MILL

Name of Presenter: Dr. Ruff

Department: MANE (Mechanical, Aeronautical, Nuclear Engineering)

Social Value: Dr. Ruff teaches aspiring engineers how to do the same, so new developments and creations can be made. Manufacturing is at the heart of any technological society.  It enables us to mass produce objects, greatly lowering their costs and increasing their availability.

Relation to economics/government: Dr. Ruff creates new products that can be marketed and sold, thus aiding the economy by aiding the steady flow of money in the area.  Historically manufacturing has been a large part of the US economy. In recent history, manufacturing has moved abroad. However technological advances, environmental and humanitarian concerns, and quality demands are once again making it so that manufacturing is cost effective here in the US.

Concepts:

• Draft angles- The amount of angle put into a mold so that the object can be easily released from it. If the mold did not have a draft angle (if it were perfectly perpendicular) the items would get stuck in the mold as the product expands.
• 3D Printing- a process in which an object is created in CAD file, then printed out via machine in which it places down many layers upon themselves to create the object.
•  Laser Engraving- a quick and effective engraving process that can inscribe images into certain materials. In the MILL, the engraver can be used on cardboard, plastic, or aluminum.  It can also engrave wood, but that is not desirable for equipment longevity. The largest size that can be engraved in the MILL is:
• Drop Test- A test to see how well an object has been welded together. After dropping the object in question, you check to see whether the objects are still combined.
• Hydro slicing- The use of high powered water jets to cut into thin metal. This is both fast and effective, but it is very loud.
• Aluminum vs. Steel: Aluminum, while it is cheaper and lighter, is much less durable. Conversely, steel is much heavier and stronger, but is much more expensive.
• Generally, the harder the materialthe stronger it is, but the more difficult it is to work.
• Compression- The adhesion of two objects together by intense pressure to join the two.
• 3D set time- After using a 3D printer to produce an object, you should wait about 8 hours to allow the separate layers to join together firmly with enough strength to hold the objects together.
• Heat staking:  A process like riveting with plastic. A straight plastic stake is used to hold two things together and then heat is used to make the end of the plastic wider so the stake does not slide back out.
• Ultrasonic welding: the use of ultrasound to join to materials together when they are under pressure. Commonly used for plastic, but can also be used to join dissimilar materials. Generally preferable to glue in the MILL.

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Robotic Arm

Guest: Obdulio Ochoa

Department: MANE

Topic: Robotics

Summary of the Experience:

            During this demonstration the presenter showed how a robotic arm could be programmed  to do a specific task in a manufacturing environment. Commands are given to the robot using code in a computer and can be immediately employed to instruct the robot to serve a function. The actions programmed in this case included moving to a certain location, lifting objects using a suction tool, and subsequently placing the object in a predetermined location.

Social Value:

            This presentation demonstrated the practicality of robotics regarding manufacturing. Industrial automation allows goods to be made faster and cheaper which makes them more available to the public.

Economics:

            The processes introduced in this presentation are heavily influenced by economics due to the vital role finance plays in manufacturing. It was illustrated that the use of robotics increases the rate of manufacturing which in turn optimizes profit made by a company.  Robots rely on economies of scale. It would be pointless to purchase a robot to make one item, but when thousands and millions of  items are being manufactured, robots become very cost effective.

Concepts/Terms:

• ·         Fixed Automation- used for quick, high rate of output
• ·         Programmable Automation- used when a lower rate of output is required
• ·         Flexible Automation- combination of fixed and programmable automation
• ·         Types of robotic movement- arm/body, wrist
• ·         Degrees of Freedom- x, y, z, rotation in 3 directions; a direction of independent motion. A human arm has 7 degrees of freedom: wrist and shoulder each have pitch, yaw, and roll; elbow has pitch
• ·         Pitch, yaw, and roll: pitch is rotation around side to side axis, yaw around vertical axis,  and roll around front to back axis
• ·         The more degrees of freedom a robot as, the more complex it is to control, but the more things it can do.
• ·         Types of joints- linear, twisting, rotational, revolving
• ·         Precision vs accuracy: Accuracy is how close to a desired or actual measurement (e.g. does the robot arm go where we really want it to go). Precision is how a repeated movement compares to itself each time (e.g, does the robot arm go to the same exact place every time.)
• ·         Precision of Movement- measures the performance of the robot
• ·         Hydraulic System- uses liquid, bulky
• ·         Electrical System- electricity, small, precise
• ·         Pneumatics- air powered, used for “pick and place” movements
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CNC and Waterjet

Dr. Ruff (MANE)- CNC Machining and Waterjet Cutting - September 18, 2015

            Dr. Ruff, of the Manufacturing Innovation Learning Lab at RPI, taught us a lot about the different methods of CNC machining they use in manufacturing at RPI. The main two methods he showed us were using a CNC mill with metal tools, and using a water jet with garnet as an abrasive to cut different materials. These processes used in manufacturing contribute to the entire process described by Mr. Chiappone last week.

