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1 – 10 of over 3000
Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 March 2024

Chongjun Wu, Yutian Chen, Xinyi Wei, Junhao Xu and Dongliu Li

This paper is devoted to prepare micro-cone structure with variable cross-section size by Stereo Lithography Appearance (SLA)-based 3D additive manufacturing technology. It is…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper is devoted to prepare micro-cone structure with variable cross-section size by Stereo Lithography Appearance (SLA)-based 3D additive manufacturing technology. It is mainly focused on analyzing the forming mechanism of equipment and factors affecting the forming quality and accuracy, investigating the influence of forming process parameters on the printing quality and optimization of the printing quality. This study is expected to provide a µ-SLA surface preparation technology and process parameters selection with low cost, high precision and short preparation period for microstructure forming.

Design/methodology/approach

The µ-SLA process is optimized based on the variable cross-section micro-cone structure printing. Multi-index analysis method was used to analyze the influence of process parameters. The process parameter influencing order is determined and validated with flawless micro array structure.

Findings

After the optimization analysis of the top diameter size, the bottom diameter size and the overall height, the influence order of the printing process parameters on the quality of the micro-cone forming is: exposure time (B), print layer thickness (A) and number of vibrations (C). The optimal scheme is A1B3C1, that is, the layer thickness of 5 µm, the exposure time of 3000 ms and the vibration of 64x. At this time, the cone structure with the bottom diameter of 50 µm and the cone angle of 5° could obtain a better surface structure.

Originality/value

This study is expected to provide a µ-SLA surface preparation technology and process parameters selection with low cost, high precision and short preparation period for microstructure forming.

Details

Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing and Special Equipment, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2633-6596

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 February 2024

Madhavarao Singuru, Kesava Rao V.V.S. and Rama Bhadri Raju Chekuri

This study aims to investigate the optimal process parameters of the wire-cut electrical discharge machining (WCEDM) for the machining of the GZR-AA7475 hybrid metal matrix…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the optimal process parameters of the wire-cut electrical discharge machining (WCEDM) for the machining of the GZR-AA7475 hybrid metal matrix composite (HMMC). HMMCs are prepared with 2 Wt.% graphite and 4 Wt.% zirconium dioxide reinforced with aluminium alloy 7475 (GZR-AA7475) composite by using the stir casting method. The objective is to enhance the mechanical properties of the material while preserving its unique features. WCEDM with a 0.18 mm molybdenum wire electrode is used for machining the composite.

Design/methodology/approach

To conduct experimental studies, a Taguchi L27 orthogonal array was adopted. Input variables such as peak current (Ip), pulse-on-time (TON) and flushing pressure (PF) were used. The effect of process parameters on the output responses, such as material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness rate (SRR) and wire wear ratio (WWR), were investigated. The grey relational analysis (GRA) is used to obtain the optimal combination of the process parameters. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also used to identify the significant process parameters affecting the output responses.

Findings

Results from the current study concluded that the optimal condition for grey relational grade is obtained at TON = 105 µs, Ip = 100 A and PF = 90 kg/cm2. Peak current is the most prominent parameter influencing the MRR, whereas SRR and WRR are highly influenced by flushing pressure.

Originality/value

Identifying the optimal process parameters in WCEDM for machining of GZR-AA7475 HMMC. ANOVA and GRA are used to obtain the optimal combination of the process parameters.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 February 2024

Saba Sareminia, Zahra Ghayoumian and Fatemeh Haghighat

The textile industry holds immense significance in the economy of any nation, particularly in the production of synthetic yarn and fabrics. Consequently, the pursuit of acquiring…

Abstract

Purpose

The textile industry holds immense significance in the economy of any nation, particularly in the production of synthetic yarn and fabrics. Consequently, the pursuit of acquiring high-quality products at a reduced cost has become a significant concern for countries. The primary objective of this research is to leverage data mining and data intelligence techniques to enhance and refine the production process of texturized yarn by developing an intelligent operating guide that enables the adjustment of production process parameters in the texturized yarn manufacturing process, based on the specifications of raw materials.

