Thesis (MScEng (Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to investigate the machinability of commercially pure (CP) titanium, manufactured using the press-and-sinter PM process. To this end, CP titanium powder (-200 mesh) was compacted and sintered in vacuum (10-4 torr) for two hours at 1200°C. Small cylindrical samples were compacted at pressures varying from 350 to 600 MPa in order to determine the compressibility of the powder. Following these tests, four larger stepped-cylinder samples were compacted at pressures close to 400 MPa and sintered under similar conditions. These samples had sintered densities varying between 3.82 and 4.41 g/cm3. They were used to evaluate the machinability of the sintered titanium using face turning machining tests. The samples were machined dry, using uncoated carbide (WC-Co) cutting tool. Cutting speeds between 60-150 m/min were evaluated while keeping the feed rate and depth of cut constant at 0.15 mm/rev and 0.5 mm, respectively. The final machined surface finish and the tool wear experienced during the face turning machining tests were monitored in order to evaluate PM titanium’s machining performance. This study showed that it is possible to use the press-and-sinter PM process with CP titanium powder, with a particle size of less than 75 μm (-200 mesh), to manufacture sintered titanium. However, particle shape influences the compressibility of the powder and pressing parts of larger volume, such as the machining test sample shape, is challenging when using such small particle size powder. Processing conditions, such as compaction pressure, sintering temperature and sintering time, influence the sintered density. Results from the machinability tests show that tool wear increases with a decrease in the porosity of the sintered titanium. A more porous sintered material has both lower strength and thermal conductivity. As these factors have opposing effects on the machinability of materials, it is concluded that the strength of the sintered titanium has a stronger influence on its machinability than the thermal conductivity. The cutting tool wear was uniform but showed indications of crater wear. The machined surface of the denser parts had minimal defects compared to less dense parts. Chip shape is long for the dense parts, and spiral for the less dense parts. The chips formed were all segmented, which is typical for titanium. The machinability of the sintered CP titanium was compared to that of wrought titanium alloys. As expected, it was found that the machinability of the sintered titanium was poor in comparison. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om die masjineerbaarheid van kommersieel suiwer (KS) titaan, wat deur die pers-en-sinter poeiermetallurgie (PM) metode vervaardig word, te ondersoek. Om hierdie doel te bereik, is KS titaan poeier (-200 ogiesdraad) gekompakteer en gesinter in ‘n vakuum (10-4 torr) teen 1200°C vir 2 ure. Klein silindriese monsters is tussen drukke van 350en 600 MPa gekompakteer om die samedrukbaarheid van die poeier te bepaal. Na aanleiding van hierdie toetse, is vier groter trapvormige-silinder monsters by drukke naby aan 400MPa gekompakteer en onder soortgelyke omstandighede gesinter. Hierdie monsters het gesinterde digthede tussen 3.82 en 4.41 g/cm3 gehad. Hulle is gebruik om die masjineerbaarheid van die gesinterde titaan te ondersoek deur middel van vlak-draai masjineringstoetse. Die monsters is sonder smeermiddel gemasjineer met onbedekte karbied (WC-Co) snygereedskap. Snysnelhede tussen 60 – 150 m/min is geëvalueer terwyl die voertempo en diepte van die snit konstant by 0.15 mm/rev en 0.5 mm, onderskeidelik, gehou is. Die finale gemasjineerde oppervlak afwerking en gereedskapsslytasie tydens die vlak-draai masjinering toets is van die faktore wat gemonitor is sodat PM titaan se optrede tydens masjinering geëvalueer kan word. Hierdie studie wys dat diepers-en-sinter metode wel met KS titaan poeier, met ‘n partikel grootte van minder as 75 μm (-200 maas), gebruik kan word om gesinterde titaan te vervaardig. Die partikelgrootte beïnvloed wel die samedrukbaarheid van die poeier. Die samedrukking van parte met groter volume, soos bv die masjinerings toetsmonster, is uitdagend wanneer klein partikelgrootte poeier gebruik word. Proses omstandighede, soos kompaksie druk, sinteringstemperatuur en sinteringstyd, beïnvloed die gesinterde digtheid. Resultate van die masjineerbaarheidstoetse wys dat beitelslytasie toeneem met ‘n afname in porositeit van die gesinterede titaan. ‘n Meer poreus gesinterde materiaal het beide laer sterkte en termiese geleidingsvermoë. Aangesien hierdie faktore teenoorgestelde uitwerkings op masjineerbaarheid het, word dit dan afgelei dat die sterkte van gesinterde titaan ‘n groter invloed het op sy masjineerbaarheid as die termiese geleidingsvermoë. Die beitel se slytasie is hoofsaahlik, maar het tekens van kraterslytasie getoon. Die gemasjineerde oppervlak van die meer digte onderdele of toetsmonters het min gebreke gehad in vergelyking met die minder digte dele. Die vorm van die spaanders is lank vir digte parte, en spiraalvormig vir minder digte toetsmonsters. Die spaanders wat gevorm het, was almal gesegmenteerd, wat tipies is vir titaan. Die masjineerbaarheid van die gesinterde KS titaan is met dié van gesmede titaanallooie vergelyk. Soos verwag is, is gevind dat die masjineerbaarheid van die gesinterde titaan in vergelyking swak is.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Date: September 2017, Johannesburg / The focus in this research investigation is to investigate the Process Parameter Optimisation in Laser Beam Forming (LBF) process using the 4.4 kW Nd: YAG laser system – Rofin DY 044 to form 200 x 50 x 3 mm3 mild steel - AISI 1008 samples. The laser power P, beam diameter B, scan velocity V, number of scans N, and cooling flow C were the five input parameters of interest in the investigation because of their influence in the final formed product. Taguchi Design of Experiment (DoE) was used for the selection and combination of input parameters for LBF process. The investigation was done experimentally and computationally. Laser Beam Forming (LBF) input parameters were categorised to three different levels, low (L), medium (M), and high (H) laser forming (LBF) parameters to evaluate parameters that yield maximum bending and better surface finish/quality. The conclusion drawn from LBF process is that samples which are LBFormed using low parameter settings had unnoticeable bending and good material surface finishing. On the other hand, samples LBFormed using medium parameters yielded visible bending and non-smooth surface finishing, while samples processed using high LBF parameters yielded maximum bending and more surface roughness than the other two process parameters. / MT2018

