This article aims to give an overall review of research status in hand rehabilitation robotic technology, evaluating a number of devices. The main scope is to explore the current state of art to help ...and support designers and clinicians make better choices among varied devices and components. The review also focuses on both mechanical design, usability and training paradigms since these parts are interconnected for an effective hand recovery. In order to study the rehabilitation robotic technology status, the devices have been divided in two categories: end-effector robots and exoskeleton devices. The end-effector robots are more flexible than exoskeleton devices in fitting the different size of hands, reducing the setup time and increasing the usability for new patients. They suffer from the control of distal joints and haptic aspects of object manipulation. In this way, exoskeleton devices may represent a new opportunity. Nevertheless their design is complex and a deep investigation of hand biomechanics and physical human–robot interaction is required. The main hand exoskeletons have been developed in the last decade and the results are promising demonstrated by the growth of the commercialized devices. Finally, a discussion on the complexity to define which design is better and more effective than the other one is summarized for future investigations.
The complex structure of turning aggravates obtaining the desired results in terms of tool wear and surface roughness. The existence of high temperature and pressure make difficult to reach and ...observe the cutting area. In-direct tool condition, monitoring systems provide tracking the condition of cutting tool via several released or converted energy types, namely, heat, acoustic emission, vibration, cutting forces and motor current. Tool wear inevitably progresses during metal cutting and has a relationship with these energy types. Indirect tool condition monitoring systems use sensors situated around the cutting area to state the wear condition of the cutting tool without intervention to cutting zone. In this study, sensors mostly used in indirect tool condition monitoring systems and their correlations between tool wear are reviewed to summarize the literature survey in this field for the last two decades. The reviews about tool condition monitoring systems in turning are very limited, and relationship between measured variables such as tool wear and vibration require a detailed analysis. In this work, the main aim is to discuss the effect of sensorial data on tool wear by considering previous published papers. As a computer aided electronic and mechanical support system, tool condition monitoring paves the way for machining industry and the future and development of Industry 4.0.
AISI 5140 is a steel alloy used for manufacturing parts of medium speed and medium load such as gears and shafts mainly used in automotive applications. Parts made from AISI 5140 steel require ...machining processes such as turning and milling to achieve the final part shape. Limited research has been reported on the machining vibration and surface roughness during turning of AISI 5140 in the open literature. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to conduct a systematic study to determine the optimum cutting conditions, analysis of vibration and surface roughness under different cutting speeds, feed rates and cutting edge angles using response surface methodology (RSM). Prediction models were developed and optimum turning parameters were obtained for averaged surface roughness (Ra) and three components of vibration (axial, radial and tangential) using RSM. The results demonstrated that the feed rate was the most affecting parameter in increasing the surface roughness (69.4%) and axial vibration (65.8%) while cutting edge angle and cutting speed were dominant on radial vibration (75.5%) and tangential vibration (64.7%), respectively. In order to obtain minimum vibration for all components and surface roughness, the optimum parameters were determined as Vc = 190 m/min, f = 0.06 mm/rev, κ = 60° with high reliability (composite desirability = 90.5%). A good agreement between predicted and measured values was obtained with the developed model to predict surface roughness and vibration during turning of AISI 5140 within a 10% error range.
Optimization of tool life is required to tune the machining parameters and achieve the desired surface roughness of the machined components in a wide range of engineering applications. There are many ...machining input variables which can influence surface roughness and tool life during any machining process, such as cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut. These parameters can be optimized to reduce surface roughness and increase tool life. The present study investigates the optimization of five different sensorial criteria, additional to tool wear (VB) and surface roughness (Ra), via the Tool Condition Monitoring System (TCMS) for the first time in the open literature. Based on the Taguchi L9 orthogonal design principle, the basic machining parameters cutting speed (vc), feed rate (f) and depth of cut (ap) were adopted for the turning of AISI 5140 steel. For this purpose, an optimization approach was used implementing five different sensors, namely dynamometer, vibration, AE (Acoustic Emission), temperature and motor current sensors, to a lathe. In this context, VB, Ra and sensorial data were evaluated to observe the effects of machining parameters. After that, an RSM (Response Surface Methodology)-based optimization approach was applied to the measured variables. Cutting force (97.8%) represented the most reliable sensor data, followed by the AE (95.7%), temperature (92.9%), vibration (81.3%) and current (74.6%) sensors, respectively. RSM provided the optimum cutting conditions (at vc = 150 m/min, f = 0.09 mm/rev, ap = 1 mm) to obtain the best results for VB, Ra and the sensorial data, with a high success rate (82.5%).
