Manufacturing Commons^™

Wine Club Shipment Package Redesign, Emily E. Prescott

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This report shows the design, manufacturing, and testing process for the product development of a wine club shipment package for Niner Wine Estates. Niner has two different shipment sizes, 4 bottles and 6 bottles, and wishes to improve their current package by giving it a more “high-class” feel. After the new package was designed and prototyped, it went through standardized quality testing to be cleared for commercial use. This testing is intended to simulate the distribution cycle the package will experience and subject it to potential hazards such as being dropped and vehicle vibration during transportation.

After the package passed …

Methods Of Extrusion On Demand For High Solids Loading Ceramic Paste In Freeform Extrusion Fabrication, Wenbin Li, Amir Ghazanfari, Ming Leu, Robert Landers

Faculty Publications, Mechanical Engineering

Fabrication of highly dense parts with complex geometry by paste-extrusion-based solid freeform fabrication processes requires a precise control of the extrusion flow rate to dispense material on demand, which is often referred as Extrusion-On-Demand (EOD). The extrusion process for aqueous ceramic pastes is complex and difficult to control due to their non-Newtonian behavior, compressibility and inhomogeneity. In this study, three methods of EOD (based on ram extruder, needle valve, and auger valve) are introduced and investigated for the extrusion of high solids loading (i.e., >50%, volumetric) aqueous alumina paste. Optimal extrusion process parameters for these methods are determined through printing …

Optimal Rastering Orientation In Freeform Extrusion Fabrication Processes, Amir Ghazanfari, Wenbin Li, Ming Leu, Robert Landers

Faculty Publications, Mechanical Engineering

Many researchers have tried to optimize the build direction of additively manufactured parts to minimize the vertical staircase effect. However, the horizontal staircase effect should also be considered when fully dense parts are to be fabricated. In this paper, part inaccuracy due to the horizontal staircase effect is considered in order to determine the optimal rastering orientation in building the part. An algorithm is developed to estimate this inaccuracy and a technique is proposed to minimize it. The effect of rastering orientation on staircase errors is examined, and the particle swarm optimization method is used to determine the optimum rastering …

Stress-Limiting Test Structures For Rapid Low-Cost Strength And Stiffness Assessment, Andrew Katz, Craig P. Lusk, Nathan B. Crane

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Evaluate the use of a simple printed geometry to estimate mechanical properties (elastic modulus, yield strength) with inexpensive test equipment.

Design Methodology/Approach: Test geometry is presented that enables controlled strains with manual deformation and repeatable measurement of vibrational frequencies. This is tested with multiple FDM machines to assess measurement accuracy and repeatability. Printing orientation and some printing parameters are varied to assess the measurement sensitivity.

Findings: The test methods show good correlation with manufacturer material specifications in the X-Y plane and reported elastic strain limits. It is also sensitive to printing orientation and printing parameters.

Research Limitations/Implications: Further work …

Size Effects In Human Visual Inspection For Micro/Meso Scale Parts, Sri Harsha Kavuri

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Visual inspection has been a major method of quality control in conventional manufacturing processes for the last fifty years. Utilizing trained human inspectors to perform this visual inspection has been the most effective means of maintaining quality control. Extensive research has been performed to understand the factors that influence the human inspection process.

In the recent years, there has been a significant emphasis on manufacturing at the smaller end of the size-spectrum such as Micro and Meso scale manufacturing. Quality control at becomes a challenging task due to the extremely small sizes. Several automated visual inspection techniques have been proposed …

Binder Jet Additive Manufacturing Of Stainless Steel-Hydroxyapatite Bio-Composite, Don Suranga Dhanushka Uduwage

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study was conducted to create a bio-composite with a porous structure using the binder-jet printing additive manufacturing process. The samples were printed by changing the parameters such as layer thickness, roller speed, sintering time and sintering temperature of the X1-Lab binder jet additive manufacturing printer. The samples were printed 80% stainless steel 316 mixed with 20% Calcium Phosphate Tribasic by volume. Eight experiments were attempted to print according to the fractional factorial design of experiment. The effects of changing parameters on the mechanical properties of the new bio-composite was tested using ASTM E-09 compressive strength standards. The compression testing …

Parameter Determination And Experimental Validation Of A Wire Feed Additive Manufacturing Model, Kannan Suresh Kumar

