RATIONAL FOR REHEATING IN THE AUTOMATED LINE FOR RING BLANKS PRODUCTION

Features and requirements to the use of reheating of ring blanks in the conditions of production on the automated line are considered. An assessment is given for a technological temperature state of ring blanks at various stages of production under conditions of the automated line. For assessment of rational for reheating at production of ring blanks, a classification of ring manufacturing technology is proposed with the production of a pressed non-core blank in an open die, with the production of a pressed profile blank in a closed die, with the production of a pressed profile blank in a stamp with reverse extrusion. The technology of ring rolling with the production of a pressed non-core blank in an open die is the most economical and does not require the use of reheating in the manufacture of rings made of medium-alloy steels. The technology of ring rolling of a profile blank obtained in a closed die does not require the use of additional heating after pressing, in the case of manufacturing rings with a simplified profile on the outer or inner diameters of the ring. In the manufacture of rings with a more complex profile on the outer and inner diameters of the ring, as well as rings made of high-alloy steels, the final decision on the need for additional heating is made depending on the temperature of the end of intensive plastic deformation for the selected steel grade of the ring. The technology of ring rolling with the production of a pressed profile blank in a die with reverse extrusion requires the use of reheating after the pressing operation before the ring rolling operation, and is recommended for the manufacture of rings from medium- and high-alloy steels with a complex profile section on the outer and inner diameters, wall thicknesses, with a ratio of wall thickness to outer diameter D within h / D = 0.011...0.016 and with a ratio of wall thickness to ring height L within h / L = 0.020...0.041. The proposed recommendations are intended for use in the development of technological support for the operation of the automated ring-rolling complex at OJSC “BELAZ”.

APPLICATION OF NON-CONTACT PROFILOMETER IN AUTOMATED PRODUCTION

The main thesis of this paper was to briefly describe the measurement technique using a non-contact laser profilometer. This paper is divided into several parts, where in the introduction, in the theoretical analysis, we described the necessity of using control mechanisms in automation. Then, in the second chapter, we have developed the technology of measurement with a profilometer and its application in scientific work and in practice. In the experimental part, we have defined the application of a profilometer in laboratory conditions on an automated line in the measurement of a part printed with a 3D printer. Finally, we evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of this device compared to mechanical measuring devices.

TASKS OF TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT OF THE AUTOMATED RING ROLLING COMPLEX

The physical foundations and advantages of ring rolling are described. The materials science and technological processes of manufacture of products with its use are generalized. An analysis of the equipment of an automated ring rolling line was carried out, which showed that it is a complex and expensive technical solution. Moreover, the organization of the line with maximum load and efficiency is not included in the supplier’s tasks. The requirements for the maximum load of the line and its efficient operation have been determined. It is shown that the use of the experience of creating automated production of railway wheels when creating an automated production of ring blanks is impossible due to the need to ensure the production of rings of different structural shapes from different steel grades with different temperature ranges of plastic deformation and with different (from a hundred to several thousands) annual production programs. This requires the use of a different ratio of the radial and axial forces of the ring rolling, different technological equipment, taking into account different stiffness of the rings and their tendency to deformations during processing, transportation and cooling, a special development of mechanization means for readjustments. It is impossible to work out in advance all the technological options for the production of rings of different standard sizes on an automated line. In this regard, for the effective work of the complex, it is necessary to develop technological support and software for the manufacturing processes of each ring, to provide for the possibility of adjusting technological processes directly on the automated line with the participation of operators. On this basis, the tasks of technological support for the operation of the automated ring rolling complex at the OJSC “BELAZ” were formulated.

Automated Line-of-Therapy Algorithm for Adults with Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Validation Study Using Blinded Manual Chart Review (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Extraction of line of therapy (LOT) information from electronic health record (EHR) and claims data is essential for determining longitudinal changes in systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) in real-world clinical settings. OBJECTIVE The aim of this retrospective cohort analysis was to validate and refine our previously described open source LOT algorithm by comparing algorithm output with results obtained through blinded manual chart review. METHODS We used structured EHR data and clinical documents to identify 500 adult patients treated for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with SACT from 2011 through mid-2018, assigning patients to training (n=350) and test cohorts (n=150), randomly divided proportional to the overall ratio of simple:complex cases (n=254:246). Simple cases were patients who received one LOT and no maintenance therapy; complex cases received more than one LOT and/or maintenance therapy. Algorithmic changes were performed using the training cohort data, after which the refined algorithm was evaluated against the test cohort. RESULTS For the simple cases, 16 instances of discordance between LOT algorithm and chart review pre-refinement were reduced to 8 instances post-refinement; in the test cohort there was no discordance between algorithm and chart review. For the complex cases, algorithm refinement reduced discordance from 68 to 62 instances, with 37 instances in the test cohort. Percentage agreement between LOT algorithm output and chart review for patients who received one LOT was 89% pre-refinement, 93% post-refinement, and 93% for the test cohort, while the likelihood of precise matching between algorithm output and chart review decreased with increasing number of unique regimens. Several areas of discordance that arose from differing definitions of LOTs and maintenance therapy could not be objectively resolved because of a lack of precise definitions in the medical literature. CONCLUSIONS Our findings identify common sources of discordance between an LOT algorithm and clinician documentation, providing for the possibility of targeted algorithm refinement.