Design/methodology/approach

This research undertook a systematic literature review to explore the various factors that influence yarn quality. Data mining techniques, including deep learning, K-nearest neighbor (KNN), decision tree, Naïve Bayes, support vector machine and VOTE, were employed to identify the most crucial factors. Subsequently, an executive and dynamic guide was developed utilizing data intelligence tools such as Power BI (Business Intelligence). The proposed model was then applied to the production process of a textile company in Iran 2020 to 2021.

Findings

The results of this research highlight that the production process parameters exert a more significant influence on texturized yarn quality than the characteristics of raw materials. The executive production guide was designed by selecting the optimal combination of production process parameters, namely draw ratio, D/Y and primary temperature, with the incorporation of limiting indexes derived from the raw material characteristics to predict tenacity and elongation.

Originality/value

This paper contributes by introducing a novel method for creating a dynamic guide. An intelligent and dynamic guide for tenacity and elongation in texturized yarn production was proposed, boasting an approximate accuracy rate of 80%. This developed guide is dynamic and seamlessly integrated with the production database. It undergoes regular updates every three months, incorporating the selected features of the process and raw materials, their respective thresholds, and the predicted levels of elongation and tenacity.

Details

International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-6222

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 April 2024

Baixi Chen, Weining Mao, Yangsheng Lin, Wenqian Ma and Nan Hu

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is an extensively used additive manufacturing method with the capacity to build complex functional components. Due to the machinery and…

Abstract

Purpose

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is an extensively used additive manufacturing method with the capacity to build complex functional components. Due to the machinery and environmental factors during manufacturing, the FDM parts inevitably demonstrated uncertainty in properties and performance. This study aims to identify the stochastic constitutive behaviors of FDM-fabricated polylactic acid (PLA) tensile specimens induced by the manufacturing process.

Design/methodology/approach

By conducting the tensile test, the effects of the printing machine selection and three major manufacturing parameters (i.e., printing speed S, nozzle temperature T and layer thickness t) on the stochastic constitutive behaviors were investigated. The influence of the loading rate was also explained. In addition, the data-driven models were established to quantify and optimize the uncertain mechanical behaviors of FDM-based tensile specimens under various printing parameters.

Findings

As indicated by the results, the uncertain behaviors of the stiffness and strength of the PLA tensile specimens were dominated by the printing speed and nozzle temperature, respectively. The manufacturing-induced stochastic constitutive behaviors could be accurately captured by the developed data-driven model with the R2 over 0.98 on the testing dataset. The optimal parameters obtained from the data-driven framework were T = 231.3595 °C, S = 40.3179 mm/min and t = 0.2343 mm, which were in good agreement with the experiments.

Practical implications

The developed data-driven models can also be integrated into the design and characterization of parts fabricated by extrusion and other additive manufacturing technologies.

Originality/value

Stochastic behaviors of additively manufactured products were revealed by considering extensive manufacturing factors. The data-driven models were proposed to facilitate the description and optimization of the FDM products and control their quality.

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2024

Shrutika Sharma, Vishal Gupta, Deepa Mudgal and Vishal Srivastava

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is highly dependent on printing process parameters for achieving high mechanical strength. It is a time-consuming and expensive operation to…

Abstract

Purpose

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is highly dependent on printing process parameters for achieving high mechanical strength. It is a time-consuming and expensive operation to experiment with different printing settings. The current study aims to propose a regression-based machine learning model to predict the mechanical behavior of ulna bone plates.

Design/methodology/approach

The bone plates were formed using fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique, with printing attributes being varied. The machine learning models such as linear regression, AdaBoost regression, gradient boosting regression (GBR), random forest, decision trees and k-nearest neighbors were trained for predicting tensile strength and flexural strength. Model performance was assessed using root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2) and mean absolute error (MAE).

Findings

Traditional experimentation with various settings is both time-consuming and expensive, emphasizing the need for alternative approaches. Among the models tested, GBR model demonstrated the best performance in predicting both tensile and flexural strength and achieved the lowest RMSE, highest R2 and lowest MAE, which are 1.4778 ± 0.4336 MPa, 0.9213 ± 0.0589 and 1.2555 ± 0.3799 MPa, respectively, and 3.0337 ± 0.3725 MPa, 0.9269 ± 0.0293 and 2.3815 ± 0.2915 MPa, respectively. The findings open up opportunities for doctors and surgeons to use GBR as a reliable tool for fabricating patient-specific bone plates, without the need for extensive trial experiments.

