Developing Athletic Prosthetics Via 3D Printing

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the process, network, skills and practices of service parts logistics organizations in the Asia Pacific region. Specifically, it attempts to propose a new framework for service parts logistics management based on interview inputs from several leading automotive and aerospace companies. This paper also seeks to identify the trends and opportunities for service parts logistics in Singapore.Design/methodology/approachCompanies from aerospace and automotive industries involved in service logistics activities were involved in the study. Data were obtained primarily through interviews with key executives of the company.FindingsThis paper summarizes some of the industry findings on service parts logistics in the Asia Pacific region. To succeed in the service logistics business, companies should not focus on cost factors alone. Instead, companies should adopt the proposed framework and look into other factors.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited to companies in the aerospace and automotive industries only.Practical implicationsThis framework was drawn from industry inputs and can be easily applied in decision making.Originality/valueThe paper provides a new framework to assist decision makers in deciding where a company should locate its service part logistics hub.

Mechanical response of composite materials prepared with polyurethane elastomers and polyvinyl chloride films

Additive manufacturing in the aerospace and automotive industries: Recent trends and role in achieving sustainable development goals

The modern concept of lightweight design (LW) requires the application of different materials in one structure (multi-material structures). The structure of different materials has a good perspective for application in the automotive and aerospace industries but only if it is possible to achieve a quality joint between different materials. The most used technology for joining different materials in the automotive industry is Resistance spot welding (RSW). Due to different mechanical, physical, and chemical properties, the joining of different materials by RSW technology does not provide a quality joint, and accordingly, alternative technologies for joining different materials have emerged. Resistance element welding (REW) was developed to enable joint of different materials. This paper presents the welding of AW 5754 H22 Al alloy (1.0 mm-thick) and DP500 steel (1.5 mm-thick) using novel REW. The peak load, absorption energy, microstructure, microhardness and fatigue strength of the REW joint has been investigated. The joint of the same materials has been done also using conventional RSW to compare some results. The results that will be presented in this paper show that that REW can achieve reliable joining of the two materials at relatively low welding currents compared to RSW. Using REW process with a significantly lower welding current, satisfactory mechanical characteristics of the weld joint can be achieved, so peak load is between 2300–2500 N, displacement is between 2.5–3 mm and the absorption energy is between 3.3–5.7 J. REW joints showed fatigue strength with the fatigue limit of 882 N.

Plastics welding in automotive industry

<div class="htmlview paragraph">The use of composite materials in the automotive industry has become increasingly widespread. With this increase in use, techniques for non-destructive testing (NDT) have become more and more important. Various optical NDT inspective methods such as holography, moiré techniques, and shearography have been used for material testing. Among these methods, shearography appears to be most practical. Shearography has a simple optical setup due to its “self-referencing” system, and it is relatively insensitive against rigid-body motions. Measurements of displacement derivatives, and thus strain directly, rather than the displacement itself is achieved through this method. Therefore shearography detects defects in objects by correlating anomalies of strain which are usually easier than correlating the anomalies of the displacement itself, as in holography.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">To date shearography has shown potential as a NDT tool for identifying defects in small structures. Applications of this technique in automotive inspection and production have been difficult because a high-powered laser typically needs to be used, which limits its application due to cost, and employee safety. In this presentation, a portable self-contained digital shearographic system using multi-laser diodes for the illumination source will be described. This system demonstrates a way to measure both small and large-scale structures with an economical portable shearographic system. Its application for NDT of composite materials in automotive and aerospace industries will be presented.</div>

Purpose This study explores the nexus between supply chain agility, lean manufacturing, supply chain integration and operational performance. It also provides an evaluation of the state of implementation of lean, integration and agility practices. By adopting the dynamic capabilities perspective, the paper aims to assess how lean and integration drive an agile behavior of the supply chain and how agility creates a bridge toward superior performance outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The hypothetical framework was tested through partial least squares regression. Analyzed data were collected via survey from 112 automotive, aerospace and agri-food Moroccan manufacturing industries. Findings Agility is the most implemented concept in the studied sectors, followed by supply chain integration and lean manufacturing. Lean is fundamental to agility within the automotive industry and integration is a precursor to agility within the aerospace and agri-food supply chains. Additionally, agility is the focal strategy of companies, transforming the dynamics between lean and integration into greater operational performance in all industries. Originality/value This study is one of the few to provide academics and practitioners with tangible evidence on how the interrelationships between operational programs and strategic initiatives enable designing agile and competitive networks. By comparing three fast-developing sectors in a growing emerging economy, the research showcases the power of the alignment between lean supply chain integration and agility in improving performance outcomes.

Magnesium is emerging as a lightweight material for mass reduction and structural efficiency in the automotive, aerospace and consumer industries, but is currently only a niche material competing with other structural materials such as advanced high-strength steels, aluminum and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers. This talk will discuss what the magnesium community can learn from our competition, what critical technologies needed for magnesium to become a main stream material for automotive lightweighting. This talk will also present successful examples of multi-material lightweighting in the automotive industry, and highlight the role of magnesium in providing lightweight solutions when competing with other structural materials. Opportunities and challenges for automotive applications of magnesium will be discussed.

