Strain State in Metal Sheet Axisymmetric Stretching with Variable Initial Thickness: Numerical and Experimental Results

This work presents a finite element model to analyze the distribution of the strains due to an axisymmetric stretching of a metal sheet. The sheet is characterized by a variable initial thickness. The resulting strain state is compared with that of a sheet with a constant initial thickness. The results of the present study allow asserting that the distribution of strains in the sheet can be controlled by setting opportunely the trend of the sheet initial thickness. In this way, it is possible to see that, starting from a sheet with variable initial thickness, a lighter final product is obtained, whose final thickness distribution is more uniform than that of the product obtained from a classic stretching process that requires a sheet with constant initial thickness. Encouraging results from an experimental activity carried out on an AA6060 aluminum alloy sheet, whose trend of initial thicknesses was prepared by removing material from a commercial sheet with a constant thickness, allow us to note the good agreement with what was theoretically highlighted.

Laser Welding of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) Manufactured 316L Stainless Steel Lap Joint

The aim of the study was to determine the static strength of laser welded lap joint in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) printed stainless steel material and also a joint formed of printed and commercial sheet metal. Printed 316L test pieces with a thickness of 2 mm and a similar commercial 2 mm thin plate were used as test material. A laser welded lap joint made of a commercial sheet metal was used as a reference. Yb:YAG disk laser with wavelength 1030 nm and maximum output power 4 kW was used in welding tests. All test sets were welded with the same welding parameters and argon shielding gas. One fully penetrated keyhole weld was made to the lap joint. The static strength of the lap joints was determined by tensile tests. The measured shear strength was highest in the reference joint. In other cases, shear strength was only 8-11% lower compared to the reference joint. The cross-sections of the welds were analyzed on the basis of images taken with an optical microscope. Based on the results, the printed 316L is highly laser weldable material.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Laser Welded 316L SLM Parts

This paper focuses on a study conducted on laser welding of printed 316L parts that were produced with a selective laser melting process. Commercial sheet material was used as a reference for the printed 316L parts. The effect of heat treatment on joint properties, and on what stage of the process it should be applied, was studied with metallography and mechanical testing. Optical microscopy was applied to analyze the microstructure of the base material and the weld seam. Tensile testing was applied for determining monotonic strength of different structures. The printed base material showed higher strength, but lower ductility in comparison to the commercial sheet material. In the welded condition, tensile properties were impaired by the welding, but for the commercial sheet material, no clear effects were seen. The difference was hypothesized to be caused by the higher strength mismatch in the printed joints. For the welded structures, the best strength-ductility combination was achieved by heat treating the parts both before and after the laser welding.

Control of Downy Mildew in Greenhouse-Grown Cucumbers Using Blue Photoselective Polyethylene Sheets

Six types of polyethylene sheets with or without a blue pigment, having an absorption peak at the yellow part of the spectrum (580 nm), in combination with three levels of UV-B (280 to 320 nm) absorbance, were investigated for their effects on sporangial production and colonization of Pseudoperonospora cubensis on cucumbers in growth chambers. The effect of these photoselective sheets on the epidemiology of downy mildew in greenhouse-grown cucumbers has been investigated in several locations. The addition of the blue pigment to the films resulted in a significant inhibition of colonization and sporangial production of P. cubensis, whereas filtration of the UV spectrum enhanced the colonization but had no effect on the sporangial production. The appearance of the first symptom-bearing plants was delayed under the blue covers, and consequently, a significant reduction in the disease incidence of downy mildew was recorded under all blue sheets at each corresponding level of UV-B transmittance in five different field experiments through four seasons. Regardless of the differences in disease incidence, there were no significant differences among the yields that were obtained under the various sheets, probably due to the lower photosynthetically active radiation transmissivity of the blue films. The optimal features required for a desirable commercial sheet are discussed.

A Quantitative Method to Examine Through Thickness Texture Variation

Through thickness texture variation is a reality in commercial sheet stock. However, methods to quantitatively evaluate this variation and its effects are not readily available. In this study, it was shown that a hot rolled commercial aluminium sheet manifests variation in rolling texture components which can be detected by traverse scan of the peak intensity across the through thickness using tapered specimens. Moreover, this asymmetry can be correlated to the intensity asymmetry observed in pole figures. A quantitative analysis is possible if the ODF is generated using monoclinic symmetry with the transverse direction as the diad axis instead of the conventional orthorhombic symmetry.