Research limitations/implications

The current study is limited to the usage of a few models. Other machine learning-based models can be used for prediction-based study.

Originality/value

This study uses machine learning to predict the mechanical properties of FDM-based distal ulna bone plate, replacing traditional design of experiments methods with machine learning to streamline the production of orthopedic implants. It helps medical professionals, such as physicians and surgeons, make informed decisions when fabricating customized bone plates for their patients while reducing the need for time-consuming experimentation, thereby addressing a common limitation of 3D printing medical implants.

Details

Rapid Prototyping Journal, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 December 2023

Feifei Zhong, Guoping Liu, Zhenyu Lu, Lingyan Hu, Yangyang Han, Yusong Xiao and Xinrui Zhang

Robotic arms’ interactions with the external environment are growing more intricate, demanding higher control precision. This study aims to enhance control precision by…

Abstract

Purpose

Robotic arms’ interactions with the external environment are growing more intricate, demanding higher control precision. This study aims to enhance control precision by establishing a dynamic model through the identification of the dynamic parameters of a self-designed robotic arm.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes an improved particle swarm optimization (IPSO) method for parameter identification, which comprehensively improves particle initialization diversity, dynamic adjustment of inertia weight, dynamic adjustment of local and global learning factors and global search capabilities. To reduce the number of particles and improve identification accuracy, a step-by-step dynamic parameter identification method was also proposed. Simultaneously, to fully unleash the dynamic characteristics of a robotic arm, and satisfy boundary conditions, a combination of high-order differentiable natural exponential functions and traditional Fourier series is used to develop an excitation trajectory. Finally, an arbitrary verification trajectory was planned using the IPSO to verify the accuracy of the dynamical parameter identification.

Findings

Experiments conducted on a self-designed robotic arm validate the proposed parameter identification method. By comparing it with IPSO1, IPSO2, IPSOd and least-square algorithms using the criteria of torque error and root mean square for each joint, the superiority of the IPSO algorithm in parameter identification becomes evident. In this case, the dynamic parameter results of each link are significantly improved.

Originality/value

A new parameter identification model was proposed and validated. Based on the experimental results, the stability of the identification results was improved, providing more accurate parameter identification for further applications.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 51 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 January 2024

Silvia Badini, Serena Graziosi, Michele Carboni, Stefano Regondi and Raffaele Pugliese

This study evaluates the potential of using the material extrusion (MEX) process for recycling waste tire rubber (WTR). By investigating the process parameters, mechanical…

Abstract

Purpose

This study evaluates the potential of using the material extrusion (MEX) process for recycling waste tire rubber (WTR). By investigating the process parameters, mechanical behaviour and morphological characterisation of a thermoplastic polyurethane-waste tire rubber composite filament (TPU-WTR), this study aims to establish a framework for end-of-life tire (ELT) recycling using the MEX technology.

Design/methodology/approach

The research assesses the impact of various process parameters on the mechanical properties of the TPU-WTR filament. Hysteresis analysis and Poisson’s ratio estimation are conducted to investigate the material’s behaviour. In addition, the compressive performance of diverse TPU-WTR triply periodic minimal surface lattices is explored to test the filament suitability for printing intricate structures.

Findings

Results demonstrate the potential of the TPU-WTR filament in developing sustainable structures. The MEX process can, therefore, contribute to the recycling of WTR. Mechanical testing has provided insights into the influence of process parameters on the material behaviour, while investigating various lattice structures has challenged the material’s capabilities in printing complex topologies.

Social implications

This research holds significant social implications addressing the growing environmental sustainability and waste management concerns. Developing 3D-printed sustainable structures using recycled materials reduces resource consumption and promotes responsible production practices for a more environmentally conscious society.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the field by showcasing the use of MEX technology for ELT recycling, particularly focusing on the TPU-WTR filament, presenting a novel approach to sustainable consumption and production aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.

