Numerous automotive and aircraft/aerospace applications involve metallic coating of organic matrix composite materials, e.g. for aesthetic, electric, or engineering functions. In the thermal spray process family, cold spray is very attractive for the achievement of metallization of low-temperature resistant materials such as organic composites, due to its “cold” characteristic. However, despite the current (and justified) craze for cold spray, little is still known about the potential of this process for this type of application. The work demonstrated the feasibility of cold spray for satisfactory metallization of PA66-matrix composites with Al. This paves the way for using cold spray as an advantageous substitute process for the industrial protection of polymer-based composites.
Fourth industrial revolution called Industry 4.0 has radically transformed production systems in manufacturing companies by the integration of emerging technologies. However, manufacturers must overcome several barriers, such as the lack of qualified talent to develop and manage various high-technology systems. Assembly system design aims to define proper assembly line configurations with the optimal performances to overcome increased competitiveness in the market. Nowadays, assembly system design should consider industry 4.0 concepts integration beyond traditional aspects like system balancing and sequencing. In this paper, we introduce a project-based learning approach to teach engineering students assembly system design taking into account industry 4.0 dimension. This project is carried out in collaboration with an industrial partner to design and implement car doors assembly line. The project demonstrated students interest and prepared them better for industry 4.0 era.
Cold spray is now well recognized as one of the most powerful and efficient coating process because it is cost-attractive and “green”. However, this process still shows limitations to achieve coatings for highly-demanding service conditions such as those required in certain automotive and/or aircraft applications. Beyond these limitations, cold spray is expected to compete with conventional P/M routes.The present work therefore focussed on the study of damage mechanisms in cold-sprayed AISI 316L and 316L-matrix–Cu composites coatings due to high-loading conditions. Different damage mechanisms could occur depending on the content of Cu particle addition, due to changes in the response of the microstructure to the loading. These mechanisms were studied using the newly-developed “impact-sliding” test. In this test, a steel ball impacts the coating surface at a given frequency, with a fixed angle. The influence of major testing parameters was investigated.Microstructures before and after testing were studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and microprobe analysis in addition to 3D optical profilometry of impacted areas. Damage mechanisms were seen to be of two types, i.e. plastic deformation and wear. These resulted in decohesion of splats, formation of wear debris and formation of a layer with a tribologically-transformed structure (TTS) at the contact surface.Results showed that cold spray could be claimed to be suitable for the achievement of high-performance coatings for industrial applications provided that the coating microstructure can be controlled. This could be done using a composite approach to the coating composition.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.