A sustainability comparison between drilling and milling for hole-enlargement in machining of hardened steels

Abstract

Hole-making is one of the most important processes of metal shaping domain. Although, drilling is a commonly used approach to cut holes in metallic parts, the process cannot be completed with the cutting action of one drill bit if the work material is hard and diameter of the hole is large. Usually, a drill having diameter equal to the required diameter of the hole is utilized to enlarge a predrilled hole of a smaller diameter. In this work, we have investigated sustainability of using another method of enlarging a pre-drilled hole, namely side and end milling and compared it with the drilling-based approach. The work material used in the study is a high carbon steel, which is heat-treated to two distinct levels of surface hardness. Besides process type and work material hardness, the other two parameters tested in the investigation are cutting speed and depth of hole. A total of 16 experiments were performed to generate data regarding the sustainability measures, namely hole surface roughness, specific cutting energy and tool wear. Process choice (drilling or milling) for hole-enlargement was found to possess a significant effect on all the measured responses. Analyses carried out on the experimental data revealed that although the drilling-based option led to an immensely better surface finish, the milling-based option performed better with respect to the other measures of economic and environmental sustainability.     

Niobium boride coating on AISI M2 steel by boro-niobizing treatment

In this study, niobium boride coating was applied on pre-boronized AISI M2 steel by the thermo-reactive deposition technique in a powder mixture consisting of ferro-niobium, ammonium chloride and alumina at 950 °C for 1-4 h. The coated samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and micro-hardness tests. Niobium boride layer formed on the pre-boronized AISI M2 steel was smooth, compact and homogeneous. X-ray studies showed that the phases formed on the steel surfaces are NbB, Nb₃B₂, FeB and Fe₂B. The depth of the niobium boride layer ranged from 0.97 μm to 3.25 μm, depending on treatment time. The higher the treatment time the thicker the niobium boride layer observed. The hardness of the niobium boride layer was 2738 ± 353 HV_0.01.     

Acoustic emissions during fracture toughness tests of steels exhibiting varying ductility

This investigation is primarily aimed at examining steels with varying ductility using characteristics of acoustic emission (AE). Four steels (AISI 1060, AISI 1080, SA333 grade 6 and AISI 304LN) were selected and their structure property relations were characterized using standard metallographic examinations, hardness and tensile properties. Fracture toughness of these steels was determined as per the guidelines of ASTM standard E1820 with simultaneous recording of AE signals. The results of these investigations have been used to demonstrate that: (a) nature of the variation of AE cumulative counts with time is different for linear and non-linear load–displacement plots, (b) synergistic analysis of the rate of change of cumulative energy, cumulative counts and intensity of AE signals provide the point of crack initiation in a material, and (c) fracture toughness of a material estimated using AE parameters is lower compared to that obtained by ASTM standard procedure.     

空调常用制冷剂在微通道蒸发器中的性能分析

通过换热器优化软件设计了一款微通道平行流蒸发器模型,利用已验证的传热与压降关联式,在不同的模拟工况下研究分析了R22、R290(propane)、R134a、R410A、R1234yf在蒸发器模型中的传热与流动性能。结果表明:在质量流量一定的条件下,R290的换热量远高于其他制冷剂,是R22的1.63倍,R410A的换热量与R22相差无几,换热量最小的制冷剂为R1234yf;R290的充注量为147 g,仅为R22的72.4%,R134a的充注量最大,达到了221 g;制冷剂侧压降损失最大的R290,压降损失达到了75.4 k Pa。在理论换热量一定、质量流量不定的条件下,换热量最大的制冷剂是R134a,达到了8 500 W;充注量和制冷剂侧压降损失最小的制冷剂为R290,并且其换热量达到了8 230.4 W。     

Comparison of R-290 and two HFC blends for walk-in refrigeration systems

To help provide a clear understanding of the relative performance potential of HFCs (R-404A and R-410A) as compared to R-290 for walk-in refrigeration systems representing direct expansion commercial refrigeration systems with small charge, an experimental evaluation of the three refrigerants was investigated. To compare the environmental impact of refrigerants over the entire life cycle of fluid and equipment, including power consumption, the life cycle climate performance (LCCP) of the three refrigerants were evaluated based on measured data. The estimated LCCPs at various emission rates indicate that the LCCP of R-290 is always lower than that of R-404A. The LCCP of R-410A is lower than that of R-290 as long as the annual emission is kept below 10%. It was concluded that R-410A has less or equivalent environmental impact as compared to R-290 when safety (toxicity and flammability), environmental impact (climate change), cost and performance (capacity and COP) are considered.     

