Texture evolution of FCC sheet metals during deep drawing process

The stability of ideal orientations and texture evolution was investigated for FCC sheet metals during deep drawing. Lattice rotation fields around ideal orientations were numerically predicted using a rate-sensitive polycrystal model with full constraint boundary conditions. In order to evaluate the strain path during deep drawing of an AA1050, simulations using a finite element analysis were carried out. The stability of orientations and texture formation was examined at sequential paths such as flange deformation, transition and wall deformation. Depending on the initial location in the blank, the deviation from the plane strain state in the flange deformation path decreased the orientation density around P and shifted the final stable end orientation from P to Y_f near . The texture evolution in AA1050 sheet metals during deep drawing was experimentally investigated. The change of orientation density around ideal orientations in the RD and TD samples was in good agreement with the rate-sensitive polycrystal model.     

Effect of non-Newtonian behaviour of lubricant and bearing flexibility on the performance of slot-entry journal bearing

This work describes the theoretical study concerning the effect of non-linear behaviour of the lubricant on the performance of a slot-entry journal bearing. The analysis considers the generalized Reynolds equation governing the flow of lubricant having variable viscosity in the clearance space and the three dimensional elasticity equations governing the displacement field in the bearing shell, and equation of flow of lubricant through slot restrictor. The non-Newtonian lubricant is assumed to follow the cubic shear stress law ( ). Bearing performance characteristics have been presented for a typically selected values of non-linearity factor ( ) and deformation coefficient ( ). It has been observed that the combined effect of non-linearity factor ( ) and bearing flexibility ( ) affects the performance characteristics of slot-entry journal bearing quite significantly.     

Report of the Italian inter-laboratories comparison of high dc resistance on the calibration of a and a resistors

A national comparison of high dc resistance at and level was organized by the Electromagnetic Division of National Institute of Metrological Research (INRIM, Italy) and piloted by the high dc resistance Laboratory of the same Division. This comparison took place between January and April 2008 with the participation of 8 Secondary Laboratories accredited by the Italian Service of Accreditation of Calibration Laboratories (SIT). The travelling package included one wire-wound standard and one thick film-type standard in a wooden anti-shock container designed by INRIM. The obtained results indicate that the relative differences at and between each Laboratory’s value and the respective reference value are all within the expanded relative uncertainties of these differences at a 2σ confidence level.     

Free vibrations of thin periodic plates interacting with an elastic periodic foundation

A dynamic behaviour of thin periodic plates interacting with an elastic periodic foundation is analysed. The main aim is to investigate free vibrations and calculate frequencies for these plates. The presented modelling approach to the linear-elastic plates, having periodic structure in planes parallel to the midplane, is adopted from the tolerance averaging method developed by Woźniak and Wierzbicki (Averaging techniques in thermomechanics of Composite Solids, Wydawnictwo Politechniki Cz stochowskiej, Cz stochowa, 2000) for periodic composites. The obtained plate model describes the effect of the periodicity cell size on the overall plate behaviour. In this paper this effect is analysed in the free vibrations problem. Two special cases are taken into account: a square plate with a periodic thickness interacting with a homogeneous foundation and a square plate with a constant thickness interacting with a periodic foundation. A certain justification of the model is also presented.     

Elastic–plastic solid disk with nonuniform heat source subjected to external pressure

The elastic–plastic stress distribution of a solid disk due to nonuniform heat source under external pressure is investigated in this work. The nonuniform heat generation rate is taken to be a function of the radial position in the form , where a denotes radius of the solid disk; q₀, n and s are constants. The exact solution presented is based on the usual assumptions of plane stress, Tresca's yield condition, its associated flow rule and linear strain hardening material behaviour. According to this analysis, the plastic core in the general case consists of three parts with different forms of the yield condition. The present solution is illustrated by numerical results and is compared with uniform heat generation case. This work provides the basis for a comprehensive investigation of the influence of nonuniform heat generation.     

Optical deflection measuring system

A system for accurate real-time measurement of deflections was developed. A stable laser source is, by means of a single-mode fiber, coupled to an optical head located at one end of deformed structure. A detector circuit with a quadrant detector and processing electronics, located at the other end of the structure, communicates the resolved 2D position of the incident beam over a common digital bus. Experiments using interferometers were conducted in a climate-controlled chamber to evaluate system performance and verify the accuracy. A resolution of 0.1  m is attainable in dynamic measurements. The system was calibrated and tested to yield measurement accuracy of ± 0.8  m for ± 2σ probability over the measurement range of ± 300  m. Drift of the system in the experimental setup was determined to be less than 2  m for measurement in both degrees of freedom within the 10 h period under constant environmental conditions.     