Today's manufacturing environment is characterized by competition and continuous change in product and process requirements. The concept of "design for manufacturability" integrates product specifications with manufacturing capabilities by considering the design and manufacturing phases as an integrated system, evaluating the combined system during the design phase of a product , and adjusting the design for maximum efficiency and production economics. This research focuses on one aspect of design for manufacturability, that of process technology evaluation for a specified product design. The objective of the proposed system developed in this study is to evaluate technology alternatives for manufacturing a specified part design and to identify the best combination of product-process characteristics that would minimize production costs within the constraints set by the product's functional requirements and available processing technology. The research objectives are accomplished by developing a simulation based analysis system. The user inputs product specifications through structural screens. The system maintains data bases of work and tool materials, and machining operations. Based on user input, the system then extracts appropriate information from these data bases, and analyzes of the production system in terms of production economics, and other operational measures such as throughput times and work-in-process inventories. Sensitivity analysis may then be performed to explore tradeoffs in design and production parameters. The system is completely integrated, and a user with no prior experience of either simulation or data base technology can use the system effectively. / Graduation date: 1992

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on January 31, 2008) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Rev. version of the author's Thesis (doctoral)--École pratique des hautes études, Paris, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references and index.

Thesis (MScEng (Industrial Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / The titanium alloys have found wide application in the aerospace, biomedical and automotive industries. Soaring fuel prices and environmental concerns are the fundamental drivers that intensify the demand situation for titanium. From a machining viewpoint, one of the challenges companies face, is achieving high material removal rates while maintaining the form and function of the part. The ultimate aim for a machining business remains to make parts quickly. Conventional cutting speeds range from 30 to 100 m/min in the machining of Ti-6Al-4V. Milling this alloy faster however is challenging. Although titanium is becoming a material of choice, many of the same qualities that enhance titanium‟s appeal for most applications also contribute to its being one of the most difficult materials to machine. The author explored the potential for Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) inserts in high speed milling of Ti-6Al-4V, by trying to understand the fundamental causes of tool failure. The objective was to achieve an order of magnitude increase in tool life, while machining at high speed, simply by reducing some of the failure mechanisms through different cutting strategies. Tool wear is described as a thermo-mechanical high-cycle fatigue phenomenon. The capability of a higher material removal per tool life is achieved in the case of PCD inserts compared to Tungsten carbide (WC). The average surface roughness produced was relatively low. The collected chips were also analyzed. The work demonstrated progress over the performance reported in current literature. The work confirms that there is a region where a sufficiently high temperature in the cutting zone may contribute to extended tool life, provided that the tool material can withstand these extreme conditions.

