Electrochemical drilling of small holes by regulating in real-time the electrolyte flowrate in multiple channels

Electrochemical drilling(ECD) provides an alternative technique for drilling multiple small holes in difficult-to-machine materials in numerous industrial applications such as for aeroengines. The value and fluctuation of electrolyte flowrate can seriously affect the machining stability and hole quality in ECD. In particular, when drilling multiple holes, the distribution and fluctuations of the electrolyte flowrate in each channel could influence the uniformity of the electrolyte flowrate among...     

Improving profile accuracy and surface quality of blisk by electrochemical machining with a micro inter-electrode gap

Electrochemical machining (ECM) has emerged as an important option for manufacturing the blisk. The inter-electrode gap (IEG) distribution is an essential parameter for the blisk precise shaping process in ECM, as it affects the process stability, profile accuracy and surface quality. Larger IEG leads to a poor localization effect and has an adverse influence on the machining accuracy and surface quality of blisk. To achieve micro-IEG (<50 μm) blisk finishing machining, this work puts forward a novel variable-parameters blisk ECM strategy based on the synchronous coupling mode of micro-vibration amplitude and small pulse duration. The modelling and simulation of the blisk micro-IEG machining have been carried out. Exploratory experiments of variable-parameters blisk ECM were carried out. The results illustrated that the IEG width reduced with the progress of variable parameter process. The IEG width of the blade’s concave part and convex part could be successfully controlled to within 30 μm and 21 μm, respectively. The profile deviation for the blade’s concave surface and convex surface are 49 μm and 35 μm, while the surface roughness reaches R_a = 0.149 μm and R_a = 0.196 μm, respectively. The profile accuracy of the blisk leading/trailing edges was limited to within 91 μm. Compared with the currently-established process, the profile accuracy of the blade’s concave and convex profiles was improved by 50.5 % and 53.3 %, respectively. The surface quality was improved by 53.2 % and 50.9 %, respectively. Additionally, the machined surface was covered with small corrosion pits and weak attacks of the grain boundary due to selective dissolution. Some electrolytic products were dispersed on the machined surface, and their components were mainly composed of the carbide and oxide products of Ti and Nb elements. The results indicate that the variable-parameters strategy is effective for achieving a tiny IEG in blisk ECM, which can be used in engineering practice.     

Improving surface integrity when drilling CFRPs and Ti-6Al-4V using sustainable lubricated liquid carbon dioxide

In the quest for decreasing fuel consumption and resulting gas emissions in the aeronautic sector, lightweight materials such as Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) and Ti-6Al-4V alloys are being used. These materials, with excellent weight-to-strength ratios, are widely used for structural applications in aircraft manufacturing. To date, several studies have been published showing that the use of metalworking fluids (MWFs), special tool geometries, or advanced machining techniques is required to ensure a surface quality that meets aerospace component standards. Conventional MWFs pose a number of environmental and worker health hazards and also degrade the mechanical properties of CFRPs due to water absorption in the composite. Therefore, a transition to more environmentally friendly cooling/lubrication techniques that prevent moisture problems in the composite is needed. This research shows that lubricated LCO₂ is a viable option to improve the quality of drilled CFRP and titanium aerospace components compared to dry machining, while maintaining clean work areas. The results show that the best combination of tool geometry and cooling conditions for machining both materials is drilling with Brad point drills and lubricated LCO₂. Drilling under these conditions resulted in a 90 % improvement in fiber pull-out volume compared to dry machined CFRP holes. In addition, a 33 % reduction in burr height and a 15 % improvement in surface roughness were observed compared to dry drilling of titanium.     

Experimental and modeling study of surface topography generation considering tool-workpiece vibration in high-precision turning

High-precision turning(HPT) is a main processing method for manufacturing rotary high-precision components, especially for metallic parts. However, the generated vibration between tool tip and workpiece during turning may seriously deteriorate the surface integrity. Therefore,exploring the effect of vibration on turning surface morphology and quality of copper parts using3D surface topography regeneration model is crucial for predicting HPT performance. This developed model can update the machin...     