Validation of a single fibre-fed heterodyne laser interferometer with nanometre uncertainty

In this paper the validation of a fiber-fed heterodyne laser interferometer with nanometre uncertainty is presented. The achievable displacement measurement uncertainty is investigated for different polarisation maintaining fibres used in these interferometers. Measurement results are shown for both a range of m as well as a range of 300 mm. It is shown that a (selected) PM-fibre with an extinction ratio of 1:1650 and the use of an external reference allows realising a fibre-fed laser interferometer able to measure displacements with the same uncertainty as a laser interferometer system without fibre. Tests were performed with fibres ranging in length up to 50 m.     

Contact analysis of impact in magnetic head disk interfaces

Three-dimensional finite element analysis of head and disk contact effects induced by impact in magnetic head disk interface (HDI) are presented. Elastic–plastic contact simulations are performed using . The entire contact–impact procedures during head disk collision under the dynamic loading of half-sine pulse acceleration with profiles of 300 and 500 g amplitude and 1.0 ms in duration are described in detail. Simulation results for the contact pressure distribution at HDI, von Mises equivalent stress, and equivalent plastic strain fields are examined and interpreted in terms of impact history. A comprehensive history of head disk relative displacement and von Mises equivalent stresses within contact region are provided and the evolution of plasticity are discussed. It is shown that finite element method can provide the simulation of the contact behavior resulting from the dynamic loading.     

Axi-symmetric tube extrusion through a smooth conical or cosine die and over a conical or ogival mandrel: numerical construction of axi-symmetric slip-line fields and associated velocity fields

The numerical method of construction of axi-symmetric slip-line fields and their associated velocity fields suggested earlier for rod extrusion (Chitkara NR, Butt MA. Axi-symmetric rod extrusion through smooth conical, cosine and lat-faced dies, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, submitted) and tube extrusion (Chitkara NR, Butt MA. Axi-synnetric tube extrusion through a flat-faced circular die: International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, 1997;39(3);341–366) is employed to construct slip-line fields and their associated velocity fields for a few cases of forward tube extrusion through smooth, rigid conical and cosine dies and over a smooth rigid conical or ogival mandrel. The computographic plots of slip-line fields and associated velocity fields are given in the form of weighted and directed velocity vectors as are the normal pressure distribution on both the die and the mandrel surfaces. The values of the non-dimensionalised mean extrusion pressures, are compared in each case with a similar case of plane strin extrusion and the results commented upon.     

Repeatable and accurate assembly of X-ray foil optics

Repeatable and accurate assembly of thin, foil optics is crucial to meeting performance goals in optical systems such as grazing-incidence X-ray telescopes and diffractive lithography tools. Our previous work in proving key technologies for assembly has been motivated by the need to meet spectral resolution goals for the NASA Constellation-X mission. We report a new generation of technology that makes strides towards simulating actual telescope assembly conditions. Our technology is based on the use of micromachined silicon tooling that we call microcombs. Theoretical error budgeting and analytical models were applied to a mechanical design with an isolated metrology frame and high-resolution actuation with feedback. Experimental testing has yielded assembly results with sub-micron repeatability and accuracy. For complete foil reassembly, placement errors are approximately 0.3  m over a 140 mm× 100 mm× 0.4 mm foil. Accuracy of assembly in pitch and yaw are 0.34 and 2.01  m, respectively. This performance meets the 1  m telescope assembly accuracy goal with the exception of yaw accuracy, which is under continued development.     