Orientador: Maria Helena Robert / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica / These (docteur) - Universite de Savoie, Ecole Superiore D'Ingenieurs D'Annecy, France / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T16:12:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pires_GiselePuime_D.pdf: 10020252 bytes, checksum: d17ac3ccc26b5a239dcb6fa99c211603 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: Este trabalho apresenta estudo sobre a viabilidade da estampagem, no estado semisólido, de chapas da liga A5052. Inicialmente, para a obtenção de chapas tixofundidas, chapas comerciais laminadas foram submetidas ao processo de fusão parcial controlada, variando-se os parâmetros tempo e temperatura, com o objetivo de analisar a estampabilidade das chapas no estado sólido. Os parâmetros utilizados foram: fusão parcial a 627°C por 5 e 10 minutos, e 634°C, por 5 e 15 minutos, em chapas com 0,8 mm; fusão parcial a 624°C por 5 e 10 minutos, e 631°C por 5 e 15 minutos, em chapas com 2,0 mm; e fusão parcial a 625, 630 e 635°C por 15 minutos em chapas de 4,0 mm de espessura. As chapas foram caracterizadas com relação à microestrutura, sendo observada homogeneidade estrutural em toda a chapa. Também foram caracterizadas quanto às propriedades mecânicas, sendo que o material tixofundido (obtido por fusão parcial) apresentou diferenças significativas em relação ao material laminado. Para a caracterização da estampabilidade do material, foram feitos ensaios de Erichsen e obtidas curvas limite de conformação de chapas nos estados laminado, recozido e tixofundido, utilizando o método Marciniak e um método de análise de imagens para a obtenção das deformações principais da liga nos diferentes estados. Os resultados mostraram que o material tixofundido apresenta formabilidade semelhante à do material recozido. Foi buscada a caracterização do arranjo espacial de glóbulos em pastas tixofundidas; os resultados mostraram a presença de aglomerados tridimensionais de partículas com evidente interação entre elas, indicando a possibilidade da estrutura suportar esforços de tração. Portanto, para estudos da viabilidade de tixoestampagem, foi construída matriz com geometria tal a apresentar condições severas de conformação. As chapas foram tixoestampadas (temperaturas acima da solidus) e comparadas com chapas estampadas a quente. Observou-se que a tixoestampagem é um processo perfeitamente viável, levando a excelentes resultados de acabamento da peça e redução da força necessária para a obtenção do produto / Abstract: This work presents an analysis of the viability of drawing A5052 sheets in the semisolid state. Initially, to produce thixocast sheets, rolled commercial sheets were submitted to partial melting by different temperatures and holding times, to analyse the sheets draw ability in the solid state. The parameters utilised were: 627°C for 5 and 10 minutes, and 634°C, for 5 and 15 minutes, in sheets of 0,8 mm; 624°C for 5 and 10 minutes, and 631°C for 5 and 15 minutes, in sheets of 2,0 mm; and 625, 630 and 635°C for 15 minutes in sheets of 4,0 mm thickness. The sheets had their microstructure characterised; results showed high homogeneity of the structure throughout the test piece. Mechanical properties of the thixocast material (obtained by partial melting) were also characterised, showing significant differences when compared to the rolled condition. For drawing ability characterisation, Erichsen tests were performed and forming limit diagrams of the sheets in the rolled, annealed and thixocast states were obtained, using Marciniak's technique and image analysis to obtain the main deformations of the alloy in the different conditions. Results showed that the thixocast material shows good formability, similar to the annealed material. Characterisation of the spatial structure of thixocast slurry showed the presence of tridimensional agglomerates of globular solid particles, with evident interaction among globules, indicating the possibility of the structure to stand tensile stresses. Therefore, for thixodrawing tests, a die was especially designed to impose severe flow conditions. The sheets were formed by thixodrawing (temperatures above the solidus) and compared to hot drawing tests. It was observed that thixodrawing is a perfectly viable process, requiring lower forces than conventional solid processing and resulting in excellent finishing products / Doutorado / Materiais e Processos de Fabricação / Doutor em Engenharia Mecânica

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This study evaluated dome test samples of a superplastic AA5083 aluminum alloy deformed at nominally constant strain rates under biaxial strain conditions. Dome test samples resulted from gas-pressure forming of sheet material; for this study, samples were deformed at strain rates corresponding either to grain boundary sliding or dislocation creep control of deformation. Orientation Imaging Microscopy was utilized to determine texture development, grain size and grain-to-grain misorientation angle distributions for locations located along a line of latitude of the dome samples. The goal was to identify the location of the transition from grain boundary sliding to dislocation creep. Grain boundary sliding, which dominates at lower strain rates, can be recognized by a randomized texture and a higher concentration of high disorientation angles. Dislocation creep, which dominates at higher strain rates, is characterized by fiber texture formation and development of a peak at lower angles in the grain-to-grain misorientation angle distribution. / Ensign, United States Navy

"A Java pre- and post-processing graphical user-oriented interface has been developed by the authors to aid a mill engineer with little or no finite element experience throughout the analysis process of the finishing rolling stands. A case study is presented that uses the commercial finite element code ABAQUS/Explicit to predict roundness and tolerance customer requirements. Other parameters that are determined include spread, crosssectional area, percentage reduction in area, incremental plastic strain, total plastic strain and roll force. All parameters are compared to theoretical models and some are compared to full-scale mill testing."

