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- Sputtering Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) Coatings: A Critical Review on Process Improvement and Market Trend DemandsPublication . Baptista, Andresa; Silva, F.J.G.; Porteiro, Jacobo; Míguez, José; Pinto, Gustavo FilipePhysical vapour deposition (PVD) is a well-known technology that is widely used for the deposition of thin films regarding many demands, namely tribological behaviour improvement, optical enhancement, visual/esthetic upgrading, and many other fields, with a wide range of applications already being perfectly established. Machining tools are, probably, one of the most common applications of this deposition technique, sometimes used together with chemical vapour deposition (CVD) in order to increase their lifespan, decreasing friction, and improving thermal properties. However, the CVD process is carried out at higher temperatures, inducing higher stresses in the coatings and substrate, being used essentially only when the required coating needs to be deposited using this process. In order to improve this technique, several studies have been carried out optimizing the PVD technique by increasing plasma ionization, decreasing dark areas (zones where there is no deposition into the reactor), improving targets use, enhancing atomic bombardment efficiency, or even increasing the deposition rate and optimizing the selection of gases. These studies reveal a huge potential in changing parameters to improve thin film quality, increasing as well the adhesion to the substrate. However, the process of improving energy efficiency regarding the industrial context has not been studied as deeply as required. This study aims to proceed to a review regarding the improvements already studied in order to optimize the sputtering PVD process, trying to relate these improvements with the industrial requirements as a function of product development and market demand.
- Learning in the Laboratory: Accessing Videos with Quick Response CodesPublication . Duarte, Marina; Baptista, Andresa; Pinto, Gustavo FilipeUsing QR codes to access videos in engineering laboratory classes might be a successful way of building a bridge from concrete to digital content. With QR codes placed on an apparatus, students know exactly which video to watch, allowing them to view the videos while performing the experiment or at home when writing the report. Low-cost videos do not require expensive equipment and software, and keeping them short assures a minimum download time for use with smartphones and tablets. The aim of this chapter is to evaluate the importance undergraduate engineering students attribute to these videos and their reaction to the possibility of accessing them with QR codes scanned by a smartphone or a tablet, using access statistics and video viewings to support the findings. Results show students attributed some importance to the videos, and that the QR codes are very helpful as means to quickly and easily access the videos.
- Using Quick Response Codes with Videos in the LaboratoryPublication . Duarte, Marina; Baptista, Andresa; Pinto, Gustavo FilipeUsing QR codes to access low-cost, educational, short videos in engineering laboratory classes might be a successful way of building a bridge from concrete to digital content. With QR codes placed on the apparatus, students will know exactly which video to watch. The scanned QR codes can be saved, enabling students to watch them again while performing the experiment or at home. Low-cost videos do not require expensive equipment and software, and keeping the videos short assures a minimum download time, making them compatible for use with smartphones and tablets. The aim of this research is to evaluate the importance undergraduate engineering students attribute to these videos and their reaction to the possibility of accessing them with QR codes scanned by a smartphone or a tablet. Results show students attributed some importance to the videos, and that the QR codes are very helpful as means to quickly and easily access the videos.
- A novel concept of a conduit transport systemPublication . Santos, P. R.; Silva, F.J.G.; Campilho, R.D.S.G.; Pinto, Gustavo Filipe; Baptista, AndresaThe automotive component industry has grown steadily in the last decade. The automation of the manufacturing processes has boosted an increase in the production rates of the components, and also contributed to a significant increase in quality. Automation has also contributed significantly to an increase in the production rate, as well as the process flexibility and reliability of the products obtained in the manufacture of spiral tubes used in control cables normally used for the operation of doors, brakes, glass handling, etc.. Currently, the manufacturing process of these components can be performed in a completely automated way, which proves the importance of automation in this sector. This work intends to present the development of a new solution for transporting conduits along an automatic production line, where several operations are carried out on the control cable spirals, namely cutting, deburring, punching of terminals at the ends and insertion of a tube starter, to sample noises during operation. An innovative transport system of the main sub-product (conduits) was developed along the line, which has a much higher reliability than previously recorded, also reducing the setup time required by 97%. The stoppages of the equipment due to problems with the conduits transportation process were also drastically reduced. The solution found is extremely simple and economical, allowing the reuse of numerous parts already used in the previous solution, with the consequent benefits in terms of resources reutilization. As an economical solution, it can be easily adaptable to other similar production processes, inducing very appreciable productivity gains.
- Numerical Simulation Applied to PVD Reactors: An OverviewPublication . Pinto, Gustavo Filipe; Silva, Francisco; Porteiro, Jacobo; Mínguez, José; Baptista, AndresaThe technological evolution in the last century also required an evolution of materials and coatings. Therefore, it was necessary to make mechanical components subject to heavy wear more reliable, improving their mechanical strength and durability. Surfaces can contribute decisively to extending the lifespan of mechanical components. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD) technologies have emerged to meet the new requirements that have enabled a remarkable improvement in the morphology, composition and structure of films as well as an improved adhesion to the substrate allowing a greater number of diversified applications. Thin films deposition using PVD coatings has been contributing to tribological improvement, protecting their surfaces from wear and corrosion, as well as enhancing their appearance. This process can be an advantage over other processes due to their excellent properties and environmental friendly behavior, which gives rise to a large number of studies in mathematical modelling and numerical simulation, like finite element method (FEM) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This review intends to contribute to a better PVD process knowledge, in the fluids and heat area, using CFD simulation methods focusing on the process energy efficiency improvement regarding the industrial context with the sputtering technique.
