Sustainable Manufacturing of Light Alloys

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Metal Casting, Forming and Heat Treatment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 May 2022) | Viewed by 13778

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Head of Manufacturing Engineering Department, Universidad de Malaga, Dr. Ortiz Ramos s/n, E29071-Malaga, Spain
Vice-President of the Manufacturing Engineering Society
Interests: machining; tool wear; lightweight materials (aluminum alloys, titanium alloys); sustainable manufacturing; metal forming technology and processing; industrial metrology; additive manufacturing; digital image correlation; virtual reality; e-learning; industrial heritage

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Guest Editor
Department of Manufacturing Engineering, University of Malaga, C/ Dr. Ortiz Ramos s/n, 29071 Málaga, Spain
Interests: machining; lightweight materials; aeronautical alloys; aerospace structures; sustainable manufacturing; surface integrity; industrial metrology; additive manufacturing; simulation in manufacturing processes; digital image correlation; industrial heritage
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, magnesium alloys, and nickel super alloys are some of the most widely used alloys in such strategic industrial sectors as the aeronautic, automotive, and biomechanical industries, both individually and hybridized with composite materials. Their excellent mechanical and physical-chemical properties, such as their high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, high stiffness, good fracture toughness, and fatigue behavior make these light alloys an excellent alternative to other materials in engineering applications. However, many of these materials have problems in their ability to be manufactured, especially when sustainable manufacturing processes are applied, due to certain social, economic, and environmental issues.  

The goal of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive overview of the more recent advances in the field of sustainable manufacturing of light alloys, which include machining, forming and additive novel processing techniques, sustainable manufacturing technologies, eco-friendly lubrication and cooling systems, and advanced simulation methods.  

Examples of innovative and successful industrial applications, especially in the aeronautical, aerospace, automotive, biomechanical and biomedical sectors, as well as non-conventional experimental or numerical approaches and simulations, are also encouraged. 

Research and review papers addressing all aspects of the sustainable manufacturing of light alloys are welcome. 


Prof. Lorenzo Sevilla Hurtado
Dr. Francisco Javier Trujillo Vilches
Guest Editors


Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Sustainable manufacturing
  • Lightweight materials
  • Light alloys
  • Aeronautical materials
  • Biomechanical and biomedical alloys
  • Automotive industry alloys
  • Machining
  • Additive manufacturing
  • Forming
  • Non-conventional machining
  • Surface integrity
  • Environmental friendly manufacturing
  • Dry machining
  • MQL
  • Cryogenic machining
  • Simulation
  • FEM in machining

