The analysis of tool life and wear mechanisms in spindle speed variation machining

Regenerative chatter vibrations generally limit the achievable material removal rate in machining. The diffusion of spindle speed variation (SSV) as a chatter suppression strategy is mainly restricted to academy and research centers. A lack of knowledge concerning the effects of non-stationary machining is still limiting its use in real shop floors. This research is focused on the effects of spindle speed variation technique on tool duration and on wear mechanisms. No previous researches have been performed on this specific topic. Tool wear tests in turning were carried out following a factorial design: cutting speed and cutting speed modulation were the investigated factors. The carbide life was the observed process response. A statistical approach was used to analyze the effects of the factors on the tool life. Moreover, the analysis was extended to the wear mechanisms involved during both constant speed machining and SSV. The worn-out carbide surfaces were examined under a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Significant differences were appreciated. It was observed that SSV tends to detach the coatings of the inserts, entailing a mechanism that is quite unusual in wet steel turning and thus fostering the wear of the tool. The performed analysis allowed to deduce that the intensified tool wear (in SSV cutting) is mainly due to thermo-mechanical fatigue

The use of nematodes in assessing ecological conditions in shallow waters surrounding a Mediterranean harbour facility

The spatial distribution and structure of nematode assemblages in the area surrounding the harbour of Vado Ligure (Savona, NW Mediterranean) were studied in relation to the influence of natural and anthropogenic environmental factors. Stations were selected following an “anthropogenic gradient” from sites located near the city centre and its harbour to more pristine and distant sites. Sediment quality was determined by considering both sediment granulometric and chemical parameters (hydrocarbons, heavy metals, total organic matter, proteins, carbohydrates) as well as nematode abundance, diversity, life strategies, trophic structure and assemblage composition. A high correlation between environmental characteristics and the nematode response was found. On the basis of the comparison of these results, which identified three distinct sub-areas associated with different levels of environmental quality, a set of nematode indicator genera was selected for the future evaluation of quality status

Modelling of an innovative cryogenic assisted dieless sheet metal piercing process

In tube piercing, if the internal die is necessary to properly pierce the tube avoiding its crushing, it also represents a bottleneck to a rapid change of the piercing/punching set. In this research, an innovative dieless tube piercing approach has been conceived and studied. The use of a cryogenic fluid to force the material ductile-brittle transition is a way to limit the sheet deformation during the dieless piercing process. The analysis of the innovative cryogenic piercing process was carried out both adopting numerical and experimental methodologies. A finite element FE model of the cryogenic piercing was developed and updated in two stages. First, experimental tensile tests, performed at cryogenic temperatures, were used to characterize some material properties. Secondly, some piercing tests in cryogenic conditions were carried out at different velocities and temperatures to fine update the model. A validation session was executed to assess the model and the process feasibility. It was found that the FE model reproduced the experimental results within a maximum estimation error of 10 % on both the required piercing force and on the deviation from the nominal dimension of the tube cross-section. Although the piercing tests were conducted at quite a low temperature (−80 °C), an extended analysis of the wall fractures confirmed that a proper ductile-to-brittle transition did not occur. Further increasing the punching velocity and especially decreasing the piercing temperature could be the only viable solutions to promote the transition and further reduce tube deformation

A novel application of cryogenics in dieless sheet metal piercing

In tube punching, if the internal die is necessary to properly pierce the tube avoiding its collapse, it also represents a bottleneck to a rapid change of the punching set. In this research an innovative dieless tube punching approach has been conceived and studied. The use of a cryogenic fluid to force the material ductile-brittle transition is a way to limit the sheet deformation during the piercing process. The analysis of the innovative cryogenic punching was carried out both adopting numerical and experimental methodologies. A finite element FE model of the cryogenic punching was developed and updated in two stages. First, experimental tensile tests, performed at cryogenic temperatures, were used to characterize some material properties. Secondly, some piercing tests in cryogenic conditions were performed at different velocities and temperatures to fine update the model. A validation session was carried out to assess the model and the process feasibility. It was found that the FE model reproduced the experimental results within a maximum estimation error of 10% on both the punching force and tube deflection. Results showed that both the increment of the punching velocity and especially the decrement of the punching temperature could be the only viable solution for making the tube dieless punching industrially feasible

Hybrid heterogeneous prognosis of drill-bit lives through model-based spindle power analysis and direct tool inspection

