Workpiece debris deposition on tool electrodes and secondary discharge phenomena in micro-EDM

During electrical discharge machining (EDM), ablated workpiece material is rapidly solidified upon ejection into the dielectric and thought not to become reattached to the electrode surfaces. This work furthers the understanding of the little understood discharge gap phenomena by investigating the attachment of machined material back onto the tool electrode surface and explains the mechanism of this attachment. After the machining of high-aspect ratio slots, SEM and EDS techniques along with single discharge and cross-sectional analysis were used to explain that debris reattachment onto the tool electrode does not occur randomly but is dependent on its remelting in the dielectric by the secondary discharge process. The subsequently bonded material is present mainly in the centre of the discharge crater, with no attachment occurring outside of discharge affected regions. The surfaces of electrodes subject to intense secondary sparking are therefore liable to transient surface properties dependent on the composition of the deposited material. It is also observed that the deposited material on the tool electrode can offer a protective effect against wear from further secondary discharges and so potentially enhancing tool life.     

Categorically defined targets trigger spatiotemporal visual attention.

Transient attention to a visually salient cue enhances processing of a subsequent target in the same spatial location between 50 to 150 ms after cue onset (K. Nakayama & M. Mackeben, 1989). Do stimuli from a categorically defined target set, such as letters or digits, also generate transient attention? Participants reported digit targets among keyboard symbols in a changing array of 8 items. When 1 target preceded a second target in the same location at a stimulus onset asynchrony of 107 ms (but not 213 ms), the second target was reported more often than in a condition in which there was no leading target. When the 2 targets were at different locations, report of the second target was impaired. With both letters and digits as targets, the enhancement effect was shown not to be due to category priming. Critically, the attentional benefit was present whether or not participants reported the leading target. Transient attention, contingent attentional capture, popout, and Lag 1 sparing in the attentional blink may involve a common mechanism for orienting processing resources towards salient and task relevant stimuli. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

VOLUME-OF-FLUID CALCULATION OF HEAT OR MASS TRANSFER ACROSS DEFORMING INTERFACES IN TWO-FLUID FLOW

A new volume-of-fluid (VOF)-based numerical method for calculating heat transfer or mass transfer of a species within and between fluids with deforming interfaces is described. The algorithm is tested first against an analytical solution for diffusion from a sphere, and good agreement between theory and calculation is shown. The method is then demonstrated by predicting (a) heat transfer from a rising bubble when the bubble forms a toroidal shape, and (b) mass transfer from a rising drop when the drop phase controls diffusion. The method is shown to be a viable approach for complex interfacial heat/mass transfer.     

Abscheidung von SiOxNy Sperrschichten durch Dual Magnetron Sputtering

Silicon Oxynitride Barrier Layers Deposited by Pulsed‐DC Dual Magnetron Sputtering SiO_xN_y barrier layers have been deposited using pulsed direct current (DC) and medium frequency (MF) sputtering on large area (GEN 5) glass substrates. Several process parameters, such as discharge voltage, boost voltage, and discharge frequency were varied with the goal of increasing system productivity and reducing the arc rate during SiO_xN_y deposition. The arc rate during operation with pulsed DC dual magnetron sputtering was lower than for MF sputtering; however for the same nominal discharge power, the deposition rate using pulsed DC power supplies was slightly lower than for operation with MF. The suitability for use as a barrier layer was deduced by capping the SiO_xN_y layers with DC sputtered ZnO:Al coatings and subjecting the sample stacks to anodic and cathodic degradation and subsequent storage in a damp atmosphere.     

A Strategic Approach for Managing Oil and Gas Assets

The global oil market is experiencing a structural shift. Faced with a rapid price decline, large oil-producing countries had decided to protect their market share, with the hopes of permanently removing expensive supply from the market. Meanwhile, the ability of the US shale oil producers to respond quickly to positive price signals puts downward pressure on prices. On the demand side, advances in renewable technology and the continued effort to curb consumption of fossil fuel conspire to inhibit long-run growth.¹ These factors suggest that the current down-cycle may continue for an extended period of time or even invoke another down-cycle.