            They first use a CAD program such as AutoCAD to design a drawing to be cut. They then import it into a CAM program such as MasterCAM to generate the code that the CNC machine requires to create the part. This method is used for both actual parts and molds for things like injection molding. After going through the CAM process, the code is sent to the CNC mill, where thousands of different tools can be used by the machine to mill the design into the part. Sometimes as a test, they use machinable wax to further verify the code is correct, beyond the virtual verification of the CAM software or the machine itself. Parts up to about 12”x18”x12” can be milled by the CNC mill they have. Water-soluble oil is used as a coolant to prevent excess heat from being created by the milling process. After the part is done being milled, it can be milled again on a different face, be protected with something like powder coating, or immediately be taken to be joined with something else to move along the manufacturing process.

            The process is similar with water jet cutting, but that process uses a completely different machine to move water with 50,000 psi through a tube to cut metal and other materials. The water is combined with an abrasive garnet in order to cut such strong, thick metals. The water also goes through a small hole in ruby in order to increase the velocity of the high pressure water. The water can move through the hole at as fast as mach 2. Unfortunately, the water jet cutter can only machine 2D parts, as the depth of the cut can’t really be varied as the cut is being made. (Size, thickness, materials used?)

            There are incredible benefits of being able to machine parts using code generated by a computer. Multiple parts can be made from the same template much faster, saving time and money. There are also fewer mistakes in the computerized milling process than with manual control. Making products faster with less liability increases production and drives prices down. The use of CNC machining is incredibly important in this day and age.

Solar Energy

September 16, 2015

Dr. David Borton

Physics Department

Solar Energy

Social Value

Solar energy can be used to produce food, heat, electricity and clothing. Solar energy is a safe and efficient alternative to fossil fuels and helps eliminate the issue of pollution. Solar energy can be used to filter thousands of gallons of water for the community.

Government and Economics

The economy and the environment go hand in hand in that funds are provided by the government for some major projects concerning the well-being [D1] of the community. The water filtration system used in Saudi Arabia, complete with solar panels, cost millions of dollars provided by the Saudi government. In the US, the federal or state government often offer tax breaks or incentives to businesses or residences that install solar technology.

Jobs are being created to install these solar panels, contributing to the economy.

Externalities are large indirect effects that have an impact on people beyond those involved in the transaction. For example, if someone buys electricity from a coal plant, there is an externality in the pollution emitted.  People not necessarily buying or selling the coal are affected by having lower quality air, which contribute to various illnesses and diseases.

Farming equipment and chemicals use  a lot of fossil fuel. Since farming is at the source of food production, we find it may take as many as 10 calories of fossil fuel to create one calorie of fuel.

The Bigger Picture

There are about 400 Quad sof energy being used by the whole world [every year. If more and more of this can be converted to solar energy, there will be a large impact on the way we run our society. Fossil fuels will go unused if solar energy becomes our main source of power. Society and the environment will become [D3] , safer and cleaner. [D4] Solar roads are being worked on and solar houses are being built. The effects of solar energy on everyday life will be monumental.

Terms

Quad- 1,000,000,000,000,000 units

Externalities- the economic effect on an unrelated party

Calories-The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a kilogram of water by one degree Celsius; which is different from a calorie (small c) – the amount of heat required to raise one gram of water one degree Celsius.  A food Calorie (capital C) is really a kilocalorie (small c).

Take-Away Concepts

• ·         10 calories of fossil fuel are used to make 1 calorie of food
• ·         1000 gallons of water/ day used by the average American
• ·         Humans are solar powered- energy from the sun to our food
• ·         Oil is peaking and the climate is changing
• ·         Government, Economy, Environment all go hand in hand
• ·         Each American uses the equivalent of 300 full time energy slaves every year.  Each energy slave is about a million BTU. If we paid a slave his/her worth in coal, oil, or wood, the person would be making a pittance.
• ·         Energy positive houses produce more energy than they use
• ·         Solar energy is the most sustainable energy source
• ·         It is important to know the metric prefixes and colloquial equivalents (thousands, millions, billions, trillions, quadrillions), for 10 to the  3, 6, 9, 12, 15  powers and  the similar negative powers
• ·         It’s important to be able to round numbers

Consume less, Conserve more, Use solar energy

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