Abstract: In the context of Industry 5.0, manufacturing systems are driven by human-centered production processes, assigning high-level supervisory tasks to operators. This necessitates that machines can perform low-level decision-making actions. This paper presents a novel hybrid heterogeneous prognosis algorithm designed to autonomously inspect the cutting edges of drill-bits and to forecast their Remaining Useful Life along with the associated probability density function. The algorithm leverages specific force coefficients from spindle power and feed axis current measurements, as features correlated with tool wear, to detect tool brittle failures. Additionally, flank wear is automatically measured through a specifically conceived image processing algorithm, using thresholding, convolutional filters, and edge detection techniques. Direct tool wear measurements are analyzed by a hybrid prognosis algorithm, fusing particle filter and multi-layer perceptron, to predict drill-bits’ remaining useful lives. The proposed solution offers several advantages. It reduces the need for extensive experimental run-to-failure tests typically required for training standard machine learning algorithms. Instead, it allows for real-time adaptation, even in scenarios involving untested and varying cutting process conditions. Furthermore, it utilizes both indirect wear observations during cutting operations and direct wear observations during setup times (e.g. tool changes, workpiece changes), without interrupting the ongoing process. Exponent of Kronenberg’s models for specific force coefficients was found to be sensitive to tool wear. Prognosis could correctly predict the 67% of end-of-lives with an average prognosis horizon of 30%

A novel simulation methodology for orthogonal cryogenic machining with CFD spray cooling integration

The performance of cryogenic machining depends on the effectiveness of the heat transfer between the coolant jet and the chip in the cutting area because it affects the material temperature and the mechanical properties of the chip. This is a complex multi-physics problem because the solid deformation depends on the thermal and fluid–dynamic interaction with the cryogenic droplets generated by the atomization of the coolant jet. Within this context, this work applies an innovative methodology based on computational fluid dynamics to simulate the cutting process accounting for the interaction with the cryogenic jet. The proposed approach does not require empirical correlations since it integrates a predictive machining analytical model with Conjugate Heat Transfer CFD simulation and spray modelling to accurately estimate the heat transfer process accounting for the cooling effect of the impinging droplets. Complete Ti6Al4V dry and cryogenic cooled orthogonal cutting simulations were performed and results were compared with literature experimental data and state-of-the-art Finite Element Modelling simulations. The proposed methodology correctly estimates the cutting forces to vary cutting velocity and depth. Average errors in the resultant force estimation are 11.85% in dry and 14.4% in cryogenic cutting. Moreover, the experimental increase of the cutting force due to cooling is better estimated by the proposed approach with respect to FEM simulations. Thanks to the results accuracy and reduced computational costs, the proposed methodology could improve the understanding and the design of this innovative machining technology

Robust tool condition monitoring in Ti6Al4V milling based on specific force coefficients and growing self-organizing maps

Tool condition monitoring (TCM) is a mean to optimize production systems trying to use cutting tool life at its best. Nevertheless, nowadays available TCM algorithms typically lack robustness in order to be consistently applied in industrial scenarios. In this paper, an unsupervised artificial intelligence technique, based on Growing Self-Organizing Maps (GSOM), is presented in synergy with real-time specific force coefficients (SFC) estimation through the regression of instantaneous cutting forces. The conceived approach allows robustly mapping the SFC, exploiting process parameters and similarity to manage the variability of their estimation due to unmodelled phenomena, like machine dynamics and tool run-out. The devised approach allowed detecting the tool end-of-life in cutting tests with variable lubrication, machine tool and cutting speed, through the adoption of a self-starting control chart running on real-time clustered data. The solution was validated through the comparison of the GSOM framework with respect to the optimized self-starting control chart applied without GSOM clustering. The GSOM reached a root mean squared percentage error (RMSPE) of 13.2% with respect to 56.1% obtained with the analogous control chart in a full-set optimization scenario. When optimised on tests for a unique machine tool and tested on another machine tool, GSOM scored an RMSPE of 34.5%, whereas the optimized control chart scored 64.5%

Energy Efficiency of the Vulcanization Process of a Bicycle Tyre

The production of tyres is one of the most energy consuming manufacturing activities in the rubber sector. In the production cycle of a tyre, the curing operation has the maximum energy loss. This is mostly due to the extensive use of steam as a source of heat and pressure in the vulcanization process. To the author’s knowledge, no scientific work is available in the literature where the energy efficiency of a tyre vulcanization press is estimated by means of a comprehensive model of all main components, including the moulds, the press with its heated plates, the bladder and, of course, the tyre. The present work aims at filling this gap. First, the press used for developing the model is described, along with its components and its typical product, a bicycle tyre. The instruments used for measuring flow rates, temperatures and pressures are also listed. Then, a numerical model is presented, that predicts the energy transfers occurring in the vulcanization press during a full process cycle. The numerical model, developed with the software Simcenter Amesim 2021.1, has been validated by means of measurements taken at the press. The results indicate that the amount of energy which is actually consumed by the tyre for its reticulation process amounts to less than 1% of the total energy expenditure. The paper demonstrates that the tyre industry is in urgent need of an electrification conversion of the traditional steam-based processes