It is a known fact that aerospace industry requires very strict requirements in terms of weight, material properties, and product lifetime performance. Therefore, composite materials are key candidates to satisfy these stringent requirements. Thermoplastic composites have become more competitive in the fields of aerospace, defense, energy, electronics, and automotive industries compared to thermoset composites, due to their ease of formability, short production cycles, and recyclability. Considering the benefits of thermoplastic composite materials, more thermoplastic parts will be produced in near future in aerospace industry. This study highlights the most recent advancements in thermoplastic composite technology. The latest advances in thermoplastic composite technology are highlighted by reviewing material technologies and production methods. Conclusion of this study, it has been observed that the use of thermoplastics in the aerospace industry is increasing day by day, owing to the advantages they offer compared to traditional materials. Especially in critical and trending areas such as stamp forming, press consolidation, Automatic Fiber Placement (AFP), and welding methods, research and development activities are intensifying. Furthermore, this study provides insights into the direction of current investments in thermoplastic technology and discusses how these investments are likely to shape future applications within the aerospace industry.

Aluminum alloy AA2024 has superior characteristics, including high specific strength, excellent corrosion resistance, and remarkable mechanical properties. Moreover, it has an undeniable role in the aerospace and automotive industries, which originates from its lightweight. As an advanced sheet metal in the 3D printing technology, the incremental forming process also has unique advantages in the rapid and small batch production of components in aerospace and automotive industries. The present study investigates the mechanical characteristics of AA2024 sheets at different heat treatment conditions. Moreover, effects of different process parameters on the incremental forming limit are studied through tensile and warm incremental forming experiments. It is intended to provide a guideline for aluminum alloy AA2024 sheet forming. Obtained results from tensile strength experiments indicate that the elevated temperature can reduce the tensile strength of AA2024-T4 by 26.14% and increase its uniform elongation by 28.29%. Incremental forming experiments show that as the temperature increases, the forming angle limit of AA2024-T4 increases by 21.98%. However, it is still lower than the forming angle limit of AA2024-O by 18.38% at the room temperature. It is found that a variable-angle busbar shape, larger feed rate, and lower pitch value can make a component with a greater forming limit. Compared with the stamping process, the incremental forming process can significantly increase the forming limit of the AA2024 sheet, indicating that the incremental forming process is a good choice for AA2024 sheet forming.

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RUTHERFORD T. D.(2000) Re - embedding, Japanese investment and the restructuring buyer - supplier relations in the Canadian automotive components industry during the 1990s, Reg. Studies 34, 739-751. In this paper, I draw on the developing embeddedness literature in economic geography and consider the impact of Japanese automotive transplants on the Canadian automotive components sector. Following SAKO, 1992, I argue that Japanese firms are seeking to 're - embed' their obligational contractual relations (OCR) supply operations in North America. While this has had a significant impact on North American assemblers and Canadian suppliers, strong elements of the more price - focused and adversarial arm's length contractual relations (ACR) system remain. Although Japanese assemblers share greater non - price information with suppliers and have encouraged greater supplier collaboration, Canadian firms primarily supply low value - added components. Smaller production runs and the sourcing of sophisticated components from Japan and kieretsu operations in the US mean that dense, localized supplier networks are less likely to develop in Canada than in Japan or the US. Attempts to develop greater sectoral and labour management collaboration by Canadian suppliers over product development and training have also been limited. RUTHERFORD T. D. (2000) Enchâssement, investissement direct japonais et restructuration du rapport acheteur- fournisseur au sein de l'industrie des équipementiers canadiens dans les années 1990, Reg. Studies 34, 739-751. Cet article cherche à puiser dans les ouvrages naissants de la géographie économique à propos de la notion d'enchâssement et à examiner l'impact de l'investissement direct japonais dans l'automobile sur les équipementiers canadiens. D'après SAKO, 1992, on affirme que les entreprises japonaises cherchent à 'ré-enchâsser' leurs engagements contractuels (appelés Obligational Contract Relations; OCR) en tant que fournisseurs en Amérique du Nord. Alors que cela a eu un impact non-négligeable sur les usines de montage nordaméricaines et sur les fournisseurs canadiens, il reste d'importants éléments d'un système sans lien de dépendance (appellé Arm's Length Contract; ACR) qui porte plutôt sur le prix et qui s'avère plus antagoniste. Bien que les usines de montage japonaises partagent avec les fournisseurs plus d'information ne portant pas sur les prix et ont encouragé plus de collaboration entre les fournisseurs, les entreprises canadiennes fournissent essentiellement des pièces dont la valeur ajoutée s'annonce faible. Vu les séries plus petites et l'acquisition des pièces plus sophistiquées à partir du Japon et des opérations de kieretsu aux Etats-Unis, il y a peu de chances que d'importants réseaux de fournisseurs, établis sur le plan local, aillent se développer au Canada plutôt qu'au Japon ou aux Etats-Unis. Les mesures prises en faveur d'une collaboration plus étroite dans le domaine du management du secteur et de l'emploi par rapport au développement de produits et à la formation, s'avèrent aussi très limitées. RUTHERFORD T. D. (2000) Wiedereinbettung, japanische Investierungen und die Umstrukturierung von Käufer- Zulieferbeziehungen in der kanadischen Automotivkomponentenindustrie der neunziger Jahre, Reg. Studies 34, 739- 751. Dieser Aufsatz stützt sich die in der Wirtschaftsgeographie in Entwicklung begriffenen Einbettungsliteratur, und betrachtet die Auswirkung japanischer automotiver Verpflanzungen auf den Sektor kanadischer Automotivkomponenten. In Anlehnung an SAKO, 1992, wird die Behauptung aufgestellt, daß japanische Firmen versuchen, ihre durch kontraktlich festgelegte Beziehungen (Obligational Contract Relations (OCR)) eingerichteten Lieferunternehmen in Nordamerika 'wieder einzubetten'. Obschon dies sich beträchtlich auf nordamerikanische Montage- und kanadische Lieferfirmen ausgewirkt hat, blieben starke Elemente des preisbewußten und gegnerischen, auf Abstand bestehenden (Arm's Length Contract (ACR)) Systems bestehen. Obwohl japanische Montagefirmen mehr nichtpreisbezogenen Informationsaustausch mit Lieferanten pflegen, und mehr Zusammenarbeit unter Lieferanten empfehlen, liefern kanadische Firmen in erster Linie Komponenten mit geringem Mehrwert. Kleinere Produktionsserien und der Bezug hochentwickelter Komponenten aus Japan, sowie kieretsu Arbeitsvorgänge in den USA bedeuten, daß dichte, örtlich gebundene Lieferantennetzwerke sich eher in Japan oder den USA als in Kanada entwickeln. Versuche, durch Produktentwicklung mehr Zusammenarbeit kanadischer Lieferfirmen in der Abteilungsleitung und sonalleitung zu erreichen, war auch nur begrenzter Erfolg beschieden.

