Evolution of the Mechanical Properties of the Surface Layers of Aluminum Alloys under the Conditions of Sliding Friction

Mechanical properties of surface layers of aluminum alloys before and after friction tests are studied by nanoindentation. The influence of the composition of the alloys on these properties is analyzed. It is obtained that as a result of wear and tear, relatively compliant layer is formed on the surface of one of the alloys. Another sample demonstrates relatively rigid film at the surface of the friction path. Conclusions about different mechanisms of the wear and tear of alloys are made based on the analysis.

Split Hopkinson bar tests on metaconcrete: modeling and numerical simulations

The work deals with the dynamic characterization of metaconcrete, a mechanical metamaterial with locally resonant inclusions and unconventional dynamic performance. Metaconcrete can be defined as an unusual concrete in which standard aggregates are partially replaced by engineered ones made of a rigid heavy core covered by a compliant layer. From a mechanical point of view, its mitigation properties are associated to the mechanical energy trapped by the inclusions when acted upon by an elastic pulse with a frequency content close to their own resonant frequencies. So far, a discrete number of experimental investigations have been performed but none of these consider the impulsive nature of blast and impact loadings and the direction of the incoming wave with respect to the inclusion orientation in case of a brittle matrix. The results of numerical simulations considering different configurations of engineered inclusions within a single metaconcrete unit are compared in terms of stress level attained as well as internal and kinetic energy involved. Metaconcrete can bring about disruptive applications in several fields of applied sciences, but for the technology to become firmly established a synergism between computational and experimental approaches is paramount.

Effect of Surrogate Surface Compliance on the Measured Stiffness of Snowboarding Wrist Protectors

Wrist injuries have been reported to account for 35%–45% of snowboarding injuries. Snowboarding wrist protectors are designed to limit impact forces and prevent wrist hyperextension. The absence of a standard for snowboarding wrist protectors makes it hard to identify models offering an adequate level of protection. Wrist surrogates are well suited for testing and benchmarking wrist protectors. This study investigated the effect of introducing a soft tissue simulant onto an otherwise stiff wrist surrogate on the bending stiffness of snowboarding wrist protectors. A compliant surrogate (stiff core and 3 mm thick silicone layer) and a comparable stiff surrogate were fabricated. Two snowboarding wrist protectors were tested on each surrogate, under three strapping conditions, following a bend test to ~80° wrist extension. The introduction of a compliant layer to the wrist surrogate gave higher torque values for a given wrist extension angle, increasing protector effective stiffness, relative to a rigid surrogate.

Design optimization of a CFRP–aluminum joint for a bioengineering application

Lightweight design demands and complexity requirements of modern high-end structures in aerospace, automotive, sports and bioengineering can be successfully covered by a combination of fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) with metallic components. Conventionally, mechanical locking is favored in integrating multi-material parts, avoiding bonded interfaces. The feasibility of a multi-material carbon FRP–aluminum structural component of a robotic exoskeleton, fabricated in a single step with the FRP directly cured on the aluminum domain, was investigated. To conduct the feasibility analysis, pertinent systematic FE modeling involving cohesive contact was employed to optimize the design, while strength and fracture testing were conducted to define the formed interfaces’ resistance. Sandblasting treatment was also investigated and compared with plain surfaces. The results show that the effect of residual stresses due to curing process governs the created joint’s durability. To reduce their effect, the local compliance of the multi-material components was altered by introducing a compliant layer along with modification of the aluminum domains’ local geometry in a manner that does not compromise the overall structural integrity. The interface stresses of the optimized geometry are a few times lower than the ones estimated for the initial design. The methodology adopted herein delivers some guidelines on treating such problems.

Power Generation Amplification and Stack Toughening via Compliant Layer Interdigitation

Energy harvesting from low frequency cyclic motion is possible in a variety of applications, but generating power with piezoelectric stacks at low, off-resonance frequencies is challenging. In this study, Compliant Layer Adaptive Composite Stacks (CLACS) were investigated as a toughened piezoelectric generator to increase efficiency at low frequencies and match the compliance of many commercial devices. CLACS were manufactured with PZT discs, interdigitated epoxy layers of varying thicknesses, and encapsulated in epoxy. Energy production of each CLACS type as a function of compliant layer thickness was characterized. Power amplification of CLACS was modeled assuming discs remain planar, volume of epoxy was conserved, and total epoxy deformations were small. Shear lag theory demonstrated increases in positive in-plane strains induced by external through-thickness compression. This amplified sensitivity of the entire stack to through-thickness compressions, substantially increases power generation capability. Experimental data showed that increases in compliant layer thickness resulted in increased power generation in all loading conditions. The shear lag structural mechanics model showed good correlation with theoretical predictions, assuming small deformation of the compliant layer. In addition to reducing composite stiffness, the CLACS generated 61% more power than conventional stack actuators with the same PZT volume via lateral strain amplification effects.

Computational optical palpation: a finite-element approach to micro-scale tactile imaging using a compliant sensor

High-resolution tactile imaging, superior to the sense of touch, has potential for future biomedical applications such as robotic surgery. In this paper, we propose a tactile imaging method, termed computational optical palpation, based on measuring the change in thickness of a thin, compliant layer with optical coherence tomography and calculating tactile stress using finite-element analysis. We demonstrate our method on test targets and on freshly excised human breast fibroadenoma, demonstrating a resolution of up to 15–25 µm and a field of view of up to 7 mm. Our method is open source and readily adaptable to other imaging modalities, such as ultrasonography and confocal microscopy.

Thermal wrinkling behavior of formable decorative film laminates

This paper focuses on wrinkle development in decorative film laminates during heating operations with the goal to understand their driving factors and develop strategies to overcome such defects. The study looked at temperature and heating rate effects on the wrinkling behavior of a commercial black-out film laminated onto a metal substrate. The 135℃ threshold temperature identified for our film under which no wrinkles formed, related to the stiffness of its different construction layers. Heating rate was also noted by this study to be an important parameter in wrinkling; values between 1℃ and 350℃/min were tested. It was possible to exceed the threshold temperature stated above without wrinkling when the heating rate was sufficiently low (closer to 1℃/min, though less than 50℃/min was often sufficient depending on the final temperature). The heating rate effect is believed to be related to the time-dependent viscoelastic response of the compliant layer in relation to building thermal stresses.