Masters Theses

“Laser metal deposition is an additive manufacturing method with great scope and robustness. The wire fed additive manufacturing method has great opportunities in space applications and other zero gravity manufacturing processes. Process parameters play an important role in controlling the complex phenomenon and obtaining an ideal manufactured part. These parameters can be efficiently determined using simulation tools which are highly essential in visualizing real world experiments, therefore saving time and experimental costs. The objective of this study is to develop a transient 3D model of laser aided wire feed metal deposition which realizes the heat transfer and fluid flow behavior …

Performance Metrics For Powder Feeder Systems In Additive Manufacturing, Venkata Sivaram Bitragunta

Masters Theses

"In blown powder Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) process, parts are built by adding metal powder on the melt pool created by the laser system. At low feed rates powder feeder systems have perturbations. The study focused on relationship between the perturbation frequencies by inherent powder feeder designs and its impact on deposition quality. Performance metric determine the relation between perturbations in the powder flow and quality of the deposit. To determine performance metric, various powder feeder designs were analyzed. Perturbation frequencies were introduced to the disk feeder design. The quality of the deposit was determined by the surface roughness of …

Effect Of Heating And Ionization Of Four Atomizing Gases On The Spray Characteristics Of A High Volume Low Pressure Spray Atomizer, Anthony V. Adornato

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The disintegration of a liquid jet emerging from a nozzle by a high speed gas stream has been under investigation of several decades. A result of the liquid jet disintegration is droplet formation. This process is referred to as atomization. Industrial applications use atomization as a method for applying coatings to substrates. It has been reported that the use of other atomizing gases instead of compressed plant air will positively affect paint droplet size distributions, spray patterns and finish qualities; furthermore, the ionization and heating of the atomizing gas was reported to positively affect finish qualities. Although ionization techniques have …

A Framework For Sustainable Material Selection For Multi-Generational Components, Ryan T. Bradley

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The early stages of a product’s design are a critical time for decisions that impact the entire life-cycle cost. Product designers have mastered the first generation; however, they currently do not have the ability to know the impact of their decisions on the multi-generational view. This thesis aims at closing the gap between total life-cycle information and the traditional design process in order to harbor sustainable value creation among all stakeholders involved. A framework is presented that uses a combination of a life-cycle costing methodology and an evolutionary algorithm in order to achieve a sustainability assessment for a true multi-generational …

Joint Formation Under Severely Altered Background Atmosphere In Controlled Atmosphere Brazing Of Aluminum, Cheng-Nien Yu

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Adverse changes of background atmosphere in a brazing chamber cause qualitative and quantitative deterioration of joint formation in an aluminum brazing process. This study offers an insight into the adverse effects with gradually adjusted atmospheric conditions in terms of oxygen and humidity levels. Corresponding responses of the molten clad flow and the joint formation upon resolidification vs. atmospheric conditions are documented by comparative tests involving self-fluxing and surface-fluxing brazing sheets: 1) in situ and in real time study of the onset of melting, clad flow, and joint formation, and 2) inclined wedge-tee mating tests for brazeability assessment. The surface-fluxing brazing …

Swagelok Probing Station Tester Improvement Project, Ross Crocker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A step in the inspection process for the Swagelok ends is performed using Probing Station testing. This testing process involves fitting a cylindrical probe into the open end of the fittings. Contact between the probe and the fitting causes the probe to wear. Spare probes are kept at each inspection machine to replace a probe that becomes too worn to function. These spare probes occasionally fall out of their storage location and break without ever being used in inspection. This project seeks to reduce the wear on the probes in service and reduce the number of dropped spare probes that …

2015 Zips Sae Baja Brakes And Throttle System, Philip A. Bennett

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The SAE Baja student design team at The University of Akron is one of the longest-standing design teams at the university. The purpose of this team is to design, manufacture, test, and race an off-road vehicle within the guidelines of competition established by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The vehicle is made up of a small number of subsystems including frame, drivetrain, suspension, steering, and braking. The following will discuss all aspects of the design process of the braking and throttle system of the 2015 Zips Baja car. This process includes several steps and considerations such as design goals, system …

Senior Design: Kong Toy Instruction-Manual Insertion, Rachael L. Innocenzi, Ashley N. Cuthbert, Marianna R. Smith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The team’s goal is to design and test a prototype and procedure that will automate the insertion of the Kong toy instructions into the cardboard packaging. This automation will increase the speed at which the product is packaged and will serve as an aid to workers with limited dexterity who find the task cumbersome.