Radial fretting behaviours of dental ceramics

Radial fretting tests on a Si₃N₄ ceramics ball opposite to the two dental ceramics flats (Vita VMK95 and Cerec Vita Mark II) have been carried out. The test apparatus was developed from a tension-compression hydraulic machine. Maximum normal load (F_max) was varied from 100 to 800 N with a speed of 6 mm/min, and the number of cycles from 1 to 10⁵. The fretting scars were examined by optical microscope and laser confocal scanning microscope (LCSM). The results of kinetics behaviours showed that all loading and unloading curves of load (F)–displacement (D) curves were almost superposed in the whole fretting process for two dental ceramics under a lower normal load (), and all F–D curves opened, correspondingly some micro-cracks initiated and developed in contact area, when the normal load increased to a higher level (). Under lower normal load, the fretting scars displayed the worn zones in shape of annulus. The cracks in shape of homocentric circularity can be observed for Vita VMK95 at and for Cerec Vita Mark II at . Therefore, there is better radial fretting damage resistance for Cerec Vita Mark II. In the microslip zone, the microscopic analysis showed that the particles detached by the mechanism of delamination. It the meantime, the competing mechanisms of fatigue cracks and wear also were discussed in this paper.     

Effects of oil inlet pressure and inlet position of axially grooved infinitely long journal bearings. Part I: Analytical solutions and static performance

This paper presents analytical expressions for the dynamic pressure and dynamic fluid force in axially grooved long journal bearings with consideration of oil inlet pressure and inlet position. The effects of oil inlet pressure (in the range of , where the dimensionless oil inlet pressure ) and oil inlet position (in the range of 0Θ_i90°) on the static oil film configuration, pressure distribution, and steady state journal position in axially grooved journal bearings are discussed. In this paper, Reynolds–Floberg–Jakobsson boundary conditions are assumed to account for the appropriate starting position of the cavitation, the reformation of oil film at the end of caviation, and the effect of oil inlet pressure and inlet position.     

Effects of grain size on the wear of recycled AZ91 Mg

Magnesium alloy AZ91 chips have been recycled using mechanical milling to yield samples with fine grain sizes. Together with cast samples of the same alloy, the wear behavior of these materials was studied through pin-on-disc sliding, with speeds varying from 1 to , under a normal load of 10 N. Despite the differences in grain size (0.6–) and mechanical properties, the various specimens did not differ significantly in their wear performance. Scanning electron microscopy observed abrasive wear to be dominant under low-speed sliding, and a transition to the formation of a protective mechanically mixed layer (MML) as sliding speed increased.     

Behavior of intact and damaged honeycombs: a finite element study

The Young’s moduli, the elastic buckling strength and the plastic collapse strength of regular honeycombs with defects consisting of missing cells in the structure were analyzed using the finite element method. The behavior of intact honeycombs was first analyzed; the results of this numerical study are consistent with those of previous analyses. The effect of single, isolated defects of varying sizes and the effect of the separation distance between two defects on the elastic and plastic behaviors were then analyzed. Single, isolated defects reduce the modulus and strength. The elastic buckling strength of a honeycomb with a defect normalized by the intact strength decreases directly with the ratio of the minimum net cross-sectional area normalized by the intact cross-sectional area. The plastic collapse strength of a honeycomb with a defect normalized by the intact strength decreases less rapidly than the ratio of the minimum net cross-sectional area normalized by the intact cross-sectional area. Two closely spaced, separate defects interact to reduce the elastic buckling strength of a honeycomb; at a separation distance of about ten cells separate defects act independently. The separation distance between two defects has little effect on the Young’s modulus or the plastic collapse strength of a honeycomb. The finite element analysis allows localization behavior to be studied: we find that the localization strain decreases with increasing .     

Shape heading of splines and solid spur gear forms:: an analysis and some experiments

To analyse the process of near-net shape heading of splines and solid spur gear forms with the 15 actual involute teeth, each with a pressure angle of , where in each case these were to be forged integral with the shaft and one end of the initial deforming cylindrical specimen was considered as constrained. Two types of theoretical approaches, i.e. the upper-bound technique (Chitkara and Bhutta. Proceedings of 28 MT DR Conference, 1990. p. 431–42; Chitkara and Bhutta. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 1995;37(12):1247–68; 1996;38(8–9):891–916) and the slab method of analysis (Chitkara and Bhutta. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 1996;38(8–9):871–89) employed earlier for simple forging of the product were suitably modified to account for the constraint, were applied. In each case, the estimated theoretical results for the die loads at increasing die movements were compared with those observed experimentally during the quasi-static incremental heading of splines and solid spur gears using tellurium lead as the model material for the specimens. The characteristic deformation modes and some salient observations made on the working pressures during the heading process vis-à-vis simple forging of these products are given and the results are commented upon.     