Article
Publication date: 21 December 2022

Ravinder Kumar and Sahendra Pal Sharma

This experimental study aims to deal with the improvement of process performance of electric discharge drilling (EDD) for fabricating true blind holes in titanium alloy Ti6Al4V…

Abstract

Purpose

This experimental study aims to deal with the improvement of process performance of electric discharge drilling (EDD) for fabricating true blind holes in titanium alloy Ti6Al4V. Micro EDD was performed on Ti6Al4V and blind holes were drilled into the workpiece.

Design/methodology/approach

The effects of input parameters (i.e. voltage, capacitance and spindle speed) on responses (i.e. material removal rate, tool wear rate and surface roughness [SR]) were evaluated through response surface methodology. The data was analyzed using analysis of variance and multi-optimization was performed for the optimized set of parameters. The optimized process parameters were then used to drill deeper blind holes.

Findings

Blind holes have few characteristics such as SR, taper angle and corner radius. The value of corner radius reflects the quality of the hole produced as well as the amount of tool roundness. The optimized process parameters suggested by the current experimental study lower down the response values (i.e. SR, taper angle and corner radius). The process is found very effective in producing finished blind holes.

Originality/value

This experimental study establishes EDD as a feasible process for the fabrication of truly blind holes in Ti6Al4V.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. 21 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2024

Xiaoxian Yang, Zhifeng Wang, Qi Wang, Ke Wei, Kaiqi Zhang and Jiangang Shi

This study aims to adopt a systematic review approach to examine the existing literature on law and LLMs.It involves analyzing and synthesizing relevant research papers, reports…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to adopt a systematic review approach to examine the existing literature on law and LLMs.It involves analyzing and synthesizing relevant research papers, reports and scholarly articles that discuss the use of LLMs in the legal domain. The review encompasses various aspects, including an analysis of LLMs, legal natural language processing (NLP), model tuning techniques, data processing strategies and frameworks for addressing the challenges associated with legal question-and-answer (Q&A) systems. Additionally, the study explores potential applications and services that can benefit from the integration of LLMs in the field of intelligent justice.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper surveys the state-of-the-art research on law LLMs and their application in the field of intelligent justice. The study aims to identify the challenges associated with developing Q&A systems based on LLMs and explores potential directions for future research and development. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the advancement of intelligent justice by effectively leveraging LLMs.

Findings

To effectively apply a law LLM, systematic research on LLM, legal NLP and model adjustment technology is required.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the field of intelligent justice by providing a comprehensive review of the current state of research on law LLMs.

Details

International Journal of Web Information Systems, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-0084

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2024

Yanwei Dai, Libo Zhao, Fei Qin and Si Chen

This study aims to characterize the mechanical properties of sintered nano-silver under various sintering processes by nano-indentation tests.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to characterize the mechanical properties of sintered nano-silver under various sintering processes by nano-indentation tests.

Design/methodology/approach

Through microstructure observations and characterization, the influences of sintering process on the microstructure evolutions of sintered nano-silver were presented. And, the indentation load, indentation displacement curves of sintered silver under various sintering processes were measured by using nano-indentation test. Based on the nano-indentation test, a reverse analysis of the finite element calculation was used to determine the yielding stress and hardening exponent.

Findings

The porosity decreases with the increase of the sintering temperature, while the average particle size of sintered nano-silver increases with the increase of sintering temperature and sintering time. In addition, the porosity reduced from 34.88%, 30.52%, to 25.04% if the ramp rate was decreased from 25°C/min, 15°C/min, to 5°C/min, respectively. The particle size appears more frequently within 1 µm and 2 µm under the lower ramp rate. With reverse analysis, the strain hardening exponent gradually heightened with the increase of temperature, while the yielding stress value decreased significantly with the increase of temperature. When the sintering time increased, the strain hardening exponent increased slightly.

Practical implications

The mechanical properties of sintered nano-silver under different sintering processes are clearly understood.

Originality/value

This paper could provide a novel perspective on understanding the sintering process effects on the mechanical properties of sintered nano-silver.

Details

Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0954-0911

Keywords

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