Advanced Design of Mechanical Components
Research focus
The Peer review has evaluated this group as Good
Many are the targets of the most recent developments in the field of the advanced mechanical components & machine design: increasing the lightness and the reliability, lowering the noise emission, recycling and consequently designing for recycling. All these goals involve in-depth knowledge of the updated design methods, an optimal use of the material and an in-depth knowledge of mechanical behaviour of the materials that can be utilised. Any updated research activity in the field of “design of mechanical components” must cover two main parts: first, the study and research of advanced approaches in the field of the mechanical behaviour of materials; second, the advancements in the design of mechanical components made of these materials. The research group on “Advanced Design of mechanical components” focused his activity in both these directions, utilising the results coming from the studies on the mechanical behaviour of materials (in particular Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics) for advances in design of mechanical components (in particular for aerospace applications and mechanical transmissions). A special topic of research concerns the design of mechanical transmissions from the point of view of noise emission and of efficiency of gears and speed reducers. The lowering of noise emissions is one of the main goals of the advanced design of machines, where mechanical transmissions are an important component. The studies devoted to the advanced knowledge on the mechanical behaviour of materials concerned the following main topics. Surface treatments, from the point of view of the improvement of the fatigue behaviour, due to the effectiveness of the residual stresses induced by mechanical treatments (with particular emphasis on shot peening) and thermochemical (case hardening, nitriting). Models have been developed to relate the surface treatment parameters to the residual stresses induced, and the fatigue alleviation to the application of surface treatments with the residual stresses. 78 Comparisons of the fatigue resistance of case hardened and nitrited steels (with special emphasis on gear tooth bending fatigue) have also been done. Consequently, measurements of residual stress induced by surface treatments have been developed with updated and state-of-the-art equipment and techniques. Local evaluation of the stress and strain fields, fracture and/or damage mechanics, use of tailored materials, as composite or new alloys, has been studied. The fatigue behaviour of composites (short fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites and long fiber pultruded composites) has been studied, obtaining updated models of fatigue and creep/fatigue behaviour to be applied to the advanced design of parts made of composites. Specific interest has been devoted to the mechanical behaviour of recycled SFR thermoplastic composites, widely utilised in the automotive industry because of the government rules and EU laws that impose more and more utilisation of recycled materials. In the field of the advanced design of components, the main topics have concerned aeronautical parts, automotive components made of SFR plastics, mechanical transmissions and gears. The advanced design of mechanical components, as wire ropes, structural aeronautical panels, lift components, has been carried out with particular attention to structural reliability and safety increase. The advanced design of gears and mechanical transmissions has the aim of higher reliability (fatigue resistance), lower environmental impact (lower noise emission), higher efficiency. A special emphasis has been devoted to the problems of noise emissions, and to the study of the design methods to obtain low noise gears. The research was developed in two directions: the implementation of proper experimental techniques to measure Transmission Error (software TE-MEAS) and noise emission of gears and transmissions, and the development of software for prediction of the Transmission Error as a consequence of teeth profile modifications (TE-PRED). The advanced knowledge on composites and SFR polymers, and in particular on recycled ones, has been utilised for the design of components for automotive applications (for example clutch pedals), with proper comparison of recycled and not recycled materials. Finally, two machines, developed with updated design methods, have been studied, designed and patented by members of the working group.
Dipartimento di afferenza
Docenti afferenti
Full Professors
Piermaria Davoli
Laura Vergani
Associate Professors
Marco Giglio
Mario Guagliano
Assistant Professors
Andrea Bernasconi
Mauro Filippini