0.5 wt.% to 2.0 wt.% to create a Metal Matrix Composite. The microstructural and mechanical behavior of pure Al-graphene composites were studied experimentally, and it was discovered that Al with 1.0 wt.% graphene composite exhibits improved mechanical properties, with a 38.80% increase in tensile strength and a 56.07% increase in microhardness. Furthermore, field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to inspect the composites’ exterior morphology, and fractography of the tensiled composites, as well as X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, was used to observe the materials’ stage changes.

Abstract Combining ball milling with stir casting in the synthesis of nanocomposites is found effective in increasing the strength and ductility of the nanocomposites. In the first step, the nanoparticles used as reinforcement are generated by milling a mixture of aluminum (Al) and manganese dioxide (MnO2) powders. A mixture of Al and MnO2 powders are mixed in the ratio of 1:2.4 by weight and milled at 300 rpm in a high-energy planetary ball mill for different durations of 120 min, 240 min, and 360 min to generate nano-sized alumina (Al2O3) particles. It is supposed that the powders have two different roles during milling, firstly, to generate nano-sized Al2O3 by oxidation at the high-energy impact points due to collision between Al and MnO2 particles, and secondly, to keep nano-sized Al2O3 particles physically separate by the presence of coarser particles.

Abstract Heat-affected zone (HAZ) softening occurs during the laser welding of many Advanced High-Strength Steels (AHSS) that are used for body-in-white (BIW) of automobiles, leading to degradation in the mechanical properties of the welded joints. The microstructure and mechanical properties of dissimilar laser-welded AHSS comprising of as-received 22MnB5 with dual-phase (DP) steels (DP600, DP800, and DP 1000) were investigated in this study. Welds were made at welding speeds ranging from 1 m/min to 3 m/min. Irrespective of welding speed, the DP600-22MnB5 joints fractured in the base metal (BM) of 22MnB5 during tensile tests. Likewise, welded joints of DP800-22MnB5 and DP1000-22MnB5 made at 1 m/min and 2 m/min failed in the BM; however, at 3 m/min the failure location of these joints shifted to the fusion zone (FZ). The fractured surfaces of all the welded combinations were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Abstract The aluminum alloy 7075 sheets have drawn more attention in recent years in the automotive industry for lightweighting. Hot stamping of high-strength aluminum alloy has been developed to improve the formability of the part without springback. Obtaining an adequate quench rate is a critical step of the hot stamping process and corresponds to good strength and corrosion resistance. This work looks at measuring the quench rate of 7075 at advanced aging (AA) and T6 condition via two different approaches: forced air and water with various temperatures. The results verify that water is a superior form of quenching, i.e., from 50°C/s to 550°C/s, the forced air-cooled quench rate is 2°C/s-10°C/s. Besides, mechanical properties such as yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and uniform elongation were measured by tensile testing. As a result, a correlation between the quench rate and final mechanical properties was developed.

Abstract Aluminum boron carbide (Al-B4C) composites have been a popular choice among scientists and designers for high-performance strength-to-weight ratio engineering applications. Requirements for such applications are met due to enhanced microstructure, mechanical properties, and ease of processing conditions. The performance and application of these composites are mostly dependent on certain parameters, like composition ratios of reinforcing particles, their sizes and wettability, the presence of additional phases, etc. Prominently, efforts are also being made to synthesize Al-B4C as functionally graded materials (FGMs) that have the potential to cater to the needs of advanced engineering applications and can facilitate new dimensions in the field of aluminum matrix composites (AMCs).