{"title":"Development of crack-free functionally graded Ti64/TNM-B1 material using laser powder bed fusion","authors":"Hatem A. Soliman, Mohamed Elbestawi","doi":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.205","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.205","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The processing of Titanium Aluminides (TiAls) and Ti64 significantly benefits aerospace applications due to their excellent strength-to-weight ratio. Ti64 is commonly used for turbine disks, while TiAl is utilized for low-pressure blades. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) can facilitate the seamless integration of these materials, where reducing connections is essential for weight savings. However, challenges remain, such as variations in thermal expansion coefficients and the potential for crack formation during L-PBF. This study develops a functional graded material from Ti64 to TNM-B1 in 20 % increments, for the first time using L-PBF without cracks, followed by post-processing to enhance the microstructure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38186,"journal":{"name":"Manufacturing Letters","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 26-30"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144502312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"High-speed robotic friction stir lap welding of three stack aluminum alloy assembly for automotive applications","authors":"Hrishikesh Das, Shivakant Shukla, Piyush Upadhyay","doi":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.200","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.200","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We present the first experimental demonstration of high-speed (1 m/min) robotic friction stir lap welding for three-sheet (3T) stack-ups of both similar and dissimilar aluminum alloys, including wrought and cast forms. The mechanical performance of the joints under lap shear, T-peel, and U-peel/KSII loading were evaluated. A novel U-peel/KSII configuration, applied for the first time for linear joints demonstrates the role of stitch welds in arresting crack growth. These results establish the feasibility of using robotic FSLW for complex, high-volume automotive structures while maintaining high weld quality at industrially relevant speeds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38186,"journal":{"name":"Manufacturing Letters","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 36-40"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144563557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation of repeatability of topographic measurements based on multiscale analysis","authors":"Damian Gogolewski","doi":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.202","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.202","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper describes a new method, based on wavelet transformation, for evaluation repeatability during optical measurements of surface topography. Repeated measurements are made with the same parameters without repositioning the measuring object. The analysis carried out proved differences in the variability of surface irregularities with respect to scale. On the surface it is possible to distinguish a number of morphological features which, during the realization of subsequent measurements, were defined by a different distribution of irregularity height, resulting in highlighting measurement errors. The analysis showed that these changes are particularly visible for scales up to 13 μm, nevertheless for larger scales the differences occur only in selected sections of the profile and not along the entire length, which has a direct correlation with the occurrence of peak or valley. For small scales, slight shifts of certain morphological features in corresponding profiles were noted, as highlighted by the varying orientation of the arrows. The study has the potential for practical use in both the research field and industrial applications, and can contribute to supplementing the current standards.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38186,"journal":{"name":"Manufacturing Letters","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 17-20"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144502336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Shear strength at the interface between polylactic-acid and thermoplastic polyurethane layers processed with multi-material additive manufacturing","authors":"Rahmat Riza , Muslim Mahardika , Budi Arifvianto","doi":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.201","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.201","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Multi-material additive manufacturing for joining two dissimilar polymers, such as the rigid polylactic-acid and the flexible thermoplastic polyurethane, has gained attention of researchers. However, the interaction between these two printed materials remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the shear strength at the interface between PLA and TPU materials, joined through fused filament fabrication, using peel-off testing following ASTM 3163-01 standard. The results revealed low shear strength at the interface of these two printed materials, indicating that their bonding mechanism was primarily driven by surface contact. Furthermore, the applied raster angles significantly influenced the measured shear strength of the printed materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38186,"journal":{"name":"Manufacturing Letters","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 21-25"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144502311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mert Gülçür, Adam Rich, Olivia Griffiths, Paul Wilson, Mark Williams, Gregory Gibbons
{"title":"Rapid tooling: comparative analysis of mechanical properties and energy efficiency in micro-injection mouldings using polymer and metal moulds","authors":"Mert Gülçür, Adam Rich, Olivia Griffiths, Paul Wilson, Mark Williams, Gregory Gibbons","doi":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.204","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.204","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rapid tooling enables the fabrication of<!--> <!-->polymer mould inserts, reducing reliance on subtractive manufacturing and mould heating. This study compares rapid polymer and metal tooling in micro-injection moulding, focusing on mechanical properties and energy efficiency. A micro-tensile bar design was used polymer mould and an aluminium counterpart. Both moulds were tested on a μ-IM machine, monitoring energy consumption during cycles. The study<!--> <!-->showed: (i) Polymer tooling achieves tensile properties within 6.4% of metal, (ii) up to 17.6% energy savings per moulding, (iii) rapid tools can replace metal for micro-products, offering energy efficiency, reduced lead times for product iterations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38186,"journal":{"name":"Manufacturing Letters","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 31-35"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144502313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ethan York , Xijia Zhao , Hassan Ghessemi-Armaki , Blair Carlson , Peng Wang