恶劣天气下的仿生偏振定向方法

针对偏振光导航在恶劣天气下精度显著下降的问题,提出了一种可以在恶劣天气下基于大气偏振模式的定向算法。与现有方法相比,首次将三维块匹配与canny边缘检测结合的思想应用于修复被不同天气破坏的偏振角度图像中。具体而言,将偏振角度图像的修复分为噪声粗处理和边缘提取处理去噪两部分。在噪声粗处理阶段采用三维块匹配算法,在边缘提取处理去噪部分,利用canny边缘检测算法对偏振角度图像进行二次去噪。实验结果表明,该方法不仅能够提高晴朗天空下的定向精度,而且能够显著提升在阴天、沙尘、雾霾等恶劣天气条件下的导航定向精度,即使在偏振角图像对称∞模式被破坏的情况下,航向角精度仍可由9.4470°提高到1.6859°。     

恶劣天气下的仿生偏振定向方法

针对偏振光导航在恶劣天气下精度显著下降的问题，提出了一种可以在恶劣天气下基于大气偏振模式的定向算法。与现有方法相比，首次将三维块匹配与canny边缘检测结合的思想应用于修复被不同天气破坏的偏振角度图像中。具体而言，将偏振角度图像的修复分为噪声粗处理和边缘提取处理去噪两部分。在噪声粗处理阶段采用三维块匹配算法,在边缘提取处理去噪部分，利用canny边缘检测算法对偏振角度图像进行二次去噪。实验结果表明，该方法不仅能够提高晴朗天空下的定向精度，而且能够显著提升在阴天、沙尘、雾霾等恶劣天气条件下的导航定向精度，即使在偏振角图像对称∞模式被破坏的情况下，航向角精度仍可由9.4470°提高到1.6859°。     

Effects of fiber orientation on tool wear evolution and wear mechanism when cutting carbon fiber reinforced plastics

The aim of the present paper is to reveal the influence of different fiber orientations on the tool wear evolution and wear mechanism. Side-milling experiments with large-diameter milling tools are conducted. A finite element (FE) cutting model of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) is established to get insight into the cutting stress status at different wear stages. The results show that different fiber orientations bring about distinct differences in the extent, profile and mechanism of tool wear. Severer wear occurs when cutting 45° and 90° plies, followed by 0°, correspondingly, the least wear is obtained when θ = 135° (θ represents the orientation of fibers). Moreover, the worn profiles of cutting tools when θ = 0° and 45° are waterfall edge, while round edge occurs when θ = 135° and a combined shape of waterfall and round edge is obtained when θ = 90°. The wear mechanisms under different fiber orientations are strongly dependent on the cutting stress distributions. The evolution of tool wear profile is basically consistent with the stress distribution on the tool surface at different wear stages, and the extent of tool wear is determined by the magnitude of stress on the tool surface. Besides, the worn edges produce an actual negative clearance angle, which decreases the actual cutting thickness and leads to compressing and bending failure of fibers beneath the cutting region as well as low surface qualities.     

Review on residual stress and its effects on manufacturing of aluminium alloy structural panels with typical multi-processes

In the aerospace industry, integrated aluminium alloy plates and stiffened panels with high accuracy and performance attract significant interest. To manufacture these panels as integrity with high accuracy, multiple processes need to be utilised, such as machining, welding and forming. During the whole manufacturing chain, residual stresses can be generated and redistributed in the components among different processes. The residual stress would significantly affect the shapes and properties of the final products. Currently, these great effects are not well considered in the design and manufacturing processes. This paper aims to draw a general understanding of the residual stress generated in the pre-manufacturing processes and its effects on subsequent manufacturing processes. The mechanisms and distributions of residual stresses generated in typical pre-manufacturing processes of structural panels, including machining, welding and additive manufacturing (AM), are firstly summarised. The detailed effects of generated residual stresses on distortion and application properties in subsequent manufacturing processes are then concluded. In addition, current methods developed for the investigation of residual stress effect in multi-processes manufacturing are critically reviewed, including experimental, analytical, finite element (FE) and machine learning methods. Furthermore, the future development trend of methods for residual stress consideration and control in the design of manufacturing processes is summarised, providing comprehensive guidance to achieve the high accurate manufacturing of aluminium alloy structural components.