Formation Conditions of Clathrates Between HFC Alternative Refrigerants and Water

There are two promising candidates as alternative refrigerants for air-conditioners and heat pumps. The first is R407C, which is composed of HFC-32 (23 mass%), HFC-125 (25 mass%), and HFC-134a (52 mass%). The second is R410A, which is composed of HFC-32 (50 mass%) and HFC-125 (50 mass%). In this study, formation conditions of clathrate compounds between water and HFC alternative refrigerants such as HFC-32, HFC-125, HFC-134a, and their mixtures, R407C and R410A, were investigated. Phase diagrams of clathrates of these HFC alternative refrigerants and their mixtures were determined. From the phase diagrams, the critical decomposition temperature and the critical decomposition pressure were determined. The relationship between the critical decomposition points for the clathrates of HFC-32, HFC-125, HFC-134a, R410A, and R407C were studied. It is found that R407C and R410A form clathrate compounds with water under the evaporating temperature condition in the refrigeration cycle of air-conditioners and heat pumps.     

5 mm水平强化管内R410A/润滑油流动冷凝压降实验研究

在质量流率200～400 kg/(m~2·s)、干度0.1～0.9、冷凝温度40℃及润滑油浓度0～5%的工况范围内,对5 mm水平强化管内R410A/润滑油混合物流动冷凝压降特性进行了实验研究,分析不同质量流率、干度和润滑油质量分数对冷凝压降特性的影响。实验结果表明:摩擦压降随着质量流率和干度的增大而增大;润滑油的存在对压降特性具有重要影响,在中低干度区域摩擦压降和油影响因子随着润滑油浓度的增大而减小,在高干度区域摩擦压降和油影响因子随着润滑油浓度的增大而增大。     

AISI8630钢泥浆泵排出缸失效分析及工艺改进

针对AISI8630钢锻件在实际生产中出现的锻造失效问题进行了研究。采用"EAF→LF→VD→铸锭"工艺冶炼AISI8630钢锭,钢锭锻造成泥浆泵锻件,经热处理加工后探伤发现密集性缺陷。通过化学成分、低倍分析和金相显微分析,对产生的缺陷进行分析研究。结果表明:宏观检测受检面有许多裂纹,将裂纹打开,发现断口存在明显的白点缺陷;近裂纹附近有灰色硫化物夹杂,存在明显的组织偏析现象,远离裂纹处的金相组织无明显差异。通过加强冶炼过程控制,对钢锭进行锻前消氢、消应力退火及锻后250℃以下缓冷处理等工艺优化,避免了白点缺陷的形成,并经现场验证得到合格产品。     

基于权重粒子群算法的工件铣削温度研究

为研究铣削加工中工件的温度分布规律,推导其热传导数学模型,提出应用权重粒子群算法(Weighted particle swarm optimization, WPSO)开展时变热流密度辨识的方法,并结合试验数据对AISI1045钢在特定工况下的温度分布情况进行分析。结果表明,铣削过程中的界面热流密度呈3个阶段的非线性变化;切削初期存在缓慢温升的平台期,渡过平台期后,工件与刀具相接触部分的温度急剧上升,最高温度可达到860 ℃左右;从试验结果与解析结果的对比来看,两者误差的最大值约为11.06%,结果基本吻合。研究表明所提出的方法可以较为准确研究铣削加工过程中工件的温度分布情况。     

Hardness properties and high-temperature wear behavior of nitrided AISI D2 tool steel, prior and after PAPVD coating

Wear experiments in the range of 25–600 °C have been conducted on samples of D2 tool steel in different conditions involving unnitrided, nitrided and nitrided and coated with Balinit^® A (TiN) and Balinit^® Futura (TiAlN) deposited industrially at Balzers (Amherst, NY, USA), by means of PAPVD. The results indicate that coating the nitrided D2 tool steel substrate with these two films gives rise to an improvement of 97% (TiN) and 99% (TiAlN) in the wear behavior at the test temperature of 300 °C, in comparison with the uncoated substrate. However, at a temperature of 600 °C, besides oxidation of the coatings, the mechanical strength of the substrate decreases giving rise to fracture and delamination of the films. At this temperature the uncoated substrate exhibited the highest resistance to sliding wear, presumably due to the formation of a well bonded surface glazed layer which gives rise to a significant reduction in the friction coefficient. The indentation experiments that were conducted with the nitrided steel substrate and the coated systems indicates that the nitriding process applied to the D2 steel prior to PAPVD coating provides a satisfactory load support which contributes to the improvement of the coated systems capability to withstand indentation loads at room temperature. In this regard, the coated system with a TiAlN coating displayed a better behavior than that shown by the system with a TiN coating. An experimental procedure is proposed in order to predict the hardness profile of the nitrided tool steel, along the cross section of the material, just from hardness measurements taken on the surface of the sample, employing different indentation loads.