Development Of A Hydraulic Component Leakage Detecting System Using Pressure Decay Signal, Xuanju Shang

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

It is preferable to detect leakage at the earliest phase in the manufacturing process, and then further assembly of hydraulic components with leakage problems can be avoided. Integrating a USB based microcontroller and a pressure sensor; this study developed a hydraulic leakage detection system in using air instead of hydraulic oil as medium, through measuring pressure decay signals captured by a real time data acquisition system. Compared with the conventional hydraulic system using oils, this system shows advantages in safety operation and little environmental concerns due to use a lower pressure clean air.

The low-cost hydraulic leakage detection system was …

Color Removal From Pulp Mill Effluent Using Coal Ash Produced From Georgia Power Coal Combustion Plants, Christopher B. Willett

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Two environmental concerns currently face Georgia: coal fly ash (CFA) waste from coal power plants, and the effluent generated by pulp mills. Pulp mill effluent discolors surface waters into which it is discharged, and has been proven to negatively impact the dissolved oxygen and carbon necessary for aquatic life. The proposed solution is a cost-effective adsorption treatment using an inexpensive but abundantly available waste material: CFA. CFA possesses beneficial properties that allow it to effectively remove contaminants, and is available at significantly reduced cost. The primary research objective was to define treatment parameters that would result in the maximum removal …

Thermographic Investigation Of Laser Metal Deposition, Sreekar Karnati

Masters Theses

"Laser metal deposition as an additive manufacturing technique has been proven to possess the capability for fabricating complex, intricate geometries and excellent material properties through material deposition. Accurate manufacture of such geometric features would require precise control over the material deposition process. The need of the hour are process monitoring and analyses mechanisms that are crucial in ascertaining the occurrence of the intended actions during deposition while also serving as effective learning tools. The current work involved developing and incorporating an Infra-Red (IR) camera as a process monitoring tool for laser metal deposition. Using the IR camera the thermal dynamics …

Laser Surface And Sub-Surface Repair During Metal Additive Manufacturing, Prudvi Teja Ravi

Masters Theses

"This study examines the use of laser surface treatment to repair surface and subsurface defects. Numerical analysis was performed on laser surface melting using Gaussian heat distribution equations to analyze the depth of the melt pool created by the phenomena. Concurrently, a process map was developed with a planned set of experiments by varying the ranges of laser power and travel speed to determine the dimensions of the melt pool across the gamut. The data generated from both the process studies and the numerical analysis was then used to determine the ideal operating ranges of the process parameters to repair …

Engineered Surface Properties Of Porous Tungsten From Cryogenic Machining, Julius M. Schoop

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Porous tungsten is used to manufacture dispenser cathodes due to it refractory properties. Surface porosity is critical to functional performance of dispenser cathodes because it allows for an impregnated ceramic compound to migrate to the emitting surface, lowering its work function. Likewise, surface roughness is important because it is necessary to ensure uniform wetting of the molten impregnate during high temperature service. Current industry practice to achieve surface roughness and surface porosity requirements involves the use of a plastic infiltrant during machining. After machining, the infiltrant is baked and the cathode pellet is impregnated. In this context, cryogenic machining is …

Machining Strategies Exploring Reduction In Energy Consumption, Abdullah Al Mamun

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The main aim of this thesis is to explore machining strategies, analyzing energy consumption using Design of Experiments (DOE) at the material removal rate (MRR), compare to cutting geometrical trajectories according to CNC parameters such as spindle RPM, feed rate, depth of cut per pass and total depth of cut. Spindle RPM, depth of cut per pass, and feed rate are selected as the main three factors and each factor has two levels: low-level (-) and high-level (+). These experiments have been performed at an end-milling machine by using a concept of a constant volume of material removal processes in …

Planning Freeform Extrusion Fabrication Processes With Consideration Of Horizontal Staircase Effect, Amir Ghazanfari, Wenbin Li, Ming Leu, Robert Landers

Faculty Publications, Mechanical Engineering

An algorithm has been developed to estimate the “horizontal” staircase effect and a technique is proposed to reduce this type of geometrical error for freeform extrusion fabrication processes of 3D “solid” parts. The adaptive rastering technique, proposed in this paper, analyzes the geometry of each layer and changes the width of each line of the raster adaptively in order to reduce the staircase error and increase the productivity simultaneously. For each line, the maximum width that results in a staircase error smaller than a predefined threshold is determined for decreasing the fabrication time or increasing the dimensional accuracy, or both. …

Design Of An Sae Baja Racing Off-Road Vehicle Powertrain, Eric T. Payne

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Senior Design:Kong Toy Instruction-Manual Insertion, Ashley N. Cuthbert, Rachael L. Innocenzi, Marianna R. Smith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The team’s goal is to design and test a prototype and procedure that will automate the insertion of the Kong toy instructions into the cardboard packaging. This automation will increase the speed at which the product is packaged and will serve as an aid to workers with limited dexterity who find the task cumbersome.