Influence of intergranular metallic nanoparticles on the fretting wear mechanisms of Fe–Cr–Al2O3 nanocomposites rubbing on Ti–6Al–4V

This paper presents a study concerning the influence of the amount of metallic nanoparticles on the wear behaviour of Fe_0.5–Cr_0.5–alumina nanocomposites rubbing on Ti–6Al–4V in fretting. Due to the elaboration process (metal–oxide nanopowder prepared by selective reduction in hydrogen of oxide solid solution and densified by spark plasma sintering), these materials generally own two sorts of nanoparticles: the intragranulars (size: ) located within the alumina grains and the intergranulars (size: ) located at the grain boundaries. This paper focuses on the role of each sort of nanoparticles with respect to the wear of the nanocomposite. Results show that the presence of intergranular nanoparticles is crucial for improving the wear resistance of nanocomposites whereas the intragranulars rather improve the mechanical properties of matrix grains. The lowest wear rate of the nanocomposite is obtained when the amount of intergranulars is about 3.5 wt%. Finally, the fretting wear mechanism of nanocomposites and the mechanism enabling to prevent it by using nanoparticles are both identified and discussed.     

Effects of oil inlet pressure and inlet position of axially grooved infinitely long journal bearings. Part II: Nonlinear instability analysis

This paper extends the analysis of Part I to investigate the influence of oil inlet pressure and its position on the dynamic characteristics of axially grooved journal bearings. Using the dynamic fluid force derived in Part I, the equations of motion are solved for the locus of the journal center. A trial-and-error method is used to identify the instability threshold speed for a given Sommerfeld number S. The effects of oil inlet pressure (in the range of ) and inlet position (in the range of 0Θ_i90°) on the instability threshold speed of a rotor-bearing system are investigated and discussed. It is shown that the instability threshold speed with oil inlet position Θ_i=0 decreases on increasing the oil inlet pressure from 0 to 1.0 while the influence of oil inlet position on the instability threshold speed depends on the steady state eccentricity ratio ε.     

Identification of yield stress and plastic hardening parameters from a spherical indentation test

Assuming plastic hardening of metals are specified by the stress–strain curve in the form , the material parameters σ₀, k and m are identified from spherical indentation tests by measuring compliance moduli in loading and unloading of the load–penetration curve. The curve P(h_p) is analytically described by a two term expression, each with different exponents. Here, ε_p and h_p denote the plastic strain and permanent penetration. The proposed identification method is illustrated by specific examples including numerical and physical identification tests.     

Microstructural tomography of a superalloy using focused ion beam microscopy

A focused ion beam (FIB) microscope has been used to simultaneously depth profile and image the γ–γ^′ microstructure of a nickel base superalloy using normal incidence milling in order to characterize the precipitate microstructure in three dimensions (3D). The normal incidence milling rates of the γ and γ^′ phases in this alloy are closely matched when the orientation of the depth-profiled surface is near , which allows for uniform material removal to depths up to a couple of microns. Depth-profiling experiments consisted of automated ion milling and collection of ion-generated secondary-electron images at specified intervals, and was demonstrated for a voxel resolution of roughly . Image-processing software was used for automated processing of the 2D image sequence to render the γ precipitate structure in 3D.     

Stability behaviour of arbitrarily laminated composite plates with free and elastically restrained unloaded edges

In this paper, the initial buckling loads and the corresponding buckling modes of symmetric rectangular laminated plates are investigated. The considered laminates are supposed to have a uniform thickness, are subjected to a linearly distributed inplane compressive normal load and are simply supported at the two loaded edges with one free unloaded plate edge and with one simply supported unloaded edge where elastic rotational restraints are considered. Unlike in many other investigations, the composite laminates presently under consideration may have arbitrary yet symmetric lamination schemes with bending–torsion coupling. The initial buckling loads of such plates are calculated using the RITZ-method for which some especially adjusted displacement shape functions are employed. Since a series expansion of the buckling shape is performed in the load direction only while in the perpendicular direction one single displacement function can be shown to be sufficient, the present approach is numerically very efficient when compared to approaches in which a series representation is chosen with respect to both inplane directions. Comparison with reference results and with finite element computations leads to an excellent agreement. Some new findings on the general stability behaviour of this class of laminated plates are presented as a closure.