Textile Recognition and Sorting for Recycling at an Automated Line Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy

In order to add value to recycled textile material and to guarantee that the input material for recycling processes is of adequate quality, it is essential to be able to accurately recognise and sort items according to their material content. Therefore, there is a need for an economically viable and effective way to recognise and sort textile materials. Automated recognition and sorting lines provide a method for ensuring better quality of the fractions being recycled and thus enhance the availability of such fractions for recycling. The aim of this study was to deepen the understanding of NIR spectroscopy technology in the recognition of textile materials by studying the effects of structural fabric properties on the recognition. The identified properties of fabrics that led non-matching recognition were coating and finishing that lead different recognition of the material depending on the side facing the NIR analyser. In addition, very thin fabrics allowed NIRS to penetrate through the fabric and resulted in the non-matching recognition. Additionally, ageing was found to cause such chemical changes, especially in the spectra of cotton, that hampered the recognition.

Environmentally friendly automated line for recovering aluminium and lithium iron phosphate components of spent lithium-iron phosphate batteries

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries contain metals, toxic electrolytes, organic chemicals and plastics that can lead to serious safety and environmental problems when they are improperly disposed of. The published literature on recovering spent LFP batteries mainly focuses on policy-making and conceptual design. The production line of recovering spent LFP batteries and its detailed operation are rarely reported. A set of automatic line without negative impact to the environment for recycling spent LFP batteries at industrial scale was investigated in this study. It includes crushing, pneumatic separation, sieving, and poison gas treatment processes. The optimum retaining time of materials in the crusher is 3 minutes. The release rate is the highest when the load of the impact crusher is 800 g. An air current separator (ACS) was designed to separate LFP from aluminium (Al) foil and LFP powder mixture. Movement behaviour of LFP powder and Al foil in the ACS were analysed, and the optimized operation parameter (35.46 m/s) of air current speed was obtained through theoretical analysis and experiments. The weight contents of an Al foil powder collector from vibrating screen-3 and LFP powder collector from bag-type dust collector are approximately 38.7% and 52.4%, respectively. The economic cost of full manual dismantling is higher than the recovery production line. This recycling system provides a feasible method for recycling spent LFP batteries.

Planning and Design of Robotic Production

This paper discusses the design of automated lines, taking into account the use of industrial robots to perform technological operations. When planning manufacturing processes, as well as the placement of process equipment and robots in the production area, optimization techniques are usually used to ensure critical performance and efficiency indicators. The considered design methods are shown on the example of an automated line for the production of lithium-ion batteries. To design this line, 3D CAD models of technological equipment and transport lines were built. Based on the results of time analysis, those technological operations were opted, for which it would be advisable to use robots. The design of the robotic production for the technological operations was carried out using ABB robots. The robots required were chosen from the ABB catalog by weight, size of work area, speed and power. The plan of the robotic zones was drawn up using the ABB RobotStudio software, which allows visualizing the movements and programming robots off-line.

Some Aspects of Increasing the Efficiency of Automated Production Lines

The article examines the development of mathematical models of automated production lines to determine their efficiency, depending on the following parameters: the number of sections and the number of steams in each section, the number and type of storage buffers, and the number of adjusters. Some issues related to the theory of automated line performance at the design and operation stage are also considered. The existing methods for calculating the efficiency of automated production lines are considered as a stage-by-stage design process, and the necessary decision making rules are defined. It is noted that the technological process is specified in the form of technological transitions. A method for obtaining the lower and upper estimates of productivity and the availability factor are developed. The proposed method involves using computers and assumes, as initial data, the availability of analytical solutions for calculating the efficiency of elementary modules that the automated line is comprised of. Integrated automation leads to improved efficiency of the automated line, better quality of the finished product, and a reduced manufacturing cycle. ed for publication