Products made of titanium and its alloys are widely used in modern areas like the mechanical engineering, instrument making, aerospace and medical sector. High strength and low thermal conductivity ...are the causes of difficulties with the machinability of these alloys. It is important to find ways to increase machinability by cutting titanium alloys. One way to implement this is to apply various methods of cooling on workpieces of titanium alloys and on cutting tools during machining. In this review article, an extensive analysis of the literature on such cooling techniques as dry, conventional cooling system, minimum quantity of lubricant (MQL), minimum quantity cooling lubrication (MQCL), cryogenic lubrication, and high-pressure cooling (HPC) is performed. The following groups of Ti alloys are considered: high-strength structural and high-temperature Ti alloys, intermetallic compounds, pure titanium, as well as composites CFRPs/Ti alloys. For the processes of turning, milling, drilling, and grinding, etc. it is shown how the type of cooling affects the surface integrity include surface roughness, tool wear, tool life, temperature, cutting forces, environmental aspects, etc. The main advantages, disadvantages and prospects of different cooling methods are also shown. The problems and future trends of these methods for the machining of Ti and its alloys are indicated.
Extrusion-based three-dimensional (3D) printing methods are preferred and emerging approaches for freely digital fabrication of ceramics due to ease of use, low investment, high utilization of ...materials, and good adaptability to multi-materials. However, systematic knowledge still lacks an explanation for what is their 3D printability. Moreover, some uncontrollable factors including extrudate shape retention and nonuniform drying inevitably limit their industrial applications. The purpose of this research was to present a new shaping retention method based on mathematical synthesis modeling for extrusion-based 3D-printing of ceramic pastes. Firstly, the steady-state equilibrium equation of the extrusion process was derived to provide clearer theoretical indications than purely experimental methods. Furthermore, a mathematical description framework was synthesized to better understand the extrusion-based 3D-printing of ceramic pastes from several realms: pastes rheology, extrudability, shape-holdability, and drying kinetics. Secondly, for eliminating shaping drawbacks (e.g., deformation and cracks) originating from non-digital control factors, we put forward a digital shape-retention technology inspired by the generalized drying kinetics of porous materials, which was different from existing retention solutions, e.g., freezing retention, thermally induced gelation, and using removable support structures. In addition, we developed an in situ hot air flow drying device easily attached to the nozzle of existing 3D printers. Confirmatory 3D-printing experiments of thin-walled cone-shape benchmark parts and the fire arrowhead-like object clearly demonstrated that the presented shape-retention method not only upgraded layer-by-layer forming capability but also enabled digital control of extrudate solidification. In addition, many more experimental results statistically showed that both fully solid parts and purely thin-wall parts had higher dimensional accuracy and better surface quality than the offline drying method. The 3D printed ceramic products with complex profiled surfaces conceivably demonstrated that our improved extrusion-based 3D-printing process of ceramic pastes has game-changing potentials beyond the traditional craftsmanship capacity.
The necessity to progress towards sustainability has inspired modern researchers to examine the lubrication and cooling effects of vegetable oils on conventional metal cutting operations. ...Consequently, as an eco-friendly vegetable product, castor oil can be the right choice as Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) base fluid. Nonetheless, the high viscosity of castor oil limits its flowability and restricts its industrial application. Conversely, palm oil possesses superior lubricity, as well as flowability characteristics. Hence, an attempt has been made to improve the lubrication behavior of castor oil. Here, six castor-palm mixtures (varying from 1:0.5-1:3) were utilized as MQL-fluid, and the values of machining responses viz. average surface roughness, specific cutting energy, and tool wear were evaluated. Furthermore, an integrated Shannon's Entropy-based Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) framework was employed for selecting the most suitable volume ratio of castor-palm oil mixture. The rank provided by the TOPSIS method confirmed that 1:2 was the best volume ratio for castor-palm oil mixture. Afterward, a comparative analysis demonstrated that the best castor-palm volume fraction resulted in 8.262 and 16.146% lowering of surface roughness, 5.459 and 7.971% decrement of specific cutting energy, 2.445 and 3.155% drop in tool wear compared to that of castor and palm oil medium, respectively.
