Investigation of the buckling behavior of a control arm with Si particle reinforced aluminum based metal composite material

Control arms are subjected to static and dynamic loads in car during their lifetime. Recent increases in loads in which control arms are subjected, are not complying with the low-weight design targets expected by auto makers. In this study, buckling behavior of control arms which have been produced with Si particle reinforced aluminum based metal composite material have been investigated and compared with the performance of control arms that are produced with standard aluminum alloy. The results revealed that mechanical properties of control arm housings with 10% Sip MMC material are lower than standard 6110 alloy due to different process parameters. Elasticity of modulus of control arm housings with 10% Sip MMC material are approximately 7% higher than standard aluminum alloys. Buckling results of control arms with 10% Sip MMC material are around 25% lower that control arms with standard 6110 alloy. Also, a second darker phase was found in the microstructure.

Methodological approach for the development of an operator assistance system for the press shop

The productivity of a deep drawing process strongly relies on its robustness as well as the experience of the machine operator. Steadily increasing requirements regarding weight, design and efficiency lead to a production operating increasingly closer to the process limits, making it more challenging to ensure a high robustness of the process. Minimal process fluctuations caused by disturbances such as varying material properties or changing tribological conditions may negatively affect the process due to deteriorated product properties as well as an increased risk of scrap. Thus, a target-oriented adjustment of available parameters by the machine operator becomes more difficult, and an increased knowledge about the causes of defects is more important. In the past, several approaches with different combinations of sensors and actuators have been investigated to enable a stable process window based on a control system. This paper presents a method to address the need for a more robust process by developing an operator assistance system that enables the identification of the component state and provides decision support to the machine operator. The methodological approach includes a thorough process analysis to evaluate the expediency of such a system and to make a reasonable preselection of sensors in order to avoid unnecessary costs.

Optimised design of systems and processes using algebraic inequalities

A method for optimising the design of systems and processes has been introduced that consists of interpreting the left- and the right-hand side of a correct algebraic inequality as the outputs of two alternative design configurations delivering the same required function. In this way, on the basis of an algebraic inequality, the superiority of one of the configurations is established. The proposed method opens wide opportunities for enhancing the performance of systems and processes and is very useful for design in general. The method has been demonstrated on systems and processes from diverse application domains. The meaningful interpretation of an algebraic inequality based on a single-variable sub-additive function led to developing a light-weight design for a supporting structure based on cantilever beams. The interpretation of a new algebraic inequality based on a multivariable sub-additive function led to a method for increasing the kinetic energy absorbing capacity during inelastic impact. The interpretation of a new inequality has been used for maximising the mass of deposited substance during electrolysis.

Experimental verification of high-strength composite materials using a simulation program

The use of composites in engineering applications has been steadily growing in recent years. Despite this growth and despite some important advantages of the properties that composites offer, such as reduced weight, design freedom, etc., a breakthrough in high- volume components in engineering applications has not been achieved at present. Therefore, when designing selected parts and structures using new materials, such as composites, material and manufacturing costs must be considered a high priority if further significant growth is achieved. However, many other factors must also be considered when designing a composite part for engineering use. These factors also depend on the particular material or combination of materials being evaluated. The paper is focused on testing a composite material manufactured from polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), reinforced with high-strength fibres Cordenka and Aramid fibres. The composite material's mechanical properties were verified using Ansys simulation software.

Identification and control of a 3-X cable-driven manipulator inspired from the bird neck

This paper is devoted to the control and identification of a manipulator with three anti-parallelogram joints in series, referred to as X-joints. Each X-joint is a tensegrity one-degree-of-freedom mechanism antagonistically actuated with cables and springs in parallel. As compared to manipulators built with simple revolute joints in series, manipulators with tensegrity X-joint offer a number of advantages, such as an intrinsic stability, variable stiffness and lower inertia. This design was inspired by the musculosleketon architecture of the bird neck, which is known to be very dextrous. A test-bed prototype is presented and used to test computed torque control laws. Friction and cable elasticity are modelled and identified. Their effect on the performance of control laws is analyzed. It is shown that in the context of antagonistic actuation and light weight design, friction plays a leading role and the significance of modelling cable elasticity is discussed