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a strong focus on the use of titanium and its alloys in the aerospace industry due to the high ultimate tensile strength and high strength-to-weight ratio of the material. The high performance nature of the material also makes it difficult and costly to machine. South Africa has the second most abundant titanium resources in the world in the form of rutile and ilmenite but no value chain to produce titanium parts from the ore. Currently, the ore is sold overseas at low prices. There exists an initiative to create a full titanium value chain in South Africa by the Department of Science and Technology. This project forms part of this initiative, where local industry is equipped with knowledge and skills to produce and machine titanium parts. The focus of this study is to determine whether it is possible to machine titanium aerospace parts at a local industry partner and equip the industry partner with knowledge and skills in order to facilitate effective and economical machining of these parts. Daliff Precision Engineering was selected as the local industry partner and specific demonstrator parts were selected on which to base the study. The process the industry partner currently uses to machine aerospace parts from difficult-to-machine alloys was studied and evaluated. It was found that about 70% of the machining time was spent on a single roughing process, hence the decision to study the roughing process in an attempt to establish whether improvement was possible. Pilot tests were done at the facilities of the industry partner and time savings of 95% were realised on the roughing process. A 2-level 3-factor Design of Experiments methodology was followed for experimentation and analysis of titanium machining at the industry partner. The roughing process of the demonstrator part was simulated on the CNC machining centre and the depth of cut, cutting speed and feed per tooth were selected as the factors, and the response was tool wear. A statistical analysis was done using Modde 9.1 design of experiments software and an optimisation model was created in order to determine a feasible set of cutting parameters, maximise material removal rate and have a target amount of tool wear. The findings show that it is possible to economically machine titanium aerospace parts with a selected geometry at the industry partner without the need for significant capital investments. The industry partner can use the knowledge generated in this project to validate their titanium machining capabilities and form part of the titanium value chain that is being developed in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar is ‘n groot fokus op die gebruik van titaan allooie in die lugvaart nywerheid, as gevolg van die material se hoë trek-sterkte en hoë sterkte-tot-gewig verhouding. Die eienskappe wat die material so aantreklik maak, is ook die rede wat dit moeilik en duur maak om te masjineer. Suid-Afrika het die tweede grootste titaan reserwes in die wêreld in die vorm van rutiel en ilmeniet erts, maar geen waarde ketting om titaan onderdele te vervaardig van die erts af nie. Die erts word tans oorsee verkoop teen lae pryse. Daar is tans ‘n inisiatief om ‘n titaan waardeketting in Suid-Afrika te skep deur die Departement van Wetenskap en Tegnologie. Hierdie projek vorm deel van hierdie inisiatief om die plaaslike nywerheid toe te rus met kennis en vaardighede om titaan produkte te vervaardig. The fokus van hierdie studie is om te bepaal of dit moontlik is om titaan lugvaart onderdele te masjineer by ‘n plaaslike industrie-vennoot en om hierdie vennoot met kennis en vaardighede toe te rus om hierdie onderdele effektief en ekonomies te vervaardig. Daliff Precision Engineering is gekies as die plaaslike industrie-vennoot en spesifieke demonstrator onderdele is gekies om die studie op te baseer. Die proses wat die industrie-vennoot tans gebruik om moeilik-om-te-masjineer allooie te masjineer is bestudeer en ge-evalueer. Daar was bevind dat 70% van die masjineringstyd bestee word aan ‘n enkele uitrof-proses. Daar is besluit om vas te stel of die uitrof-proses verbeter kan word. Loods-eksperimente is gedoen by die industrie-vennoot se fasiliteite en ‘n tydsbesparing van 95% is gevind op die uitrof-proses. ‘n 2-Vlak 3-faktor eksperimentele ontwerp metodologie is gevolg om eksperimente by die industrie-vennoot op titaan uit te voer en te analiseer. Die uitrof-proses van die demonstrator onderdeel is gesimuleer op die CNC masjineringsentrum en die diepte van snit, snyspoed en voer per tand is gekies as die faktore en beitel-slytasie is gekies as die respons. ‘n Statistiese analise is gedoen deur Modde 9.1 eksperimentele ontwerp sagteware te gebruik om ‘n moontlike stel van sny-parameters te identifiseer om die materiaal-verwyderingstempo te maksimeer en die teiken waarde vir beitel-slytasie te bereik. Daar is gevind dat dit moontlik is on titaan lugvaart onderdele met ‘n spesifieke geometrie ekonomies te masjineer by die industrie-vennoot, sonder om enige beduidende kapitaal uitgawes aan te gaan. Die industrie-vennoot kan die kennis gebruik wat geskep is deur die projek om hulle titaan masjineringsvaardighede te valideer en om deel te vorm van die titaan waardeketting wat besig is om in Suid-Afrika ontwikkel te word.