Currently, there is an intensive development of bipedal walking robots. The most known solutions are based on the use of the principles of human gait created in nature during evolution. Modernbipedal ...robots are also based on the locomotion manners of birds. This review presents the current state of the art of bipedal walking robots based on natural bipedal movements (human and bird) as well as on innovative synthetic solutions. Firstly, an overview of the scientific analysis of human gait is provided as a basis for the design of bipedal robots. The full human gait cycle that consists of two main phases is analysed and the attention is paid to the problem of balance and stability, especially in the single support phase when the bipedal movement is unstable. The influences of passive or active gait on energy demand are also discussed. Most studies are explored based on the zero moment. Furthermore, a review of the knowledge on the specific locomotor characteristics of birds, whose kinematics are derived from dinosaurs and provide them with both walking and running abilities, is presented. Secondly, many types of bipedal robot solutions are reviewed, which include nature-inspired robots (human-like and birdlike robots) and innovative robots using new heuristic, synthetic ideas for locomotion. Totally 45 robotic solutions are gathered by thebibliographic search method. Atlas was mentioned as one of the most perfect human-like robots, while the birdlike robot cases were Cassie and Digit. Innovative robots are presented, such asslider robot without knees, robots with rotating feet (3 and 4 degrees of freedom), and the hybrid robot Leo, which can walk on surfaces and fly. In particular, the paper describes in detail the robots’ propulsion systems (electric, hydraulic), the structure of the lower limb (serial, parallel, mixed mechanisms), the types and structures of control and sensor systems, and the energy efficiency of the robots. Terrain roughness recognition systems using different sensor systems based on light detection and ranging or multiple cameras are introduced. A comparison of performance, control and sensor systems, drive systems, and achievements of known human-like and birdlike robots is provided. Thirdly, for the first time, the review comments on the future of bipedal robots in relation to the concepts of conventional (natural bipedal) and synthetic unconventional gait. We critically assess and compare prospective directions for further research that involve the development of navigation systems, artificial intelligence, collaboration with humans, areas for the development of bipedal robot applications in everyday life, therapy, and industry.
Computer Numerical Control (CNC) face milling is commonly used to manufacture products from high-strength grade-H steel in both the automotive and the construction industry. The various milling ...operations for these components have key performance indicators: accuracy, surface roughness (
Ra
), and machining time for removal of a unit volume min/cm
3
(
T
m
). The specified surface roughness values for machining each component is achieved based on the prototype specifications. However, poor adherence to specifications can result in the rejection of the machined parts, implying extra production costs and raw material wastage. An algorithm using an artificial neural network (ANN) with the Edgeworth-Pareto method is presented in this paper to optimize the cutting parameter in CNC face-milling operations. The set of parameters are adjusted to improve surface roughness and minimal unit-volume material removal rates, thereby reducing production costs and improving accuracy. An ANN algorithm is designed in Matlab, based on a 3–10-1 Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), which predicts the
Ra
of the workpiece surface to an accuracy of ± 5.78% within the range of the experimental angular spindle speed, feed rate, and cutting depth. An unprecedented Pareto frontier for
Ra
and
T
m
was obtained for the finished grade-H steel workpiece using an ANN algorithm that was then used to determine optimized cutting conditions. Depending on the production objective, one or the other of two sets of optimum machining conditions can be used: the first one sets a minimum cutting power, while the other sets a maximum
T
m
with a slight increase (under 5%) in milling costs.
The minimum uncut chip thickness (MUCT) is an important phenomenon observed both in orthogonal and oblique cutting. Rounding the cutting edge influences the initiation of the cutting process and chip ...formation. In a previous study, the authors presented a theoretical analysis and experimental validation on the effect of edge inclination angle
λ
s
in the range of 0° to 60° on
h
min
in radial-free turning of C45 steel. The current work investigated the MUCT
h
min
in oblique cutting process of C45 steel, for extremely high value of edge inclination angle
λ
s
. In this research, a special technique based on milling tool machine using a special tool and sample is presented. Enabled model tests in the unprecedented range of angles
λ
s
not used in research to date. The samples were machined using a cutting speed
v
c
= 0.063 m/min. Vertical feed of edge
f
v
was determined by association on the applied sample slope (
τ
= 0.60–0.85 mm/m) and cutting speed
v
c
. as
f
v
= 37.8—53.5 μm/min. MUCT
h
min
parameter was measured using compensation for the effects of deformation, based on profilogram analysis. The machining experiments were carried out using a tool with
r
n
= 185 μm. It was found that in the range of angles of 50° ≤
λ
s
≤ 85°, the MUCT decreases from
h
min
= 12 μm for
λ
s
= 50° to
h
min
= 4 μm for
λ
s
= 85°. Increasing
λ
s
by 35° resulted in up to threefold reduction in MUCT. The analysis of the experimental results of
h
min
for the range of studied
λ
s
angle confirmed authors previously reported theory for extreme values of
λ
s
. In optimization procedure based on LSM, chip flow angle coefficient was determined as
k
= 0.75 and critical value of rake angle
γ
cf
= -64.8°. This feature provides prediction of results with great accuracy to experimental value. The findings from this study opens the possibility of developing new tools for finishing operations in the field of oblique cutting with high values of
λ
s
angle. In addition, the results introduce new area for research on improving the surface quality based on lowering the effect of MUCT on surface roughness and explaining some aspects related to surface wear in the friction process.