Computer aided process planning for non-axisymmetric deep drawing products
In general, deep drawing products have various cross-section shapes such as cylindrical, rectangular and nonaxisymmetric shapes. The application of the surface area calculation to non-axisymmetric deep drawing process has not been published yet. In this research, a surface area calculation for non-axisymmetric deep drawing products with 
elliptical shape was constructed for a design of blank shape of deep drawing products by using an AutoLISP function of AutoCAD software. A computer-aided process planning (CAPP) system for rotationally symmetric deep drawing products has been developed. However, the application of the system to non-axisymmetric components has not been 
reported yet. Thus, the CAPP system for non-axisymmetric deep drawing products with elliptical shape was constructed by using process sequence design. The system developed in this work consists of four modules. The first is recognition of shape module to recognize non-axisymmetric products. The second is a three-dimensional (3-D) modeling module to calculate the surface area for non-axisymmetric products. The third is a blank design module to create an oval-shaped blank with the identical surface area. The forth is a process planning module based on the production rules that play the 
best important role in an expert system for manufacturing. The production rules are generated and upgraded by interviewing field engineers. Especially, the drawing coefficient, the punch and die radii for elliptical shape products are 
considered as main design parameters. The suitability of this system was verified by applying to a real deep drawing product. This CAPP system constructed would be very useful to reduce lead-time for manufacturing and improve an accuracy of products.
A Computer Program for Calculating the Circular Product Dimensions During Deep Drawing Operations Steps
Deep drawing process is an important industrial processes where it has been extensively used. It is a process for converting the blank metal to make cylindricalshape in most of the cases. A research program for performing basic calculations related to the product shape was utilized. Eighteen geometric shapes have been selected for the production in this process. The program is include the general equations for this controlling process for each form. When choosing one of the shapes in the program, the dimensions of the desired product are selected. In other words, the inputs to the program are the required dimensions of the product before reaching the required deportation. In addition, diameter, height and other related dimension are computed which were chosen for each stage throughout the operation. Visual Basic language was used to implement this program because of its ability to deal with graphical interface. The program also accounts for a large number of mathemat ical equations. Computer program is aimed to help designers templates deep drawing quickly through the implementation of the process, and this exceeds the designer experience that is required to perform the require calculations.
Neutron Residual Stress Measurements on Rail Sections for Different Production Conditions
Rail sectioning with subsequent neutron diffraction experiments has been used to assess residual stresses in the rails. In this study we present the results of neutron stress measurements performed at the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) on rail sections from rails that were produced under various conditions. Specifically, these are air-cooled, air-cooled and roller-straightened, head-hardened and head-hardened and roller-straightened. More significantly, a head-hardened and roller-straightened rail was also studied after service to elucidate evolution of the service-induced residual stresses. In the latter case both a transverse-cut slice and the central region of a 0.53 m long piece were studied. Measurements on this piece are the first in which triaxial stresses have been determined for an intact rail. Neutron strain measurements with 3×3×3 mm3 spatial resolution were successfully employed for transversally cut slices to verify the difference in the stress state depending on the production process. Although examination of slices allows determination of only two-dimensional stresses in the plane of the slice, additional measurements on obliquely-cut slices, which were also carried out, and utilization of FEM gives the possibility of reconstructing the full triaxial stress distribution. Together, these approaches provide a better understanding of rail fabrication and the possibility of improving the durability and safety of rails in the future.Copyright © 2004 by ASME