A Simulation-Based Approach To Risk Assessment And Mitigation In Supply Chain Networks, Mamadou Seck, Ghaith Rabadi, Christian Koestler

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

We present in this paper a simulation-based approach to evaluate the risk associated with supply chain disruptions caused by failures in some supply chains nodes and measure the impact of such disruptions on supply chain key performance measures (KPIs) of interest. The proposed framework enables analysts and managers to repeatedly assess the risk to their supply chains based on various simulated scenarios and identify the most critical nodes whose disruption will have the highest impact on the KPIs of interest. As a result, companies can focus on the most critical supply chain assets and develop targeted mitigation plans that minimize …

Photonic Crystal Fibre Wgm Resonators For Magnetic Field Sensing, Aseel Mahmood, Vishnu Kavungal, Yuliya Semenova, S. S. Ahmed

Conference Papers

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) micro-resonators are remarkable optical devices whose small modevolumes and high Q-factors make them attractive for a wide range of applications such as filters, lasers, modulators and sensors [1]. WGMs can be excited in dielectric structures with circular symmetry, such as microspheres, micro-disks, and optical fibres, and can be imagined as closed-trajectory rays confined within the cavity by almost total reflections from the curved surface of the resonator. The spectral positions of the WGM resonances are highly sensitive to the geometrical dimensions of the resonator and refractive indices of both the resonator itself and its surrounding medium …

Refractive Index Sensor Based On A Silica Microsphere Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator, Arun Mallik, Qiang Wu, Gerald Farrell, Yuliya Semenova

Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Addressing New Skills Needed For The Automotive Industry Through A Motorsports Educational Pathway, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Mileta M. Tomovic, Alok K. Verma, Nathan Luetke, Steve Branch

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The automotive industry has higher-skilled positions available that need engineers and engineering technologists qualified and capable to work in a high-paced, advanced manufacturing sector. Various educational programs across the country offer programs related to the motorsports area at the Associate of Science level. There are also various articu-lation agreements that enable students to continue their education to the baccalaureate level. These programs try to fill in the gap related to the skills shortage in systems and new design methods and processes. The main strength of such educational pathways is that students, who are trained to work as technicians with an …

Process Improvements Of Cilantro Harvesting With Ergonomic Considerations, Eric Penningroth, Branden Shimamoto

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The problems presented by Talley Farms to the team were a lower than desired cilantro harvesting capacity and work health pertaining to lower back problems. The project objectives were to address and improve upon both of these objectives. To increase harvesting capacity, a simulation model was created using standard times from time studies. The simulation model helped to compare the different harvesting methods as well as the effect of the utilization of the on-site manager. The throughputs between each of the models were analyzed. To address ergonomic concerns, a work sampling study was conducted and it was determined that kneeling …

Bikeshare Business Model For Cal Poly- San Luis Obispo, Justin Benson, Andrew Neil Gatchalian

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

With the increasing admittance of students into colleges and universities across the nation, the need for alternate modes of transportation is becoming more pressing. College and university campuses, as well as small cities, in which there is a college or university, are being overloaded with student cars. In San Luis Obispo specifically, parking on campus as well as downtown can be extremely difficult to find. Traffic is also getting progressively worse, especially at the hour when class begins/ends and student arrive to or leave campus. Financial reasons are yet another deterrent for students at Cal Poly. Parking permits, gas, and …

Effects Of Patient Factors On Implantation Rates In In Vitro Fertilization, Heidi Richardson, Sofia Soto

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the effects of patient factors and embryo quality on the implantation rate in In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). For this report, statistical methods are used to test the significance of several patient and embryo characteristics on embryo implantation rate. This project is an analysis of data collected from over 36,000 patients.

The analysis concluded several findings. There was enough statistical evidence to conclude that age was significant in regards to implantation rate and FSH levels. As the patient ages, the amount of FSH levels found in their blood increases. A patient with high …