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Global vehicle emissions reduction initiatives have warranted the development and usage of new materials and processes not traditionally used in the automotive industry besides exclusive applications. To support this mandate, vehicle lightweighting via metal replacement and design optimization has come into sharp focus as a doubly rewarding effect; namely, a lighter vehicle system not only requires less road load power for motivation, but also allows for smaller, usually more efficient powertrain options, which tend to be more efficient still. The automotive industry has begun to embrace adapting composite materials that have typically been available only to the upper end of the market and specialty racing applications. The specific component detailed in this paper highlights the challenges and rewards for metal replacement with an injection molded, fiber reinforced plastic for usage in mass produced drivetrain systems, namely the Electronic Limited Slip Differential (eLSD).

In applications demanding high performance under extreme conditions of pressure and temperature, a range of Mechanically Attached Fittings (MAFs) is offered by various Multinational Corporations (MNCs). These engineered fittings have been innovatively designed to meet the rigorous requirements of the aerospace industry, offering a cost-effective and lightweight alternative to traditional methods such as brazing, welding, or other mechanically attached tube joints. One prominent method employed for attaching these fittings to tubing is through Internal Swaging, a mechanical technique. This process involves the outward formation of rigid tubing into grooves within the fitting. One of the methods with which this intricate operation is achieved is by using a drawbolt - expander assembly within an elastomeric swaging machine.

Functionally graded materials enable structures to have distribution of different properties (physical, thermal, electrical, mechanical, etc.) across its volume; achievable via material/ design/ process engineering. These functionally graded materials can find an application in systems which demand localized variation or enhancement in properties in different regions of the same component. In this paper, we focus on the potential ways of designing functionally graded polymer composite structure by injection molding process. Advanced mold designs for injection molding process can be effectively used to manufacture the functionally graded structures. Innovative design approach has been explored to control the distribution of the filler content /orientation to impart distinctive properties across the cross section / geometry without affecting the bulk properties.

Light weight structures give significant advantages to products in the Industrial sector. Component weight-saving plays a major role in improving the efficiency and performance of assembled systems. The introduction of lighter materials into products using dissimilar material joining techniques can create more weight savings and leads to lighter structures. Structural optimization is another method to optimize the material layout without affecting overall performance of the product. This paper discusses the methods to create lighter structures by the introduction of lighter materials in structures and structural optimization methods. Lighter materials are introduced in the structure using dissimilar material joining techniques. Joining processes such as thermal shrink-fit and mechanical press-fit are useful for metal to metal components. Similarly, adhesively bonded joints are useful for both metal and non-metal (plastics and composites) components.

The use of electrical contacts in aerospace applications is crucial, particularly in connectors that transmit signal and power. Crimping is a widely preferred method for joining electrical contacts, as it provides a durable connection and can be easily formed. This process involves applying mechanical load to the contact, inducing permanent deformation in the barrel and wire to create a reliable joint with sufficient wire retention force. This study utilizes commercially available Abaqus software to simulate the crimping process using an explicit solver. The methodology developed for this study correlates FEA and testing for critical quality parameters such as structural integrity, mechanical strength, and joint filling percentage. A four-indenter crimping tool CAD model is utilized to form the permanent joint at the barrel-wire contact interfaces, with displacement boundary conditions applied to the jaws of the tool in accordance with MIL-C-22520/1C standard.