Advances in Mechanical and Materials Engineering

The Use of Artificial Neural Networks to the Analysis of Lubricating Performance of Vegetable Oils for Plastic Working Applications

Marek Szewczyk — 2025-01-27

Sheet metal forming is the basic method of processing of deep-drawing quality steel sheets used in the automotive industry. A properly planned technological process of forming should include guidelines for friction conditions, or rather the coefficient of friction. Determination of the coefficient of friction is carried out using various methods. In this article, the strip drawing test was used to analyse the friction of low-carbon DC04 steel sheets. The tests were carried out at different contact pressures and with the use of different vegetable-oil based biolubricants. The most common edible and non-edible oils were selected for the tests: sunflower, rape-seed, moringa and karanja. The analysis of the experimental results was carried out using multilayer artificial neural networks (ANNs). Different learning algorithms and different transfer functions were considered in ANNs. Based on the analysis of experimental data, it was noticed that the coefficient of friction decreased with increasing contact pressure. The lowest values of the coefficient of friction, in the entire range of analysed pressures, were observed during lubrication with karanja oil. It was also found that Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm with log-sigmoid transfer function provided the lowest values of performance errors and at the same time the highest value of the coefficient of determination R2 = 0.94719.

A Review of Machine Learning Applications in Aviation Engineering

Parankush Koul — 2025-02-07

This review paper investigates how machine learning (ML) has transformed multiple facets of aviation engineering. The work demonstrates substantial progress in flight operations and air traffic management (ATM) optimization through frameworks such as Reinforcement-Learning-Informed Prescriptive Analytics (RLIPA) and deep reinforcement learning (DRL) techniques applied to conflict resolution. The study highlights how ML contributes to operational efficiency through faster computational processes and better decision-making abilities for those who control air traffic. The paper examines how leading firms such as SpaceX and Raytheon use ML technology to enhance manufacturing processes, including predictive maintenance (PdM) and autonomous systems development. The paper discusses ML implementation obstacles, including model interpretability, and highlights further research requirements for adapting to real-world issues such as changing traffic volumes and weather variations. Overall, the study demonstrates how ML technology can transform aviation engineering through enhancements in safety standards as well as operational and process efficiency.

Concept of 3D Printed Powder Feeder for Thermal Spray Process – A Case Study

Patryk Kamuda — 2025-02-07

Thermal spraying is playing an increasingly important role among coating manufacturing methods because of its properties and ecology. An obstacle to their development is the price of the available equipment used in this process. The article presents the concept of making individual elements of a powder feeder by 3D printing. The designs are equipped with a volumetric feeding system using a disk driven by an electric motor and a worm gearbox. The individual elements of the feeder were designed and based on the drawings; they were made using several types of 3D printers. The design and fabrication were limited to the use of a small number of parts made of metal including little machining. In the following part, a prototype of the feeder was made and tested. It was shown to have correct characteristics of its operation and, in particular, correct linear characteristics of powder feed rate from disk speed similarly to commercial devices. Tests of the made feeder indicate the possibility of its use in thermal spraying systems.

Study on Mechanical Properties of Polyurethane Elastomers in Different Strength Tests

Krzysztof Żaba — 2025-02-17

Elastomeric materials are used in the methods of plastic forming of sheets made of difficult-to-deform materials. This article presents the results of strength tests of selected elastomeric materials intended for sheet metal stamping. Polyurethane elastomers with a hardness of 50, 70 and 90 Sh A were used for the tests. The behaviour of the materials was determined in a simple compression test, a volumetric compression test and a uniaxial tensile test. In the case of the simple compression test, the values of the maximum force for a set punch travel of 3 mm were 1400 N, 2250 N and 4950 N for samples with hardnesses of 50, 70 and 90 Sh A, respectively. In a volumetric compression test, the maximum compressive force for a sample with a hardness of 90 Sh A was more than twice lower than the compressive force of samples with a hardness of 50 and 70 Sh A. In the tensile tests, the values of the obtained strains ranged from about 750% for the sample with a hardness of 50 Sh A to about 1350% for the sample with a hardness of 90 Sh A.