Light metals and their alloys, especially aluminum alloys because of their good strength/weight ratio, have been used in the automotive and aerospace industries to reduce the amount of fuel required and consequently the amount of energy, in a worldwide effort to save energy resources. As mentioned above, among the alloys, the aluminum-silicon binary (AlSi) stands out, as it is used in the construction of mechanical parts of automobiles and the aeronautical industry in the structure of airplane wings. In the automotive industry, components made from the Al-Si alloy need to be machined for their final application and, therefore, this implies in-depth knowledge of the machinability of such alloys, to estimate the machining parameters that require less energy expenditure and provide better surface finish of the part with less tool wear. The present study determined the dependence of the solidification parameters and alloy composition on the machinability of the material, as well as specified parameters for measuring the machining temperature during necking tests.

The liquid composite molding family (LCM) includes several processes like RTM (“Resin transfer molding”) and VARI (“Vacuum assisted resin infusion”), to satisfy the requirements of each industry. The objectives of recent years in the automotive and aerospace industries tend towards better control of production costs by using of new materials, shorter manufacturing cycles, a higher level of performance and safety and better environmental respect. In the automotive sector, a short cycle time and a lower cost equipment are the most criteria to determine a suitable process, while the quality of the part is the primary parameter for aeronautical process selection. The main objective of this paper is to propose and discuss a new design of LCM mold, allowing at the same time to facilitate the manufacturing process, in particular to reduce the cycle time and to respect the material’s health by obtaining a part with minimum defects. This innovation is achieved by using the TRIZ theory (“Theory of inventive problem solving”), in order to eliminate the contradictions that exist between the requirements of the two sectors.

This chapter provides a comprehensive analysis of workplace accidents and occupational health issues in the automotive industry, examining how technological developments and Industry 5.0 implementations are reshaping safety challenges and opportunities. The author investigates the complex relationship between technological advancement and worker safety, demonstrating how automation and digitalization can both reduce traditional risks and create new categories of occupational hazards. This chapter presents detailed epidemiological data on accident patterns and sick leave trends in automotive manufacturing, identifying key risk factors associated with human-robot collaboration, advanced manufacturing processes, and the changing nature of work tasks. Key themes include the analysis of accident causation in technologically advanced manufacturing environments, the impact of work intensification and skill requirements on worker health, and the development of predictive models for identifying high-risk situations and vulnerable worker populations. The author examines successful case studies of safety improvement initiatives that leverage Ergonomics 5.0 principles, showing how human-centered design approaches can enhance both safety outcomes and operational efficiency. This chapter addresses the challenges of maintaining safety culture during technological transitions and presents frameworks for integrating safety considerations into Industry 5.0 implementation strategies. The conclusion provides recommendations for developing proactive safety management systems that anticipate and prevent emerging risks while supporting the successful adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies.