INTELLIGENT TOOLING

Progress Review

• Introduction

• Updated Customers/Wants/Constraints

• Metrics

• Benchmarking

• Concept Evaluation

• Schedule

Project Summary

Team 99.08 Members: Jeff Roushey, Glenn Gardner,Andy Graybill, Joe Staley

Customer: Fraunhofer Resource Center – Delaware (FRC-DE)

Mission: To develop a sensor system to indicate the completion of the metalfoaming process for aluminum and steel foams using a LabVIEWinterface. This project will be completed for FRC-DE by April 1999.

Approach: We plan to complete our project by cooperating as a team, working efficiently, and utilizing all of the available resources.

Background

• Powder Metallurgy• Semi-finished product• Metal working• Foaming• Material Properties

Problem Description

• Over-aging• Technicians rely upon

experience• Material waste• Molding defects

Customers

• Fraunhofer Resource Center, DE

• Automotive Industry

• Aerospace Industry

• Building Industry

Prioritized Wants

1) High Percentage of Successful Foams

2) System Reliability

3) Simplicity of System

4) Low Cost

Constraints

• Operating Temperature - 1400 C

• Oven Size

• Cost - $8000

• LabVIEW Interface

Metrics

Quality Metrics SSD Weighted Percentage Target ValuesMaximum Operating Temp (C) 11.93 1400Sensor System Life (years) 11.01 5Cost (Dollars) 11.01 <5000Dimensions (inches) 10.09 4 x 4 x 1# Surface Defects 10.09 0# Signal Altering Devices 9.17 1Training Time (hrs) 9.17 2Programming Time (hrs) 9.17 40Set-up Time (min) 9.17 30# Mold Alterations 9.17 0

System Benchmarking

• High Speed Temperature and Process Signal Measurement System

• Bricesco Pyrotrace

• Material Level Monitoring System

• Die Casting

• Injection Molding

Temperature & Process Signal Measurement System

System Includes: - Sensors - “Black Box” - Voltage Input - Digital Output

- Software and user

interface

Temperature & Process Signal Measurement System

• Advantages: - Only one signal altering device

- Low setup time

- Cost ($2000)

• Disadvantages:

- Interface is not LabVIEW

Bricesco Pyrotrace

• Designed for kilns• Monitors temperature• Presents data in graphs• Uses a software

package called Pyrographics

Bricesco Pyrotrace

• Advantages according to Metrics– Small # of signal alterations - 0– Max operating temperature - 1350 C– Programming time

• Disadvantages according to Metrics– Set up time - thermocouple attachment– Cost - High ($6000)– Doesn’t use LabVIEW

Functional Benchmarking Sensors

• Circuit Completion

• Piezo-electric Transducer

• Thermocouple

• Optical Fiber

• Linear Position

Concept Evaluation

1) Electrical Circuit Completion

2) Piezo-electric Transducer

Electrical Circuit Completion

Electrical Circuit Completion

• Electrodes are isolated by ceramic material on side and top of mold.

• Metal foam rises to touch top electrode

• Foam acts as a medium to conduct current.

• Advantages – Simple program to

interpret signal

– Small size

– Low cost - $1000

– Low set-up time

• Disadvantages– Mold alterations

Piezo-electric Transducer

Piezo-electric Transducer

• One-component quartz force sensor

• Deformation of sensor disrupts dipole orientation

• Temporary excess of surface charge seen as a voltage drop across crystal

Piezo-electric Transducer

• Advantages– Small size– Minimum mold alterations

• Disadvantages– Requires large charge amplifier– Complex programming to interpret signal– High cost - $5000– Calibration time required

Proposal Presentation

Preliminary Design and Progress Review

November 98 - Spring 99

Conclusion

• Continue research on concept components

• Work more closely with resources at Fraunhofer

• Purchase system components before winter break