A Change of Paradigm for the Design and Reliability Testing of Touch-Based Cabin Controls on the Seats of Self-Driving Cars

The current design paradigm of car cabin components assumes seats aligned with the driving direction. All passengers are aligned with the driver that, until recently, was the only element in charge of controlling the vehicle. The new paradigm of self-driving cars eliminates several of those requirements, releasing the driver from control duties and creating new opportunities for entertaining the passengers during the trip. This creates the need for controlling functionalities that must be closer to each user, namely on the seat. This work proposes the use of low-cost capacitive touch sensors for controlling car functions, multimedia controls, seat orientation, door windows, and others. In the current work, we have reached a proof of concept that is functional, as shown for several cabin functionalities. The proposed concept can be adopted by current car manufacturers without changing the automobile construction pipeline. It is flexible and can adopt a variety of new functionalities, mostly software-based, added by the manufacturer, or customized by the end-user. Moreover, the newly proposed technology uses a smaller number of plastic parts for producing the component, which implies savings in terms of production cost and energy, while increasing the life cycle of the component.

Parametric optimization of friction stir welding of Al-Mg-Si alloy: A case study

Al-Mg-Si alloys have wide applications in industries such as aerospace, marine, automobile, construction. In this work, newly developed friction stir welding (FSW) was utilized for joining of AA6082-T6 alloy. The effect of major FSW process variables like rotational speed, traverse speed, and shoulder diameter of tool is studied over microstructural and mechanical characteristics of friction stir welded (FSWed) joints. Experimental design was done using Taguchi method (L9 orthogonal array). Three factors viz. rotational speed, welding speed, and diameter of tool shoulder were taken at three levels each. Mathematical modelling was developed in order to optimize the tensile strength of weld joints. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to determine the percentage contribution of input variables. The results of present study exhibits that shoulder diameter, rotation, and welding speed of tool significantly affect the mechanical strength of FSWed joints.

Nanocomposite Materials

Nanocomposites are the heterogeneous/hybrid materials that are produced by the mixtures of polymers with inorganic solids (clays to oxides) at the nanometric scale. Their structures are found to be more complicated than that of microcomposites. They are highly influenced by the structure, composition, interfacial interactions, and components of individual property. Most popularly, nanocomposites are prepared by the process within in situ growth and polymerization of biopolymer and inorganic matrix. With the rapid estimated demand of these striking potentially advanced materials, make them very much useful in various industries ranging from small scale to large to very large manufacturing units. With a great deal to mankind with environmental friendly, these offer advanced technologies in addition to the enhanced business opportunities to several industrial sectors like automobile, construction, electronics and electrical, food packaging, and technology transfer.

APPLYING OF MODIFIERS FOR SECONDARY POLYMER MATERIALS USED IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

The article describes problems of the relevance of the use of automobile construction details of the secondary polymer materials. Methods for modifying polymer materials, types of modifiers and their application in the manufacture of mechanical engineering products are considered.

Efficiency Mark of Structuring the Share Capital of Native Automakers

The proposed system efficiency mark of structuring the share capital of domestic enterprises, consists of three levels. According to this evaluation system, the analysis of the efficiency of structur ing the share capital of domestic automakers over the past eight years has been carried out and the main reasons for the economic downturn in the automotive industry of Ukraine have been identified. According to the analysis, at all investigated enterprises, the profitability of assets is lower than the interest on borrowing. The return on equity of enterprises decreases and acquires negative values, while the profitability of the assets of the investigated enterprises is also negative, as a result of which the profitability of equity with an increase in the level of debt quickly becomes negative. Such a structure of equity is inefficient and unsatisfactory, as the insolvency of enterprises comes along with the onset of obligations. Therefore, an important condition for further economic development of domestic automobile construction companies is the implementation of measures to improve the structure of share capital and optimize it.

A Review of the Synthesis and Applications of Polymer–Nanoclay Composites

Recent advancements in material technologies have promoted the development of various preparation strategies and applications of novel polymer–nanoclay composites. Innovative synthesis pathways have resulted in novel polymer–nanoclay composites with improved properties, which have been successfully incorporated in diverse fields such as aerospace, automobile, construction, petroleum, biomedical and wastewater treatment. These composites are recognized as promising advanced materials due to their superior properties, such as enhanced density, strength, relatively large surface areas, high elastic modulus, flame retardancy, and thermomechanical/optoelectronic/magnetic properties. The primary focus of this review is to deliver an up-to-date overview of polymer–nanoclay composites along with their synthesis routes and applications. The discussion highlights potential future directions for this emerging field of research.