Influence of Multi-Pass Forming on the Tribological Performance of AISI 430 Steel Sheet in Deep Drawing Process

Thales Harvey Crisóstomo Barros — 2025-03-03

In this paper, the effect of sheet pre-deformation on the change of the surface roughness parameters and friction coefficient value is investigated. For this purpose, strips of AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel with deep drawing quality (DDQ), measuring 0.8 × 25 × 500 mm, were pre-deformed using a uniaxial tensile test for five different true strain values. The correlation between the surface roughness parameters and hardness with the frictional conditions of the tested strips was investigated in the bending under tension test. The results revealed that the friction coefficient determined for all pre-deformed strips increased as the level of true strain also increased. An increase in the plastic deformation of sheets under the uniaxial tensile stress state causes a nearly linear increase in the value of basic amplitude parameters of surface roughness, however, the hardness tended to present a constant increase for deformations close to uniform elongation. Furthermore, scratches and severe wear occurred on the surface of the strips and intensified with increasing roughness.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 15CDV6 Steel in TIG-Welded Aircraft Truss Structures

Maciej Motyka — 2025-03-12

Despite the undisputed dominance of composite materials in the construction of lightweight aircraft, steel structures still find use - especially for engine mounts. Weight reduction of the structure is achieved through the use of tubular trusses, usually made of structural steel for tempering. An increasing number of requirements for this type of construction and the development of steel metallurgy provide the basis for the introduction of new steel grades. This paper presents the testing results of a welded truss made of advanced 15CDV6 steel as a potential replacement for 30HGSA steel. The microstructure and hardness of characteristic zones of TIG-welded joints are discussed, as well as the results of static tensile testing of the parent material and welded joints.

Growth Kinetics of a Silicon-Modified Aluminide Coating on a TiNM-B1 Intermetallic Alloy

Mateusz Woźniak — 2025-03-20

TiAl-based intermetallic alloys are used as a structural material in high-temperature applications such as aircraft and turbine engines. To improve the mechanical properties of TiAl, it is often modified by adding other elements such as niobium or chromium. The one of disadvantages of TiAl alloys is not sufficient oxidation resistance. The pack cementation process is one well-known method of modifying TiAl, which involves coating the surface of the alloy with a special mixture containing silicon, to enrich it with this element. As a result of this process, Si-modified aluminide coating is formed, which exhibits improved resistance to high temperatures, making it ideal for use in the aerospace and turbine industries. The study was conducted on a substrate of one of the latest generation of TiAl alloys which we have not yet analyzed. The powder used in the pack cementation process consisted of 20 wt.% Si, 20 wt.% Al, 2 wt.% NH₄Cl activator, and the rest Al₂O₃, as well as 40 wt.% Si, 40 wt.% Al, 1-2% NH₄Cl activator, and the rest Al₂O₃ calculated for 100 g of powder. The process was carried out at a temperature of 950°C for 2, 4, and 6 hours. The following analyses were performed after the pack cementation process: scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) attachment for microanalysis, as well as X-ray diffraction (XRD). Test results indicated a coating structure typical of silicon-modified coatings including the presence of titanium silicides. It was found that increasing the silicon content causes a significant increase in coating thickness.

Production Plant Layout Planning Supported by Selected CAx Tools and Artificial Intelligence

Roman Wdowik — 2025-03-21

The paper presents production plant layout planning techniques on the basis of selected Digital Tools (DTs) utilization including generative artificial intelligence (AI). The authors studied possible techniques that can be used in production plant planning and researched their implementations on the basis of three defined production cells and lists of machine tools assigned to each cell. The usage of 2D and 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software tools such as LibreCAD and FreeCAD was studied. The CAD software was applied for the design of layout using traditional CAD modelling procedures and also by the AI support. Moreover, Matlab^TM software usage was presented as an alternative planning solution. It demonstrated opportunities resulting from automated code creation in the ChatGPT^TM. The ChatGPT^TM and Visual Studio Code^TM were applied as tools supporting the AI-assisted layout design methodology. The performed study revealed that artificial intelligence support and utilization of DTs may contribute to the production plant planning process by the collaborative implementation of various software DTs.