- Minimizing the Adhesion Effects in Food Packages Forming by the Use of Advanced CoatingsPublication . Fernandes, L.; Silva, F.J.G.; Paiva, O.C.; Baptista, Andresa; Pinto, Gustavo FilipeThe metal packaging industry used for food application has undergone drastic changes in the demands of its final consumers. The raw material for these packages, is a low carbon steel coated with a thin layer of tin (2,0 g/m2), also known as tinplate. The stamping process of these packages occurs at room temperature and is critically influenced by the tin transfer from the steel surface to the tool surface, mainly due to the tin softness. This problem is easily solved using lubrification but the purpose of this study will be the reduction or even absence of lubricants during the process in order to comply with costumers’ requirements. A successful way to minimize the consumption of lubricants is to use tools which are coated with PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) advanced coatings deposited with unbalanced magnetron sputtering technique. Thin WC (Tungsten Carbide) and CrCN (Chromium Carbonitride) coatings were deposited using PVD on tool stamping steel – AISI D2. Block on ring tribological tests were performed on the coatings against tinplate counterface in order to investigate their wear performance, with particular emphasis on the material transfer (tin) phenomena during the sliding tests. The results allowed for selecting the best coating tested with a view to avoid the tin adhesion to the die.
- Exploring the use of quick response codes: accessing videos in the laboratoryPublication . Duarte, Marina; Baptista, Andresa; Pinto, Gustavo FilipeBringing the digital world and “digital natives” to hands-on engineering laboratory classes can be a challenge and an opportunity. Videos can be used, but is important that students know exactly what video to watch for each apparatus. That is why the possibility of accessing videos with QR codes is essential to build a bridge from concrete to digital content. The aim of this research is to evaluate the importance undergraduate engineering students attribute to instructional videos that explain the operating procedure of laboratory apparatus, and their reaction to the possibility of accessing them with quick response (QR) codes. Results show students attributed some importance to the videos and the QR codes in the laboratory are very helpful as means to quickly and easily access the videos.
- Intralogistics and industry 4.0: designing a novel shuttle with picking systemPublication . Fernandes, A. Baptista; Silva, F.J.G.; Campilho, R.D.S.G.; Pinto, Gustavo FilipeIntralogistics is increasingly a matter of research and development as a form of optimization, automation, integration and management of the flow of materials and information that circulate within a business unit. With a strong connection to material handling equipment and automation solutions, intralogistics has proved to be one of the main factors responsible for something that is already happening: a fourth industrial revolution where it is possible to convert warehouses and manufacturing units into smart environments where the entire process can be controlled and supervised through a single system. It became necessary to develop more innovative and efficient solutions to the constant diversity of challenges proposed by the market. In this sense, it was proposed to develop something innovative within the area of Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), a technology increasingly sought after by today's manufacturing plants. As such, the goal was to improve the most emergent AS/RS in recent years: the Pallet/Box Shuttle AS/RS. In order to achieve the proposed objective, it was necessary to analyze all the existing solutions in the market and, mainly, to find the main systems to be improved and the direction to follow in order to create a novel solution based on the existing advanced solutions. Moreover, regarding the recent needs required by the smart factories and Industry 4.0, it was intended that the new system would be able to make an optimized selection of products, forming sets or sub-sets of different products picking them from different places of the rack, a situation that is quite frequent in companies that produce and assemble equipment. The solution obtained shows that it is possible to increase the automation of the operations in the storage systems and improve the responsiveness of the system, taking this solution to a new level. Different products can be picked-up and put in a same box, providing a set of products/components able to be used in a production line or to be provided to a customer.
- A critical review on the numerical simulation related to Physical Vapour DepositionPublication . Pinto, Gustavo Filipe; Silva, F.J.G.; Porteiro, J.; Míguez, J.L.; Baptista, Andresa; Fernandes, L.Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) is a process usually used for the production of advanced coatings regarding its application in several industrial and current products, such as optical lens, moulds and dies, decorative parts or tools. This process has several variants due to its strong evolution along the last decades. The process is commonly assisted by plasma, creating a particular low pressure and medium temperature atmosphere, which is responsible for the transition of atomic particles between the target and the parts to be coated into a vacuum reactor. Several parameters are directly affecting the deposition, namely the substrate temperature, pressure inside the reactor, assisting gases used, type of current, power supply, bias, substrate and target materials, samples holder and corresponding rotation, deposition time, among others. Many mathematical models have been developed in order to allow the generation of numerical simulation applications, trying to combine parameters and expect the corresponding results. Numerical simulation applications were created around the mathematical models previously developed, which can play an important role in the prediction of the coating properties and structure. This paper intends to describe the numerical simulation evolution in the last years, namely the use of Finite Elements Method (FEM) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
- Continuous improvement in maintenance: a case study in the automotive industry involving Lean toolsPublication . Pinto, Gustavo Filipe; Silva, F.J.G.; Campilho, R.D.S.G.; Casais, R.B.; Fernandes, A.J.; Baptista, AndresaMaintenance function assumes a key role in today’s industry. The automotive industry is not an exception and there are strict rules to comply with. Indeed, the IATF 16949:2016 imposes the implementation of key performance indicator as a mean to control the overall manufacturing performance. This work presents a case study carried out in a multinational company related with the production of parts for the automotive industry where it was necessary to implement key performance indicators to comply with the IATF 16949: 2016 standard and a model was also created for the management of spare parts linked to the maintenance of existing equipment. The introduction of these changes forced the application of some Lean tools, with a view to improving procedures and information flows. The work was completed successfully, and key performance indicators were implemented, whose support data, which is now collected and calculated automatically on a routine basis, and the spare-parts management was validated with a view to optimization of warehouse space and at a conveniently low inventory level in this type of parts, without endangering critical equipment in production. The SMED methodology was applied, which allowed the setup time to be reduced by 11%, and the Lean 5S tool was used to organize the mould exchange activities. An OEE of more than 90% has been achieved.
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