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 45513 KiB  
Article
A Numerical Simulation of Machining 6061 Syntactic Foams Reinforced with Hollow Al2O3 Shells
by Kevin Thomas, Sathish Kannan, Mohammad Nazzal, Salman Pervaiz and Ramanujam Karthikeyan
Metals 2022, 12(4), 596; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12040596 - 30 Mar 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1861
Abstract
Aluminum closed cell syntactic foams possess reduced density, higher peak compression strength, and lower coefficient of thermal expansion and thermal conductivity compared to metal alloys. However, the industrial mass production of these complex material systems presents a significant problem in the form of [...] Read more.
Aluminum closed cell syntactic foams possess reduced density, higher peak compression strength, and lower coefficient of thermal expansion and thermal conductivity compared to metal alloys. However, the industrial mass production of these complex material systems presents a significant problem in the form of poor machinability. In order to address this concern and to increase the use of this potential cost- and energy-saving system, a two-dimensional numerical model using the AdvantEdgeTM machining software was developed. For the verification of the numerical model, machining trials in dry conditions were conducted on different samples using a SandvikTM carbide-coated insert having a 6° rake angle and a 7° clearance angle. The hollow alumina shell diameter and volume fraction were found to profoundly affect the magnitude of the generated machining forces. This study showed an increase in machining force by almost 25% for syntactic foams reinforced with hollow alumina shells of higher volume fraction and coarser diameters. The cutting conditions to obtain a favorable stress diastribution in the syntactic foam’s machined sub-surface were identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Manufacturing of Light Alloys)
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17 pages, 4051 KiB  
Article
Efficiency and Sustainability Analysis of the Repair and Maintenance Operations of UNS M11917 Magnesium Alloy Parts of the Aeronautical Industry Made by Intermittent Facing
by Jacobo Fernández, Eva María Rubio, Diego Carou and Raquel María Lorente-Pedreille
Metals 2021, 11(7), 1035; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11071035 - 28 Jun 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1321
Abstract
This paper analyzes the efficiency and sustainability of facing operations that are required within maintenance operations in the aeronautical industry. Due to the elevated cost and environmental impact of such processes, reducing the operating time while repairing parts is required. In this work, [...] Read more.
This paper analyzes the efficiency and sustainability of facing operations that are required within maintenance operations in the aeronautical industry. Due to the elevated cost and environmental impact of such processes, reducing the operating time while repairing parts is required. In this work, an experimental study of intermittent facing carried out on a magnesium alloy rod was developed. The experiment resembles real repair and maintenance machining operations, where an intermittent facing represents a more realistic scenario and where the results obtained in continuous turning studies are not always applicable. The work was performed with different cooling and lubrication systems and various cutting conditions, also considering the size of the interruption to analyze their impact in the surface roughness. To this end, surface finished in different measuring zones was studied. The aims of the study are to get a better understanding of the intermittent facing process in magnesium alloys typically employed in aeronautical applications and find the most efficient cutting parameters to obtain an improved surface under the safest and most environmentally respectful conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Manufacturing of Light Alloys)
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22 pages, 7122 KiB  
Article
Influence of Tool Wear on Form Deviations in Dry Machining of UNS A97075 Alloy
by Francisco Javier Trujillo Vilches, Sergio Martín Béjar, Carolina Bermudo Gamboa, Manuel Herrera Fernández and Lorenzo Sevilla Hurtado
Metals 2021, 11(6), 958; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11060958 - 13 Jun 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1740
Abstract
Geometrical tolerances play a very important role in the functionality and assembly of parts made of light alloys for aeronautical applications. These parts are frequently machined in dry conditions. Under these conditions, the tool wear becomes one of the most important variables that [...] Read more.
Geometrical tolerances play a very important role in the functionality and assembly of parts made of light alloys for aeronautical applications. These parts are frequently machined in dry conditions. Under these conditions, the tool wear becomes one of the most important variables that influence geometrical tolerances. In this work, the influence of tool wear on roundness, straightness and cylindricity of dry-turned UNS A97075 alloy has been analyzed. The tool wear and form deviations evolution as a function of the cutting parameters and the cutting time has been assessed. In addition, the predominant tool wear mechanisms have been checked. The experimental results revealed that the indirect adhesion wear (BUL and BUE) was the main tool-wear mechanism, with the feed being the most influential cutting parameter. The combination of high feed and low cutting speed values resulted in the highest tool wear. The analyzed form deviations showed a general trend to increase with both cutting parameters. The tool wear and the form deviations tend to increase with the cutting time only within the intermediate range of feed tested. As the main novelty, a relationship between the cutting parameters, the cutting time (and, indirectly, the tool wear) and the analyzed form deviations has been found. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Manufacturing of Light Alloys)
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12 pages, 2481 KiB  
Article
Applicability of the Electrochemical Oxygen Sensor for In-Situ Evaluation of MgO Solubility in the MgF2–LiF Molten Salt Electrolysis System
by Youngjae Kim, Junsoo Yoo and Jungshin Kang
Metals 2020, 10(7), 906; https://doi.org/10.3390/met10070906 - 07 Jul 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3265
Abstract
The measurement and evaluation of MgO solubility in the molten fluoride system is of significant importance in the recently proposed magnesium electrolysis reduction process. In the present study, an in-situ quantitative method of evaluating the concentration of dissolved MgO in molten fluoride is [...] Read more.
The measurement and evaluation of MgO solubility in the molten fluoride system is of significant importance in the recently proposed magnesium electrolysis reduction process. In the present study, an in-situ quantitative method of evaluating the concentration of dissolved MgO in molten fluoride is proposed. The MgO solubility in the 32.8MgF2–67.2LiF system was measured at 1083 and 1123 K using a combustion analyzer. MgO saturation was achieved in under 2 h, and higher solubilities were observed as the temperature increased. Thermodynamic assessment was carried out in order to ascertain the applicability of the electrochemical oxygen sensor, which indicated that the logarithm of oxygen concentration in molten fluoride has a linear relationship with the measured electromotive force (EMF) potential. The EMF potential of the controlled MgO concentration was measured, and a straight calibration line was obtained, describing the relationship between the measured EMF and the logarithm of MgO concentration. From the obtained calibration line, MgO concentration in the 0.4 wt% MgO was calculated. The calculated value was 0.44 wt% that was in excellent accordance with the controlled MgO concentration of 0.4 wt%, verifying the practical applicability of electrochemical oxygen for the in-situ monitoring and evaluation of MgO solubility in the electrolysis magnesium reduction process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Manufacturing of Light Alloys)
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Review

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21 pages, 1578 KiB  
Review
Sustainable Processes in Aluminium, Magnesium, and Titanium Alloys Applied to the Transport Sector: A Review
by David Blanco, Eva María Rubio, Raquel María Lorente-Pedreille and María Ana Sáenz-Nuño
Metals 2022, 12(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12010009 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4633
Abstract
The reduction of consumption and pollutant emissions is a top priority for the transport sector. One working line is the substitution of conventional structural materials with lightweight materials such as metallic alloys of aluminium, titanium, and/or magnesium. For this reason, and considering that [...] Read more.
The reduction of consumption and pollutant emissions is a top priority for the transport sector. One working line is the substitution of conventional structural materials with lightweight materials such as metallic alloys of aluminium, titanium, and/or magnesium. For this reason, and considering that the number of related articles is lower than the existing number of other structural lightweight materials, it is considered very convenient and helpful to carry out a systematic analysis of their latest trends through Open Access literature. A methodology adapted from the PRISMA statement is applied, in order to guarantee unbiasedness and quality in selecting literature and research. The final selection is made up of the 40 most cited research papers from 2015–2020, with an average of 20.6 citations per article. Turning and drilling are the most trending machining processes, and there is particular interest in the study of sustainable cooling, such as dry machining, cryogenic cooling, and MQL. In addition, another trending topic is multi-materials and joining dissimilar materials with guarantees. Additive manufacturing has also been identified as an increasingly trending theme, appearing in 18% of the selected studies. This work is complemented with summary tables of the most cited Open Access articles on sustainable machining and cooling, multi-materials or hybrid components, and additive manufacturing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Manufacturing of Light Alloys)
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