{"title":"Transfer learning-enhanced transformer for virtual process sensing in resistance spot welding","authors":"Ethan York , Xijia Zhao , Hassan Ghessemi-Armaki , Blair Carlson , Peng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.199","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.199","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Resistance Spot Welding (RSW) is a crucial manufacturing process, especially in automotive manufacturing. However, quality assurance in RSW remains a challenge, due to the lack of low-cost, non-invasive process sensing techniques. This paper investigates Transformer for generating virtual electrode force and displacement signals from physically measurable DR signals. Furthermore, to enhance the generalizability, the transformer has been enhanced by transfer learning to adapt to dynamic welding scenarios, by pre-training the transformer model with data from diverse welding conditions and fine-tuning using minimal experimental data from novel conditions. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of virtual sensing technology for RSW process monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38186,"journal":{"name":"Manufacturing Letters","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 13-16"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144338296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohammad Mohammadzadeh Sanandaji, Rahat Mollick, Albert Ratner, Hongtao Ding
{"title":"Laser-enabled organic coating for sustainable PFAS-free metal surfaces","authors":"Mohammad Mohammadzadeh Sanandaji, Rahat Mollick, Albert Ratner, Hongtao Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.06.198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a laser-enabled organic coating (LASEO) approach that integrates laser texturing with gel-like carbon dot (G-CD) treatment to develop a PFAS-free alternative for metal surfaces. In this method, nanosecond laser-induced micro/nanostructures enhance coating adhesion, while the G-CD coating provides durable superhydrophilicity and even superwicking behavior. Experimental results show that LASEO-treated surfaces maintain a water contact angle below 10° for over 30 days, outperforming conventional hydrophilic coatings. This scalable technique holds promise for applications in fluid transport and thermal management, offering a sustainable alternative to PFAS-based coatings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38186,"journal":{"name":"Manufacturing Letters","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 8-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144366061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yugesh Raajha MS , Xiaochao Liu , Jun Ma , Torgeir Welo , Øystein Grong
{"title":"Friction-stir, tailor-welded blanks made from primary and recycled 6082 aluminium alloys","authors":"Yugesh Raajha MS , Xiaochao Liu , Jun Ma , Torgeir Welo , Øystein Grong","doi":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.05.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.05.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of aluminum is increasing in electric vehicles (EVs) owing to the high demand for weight reduction. Producing aluminum from recycled scrap requires 95 % less energy than primary metal production, which provides the potential to accelerate the transition to a carbon–neutral economy. In this research, we use Tailor-Welded Recycled Aluminum (TWRA) made of recycled and primary aluminum, aiming to understand the weldability with recycled materials and their potential use as automotive components. AA6082 produced by extrusion from primary and recycled materials, respectively, were welded by conventional Friction Stir Welding (FSW). The welding process was performed both in T4 and T6 temper conditions. Despite the undermatched characteristics relative to the base metal, the primary–recycled joints showed higher joint strength when welded in T4 condition and higher ductility when welded in T6 condition. SEM and EDS analysis revealed precipitate evolution, and intermetallic phases played a strong role in determining the mechanical behavior of these welded joints.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38186,"journal":{"name":"Manufacturing Letters","volume":"44 ","pages":"Pages 52-56"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144204839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sergei Ivanov, Artur Vildanov, Konstantin Babkin, Evgeniy Zemlyakov
{"title":"Influence of convection heat transfer coefficient on the predicted macroscopic temperature field in direct laser deposition of large-scale parts","authors":"Sergei Ivanov, Artur Vildanov, Konstantin Babkin, Evgeniy Zemlyakov","doi":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.05.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this work the influence of the heat transfer coefficient on the accuracy of the numerical prediction of the macroscopic temperature field in direct laser deposition of large-scale thin-walled structures is investigated in detail. It is shown that a temperature-independent constant heat transfer coefficient results in a considerable discrepancy in the prediction of the interpass temperature and the temperature distribution in the whole buildup. The numerical simulation revealed that the macroscopic temperature field in the buildup exhibits a pronounced sensitivity to the temperature dependence of the heat transfer coefficient. The film coefficient of the bottom surface of the substrate, which contacts the massive turntable of the direct laser deposition machine, has a negligible effect on the interpass temperature and mainly influences the temperature distribution near the substrate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38186,"journal":{"name":"Manufacturing Letters","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144212459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Khemais Barienti , Finn-Lennard Janthur , Henri Heimers , Sarah Seffer , Jörg Hermsdorf , Sebastian Herbst , Ludger Overmeyer , Hans Jürgen Maier , Florian Nürnberger
{"title":"Advancing cold roll bonding efficiency by preceding XHV-adequate laser deoxidation","authors":"Khemais Barienti , Finn-Lennard Janthur , Henri Heimers , Sarah Seffer , Jörg Hermsdorf , Sebastian Herbst , Ludger Overmeyer , Hans Jürgen Maier , Florian Nürnberger","doi":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.03.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mfglet.2025.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The influence of a preceding laser ablation surface treatment on cold roll bonding (CRB) efficiency under extreme high vacuum-adequate (XHV-adequate) conditions were examined. Experimental investigations were conducted in a controlled glovebox environment. The impact of varying laser parameters on the critical reduction required for bonding copper and aluminium sheets was analysed. The results demonstrate a significant reduction in critical deformation necessary for bond formation. Surfaces treated by laser ablation achieve bonding at plastic deformations as low as 0.5%. In comparison, brushed surfaces require a plastic strain of 19% in similar XHV-adequate conditions. Using confocal laser scanning microscopy, a correlation between laser parameters and resulting surface characteristics was established, revealing material-specific surface alterations. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the bonded interfaces further shows enhanced interfacial deformation in laser-treated specimens, which is characterised by increased waviness and pronounced protrusions. The investigations demonstrate a synergistic effect between laser-induced surface modifications and oxide-free conditions in an XHV-adequate atmosphere, which leads to a significant optimisation of CRB efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38186,"journal":{"name":"Manufacturing Letters","volume":"44 ","pages":"Pages 42-46"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}