Open Access
Mechanical properties analysis of an Al-Mg alloy connecting rod with submicrometric structure
(MDPI, 2015) León Iriarte, Javier; Salcedo Pérez, Daniel; Murillo Crespo, Óscar; Luis Pérez, Carmelo Javier; Fuertes Bonel, Juan Pablo; Puertas Arbizu, Ignacio; Luri Irigoyen, Rodrigo; Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de Materiales; Mekanika, Energetika eta Materialen Ingeniaritza
Over these last few years, there has been a growing interest in developing mechanical components from submicrometric materials due to the significant improvement that these materials present compared to their original state. This present research work deals with the study of the mechanical properties of a connecting rod isothermally forged from different starting materials. These materials are as follows: annealed aluminum alloy (AA) 5754, the same alloy previously deformed through equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) and a third case where the previously ECAP-processed material is subjected to a recovery heat treatment. A comparison is made between finite volume (FV) simulations and experimental tests with respect to hardness, plastic strain and forging force. Furthermore, the improvement in the mechanical properties of the connecting rod forged from predeformed material is evaluated in comparison to the connecting rod forged with annealed material. The microstructure of both cases is also compared at the end of the manufacturing process.
Open Access
Design, optimization, and mechanical property analysis of a submicrometric aluminium alloy connecting rod
(Hindawi, 2015) Fuertes Bonel, Juan Pablo; León Iriarte, Javier; Luis Pérez, Carmelo Javier; Salcedo Pérez, Daniel; Puertas Arbizu, Ignacio; Luri Irigoyen, Rodrigo; Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de Materiales; Mekanika, Energetika eta Materialen Ingeniaritza
Ultrafine grained materials have a great deal of both scientific and technological interest because they allow outstanding properties to be obtained. An improvement in the mechanical strength and in the ductility and a better fatigue behaviour are properties to be expected with these materials. However, in spite of the great number of scientific publications that deals with the mechanical property improvement, the number of practical applications of these materials is scant. In this present research work, equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) is used as a severe plastic deformation process (SPD) to obtain billets which are subsequently isothermally forged to obtain a connecting rod with submicrometric grain size. The optimization of the design process is shown as well as the die design. The objective variables to be fulfilled are the correct filling of the die and the required force to obtain the part. Moreover, a comparison is also included between the mechanical properties thus obtained and those obtained with traditional methods. Moreover, optical and SEM micrographs are also included in this research work.
Open Access
Development of nanostructured AA3103 by equal channel angular pressing and thermal treatments
(Hindawi, 2014) Luis Pérez, Carmelo Javier; Luri Irigoyen, Rodrigo; León Iriarte, Javier; Puertas Arbizu, Ignacio; Salcedo Pérez, Daniel; Pérez Ruiz, Iván; Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de Materiales; Mekanika, Energetika eta Materialen Ingeniaritza; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua, Project EUROINNOVA NANOCONS-IIM10784.RI1
This work presents a study related to the achievement of a nanometric structure in AA3103, employing severe plastic deformation processes (SPD), in this case equal channel angular pressing (ECAP). The changes in the mechanical properties and in the microstructure of AA3103 were studied after being processed by ECAP. Subsequently, scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the evolution of the microstructure after different thermal treatments on the material processed by this severe plastic deformation process. Furthermore, a more profound knowledge of the changes in the mechanical properties of this aluminium alloy was obtained. It was demonstrated that with different appropriate combinations of thermal treatments and ECAP processing, it is possible to significantly improve the mechanical properties through obtaining submicrometric grain size structures.
Open Access
Design and mechanical properties analysis of AA5083 ultrafine grained cams
(MDPI, 2017) Salcedo Pérez, Daniel; Luis Pérez, Carmelo Javier; Luri Irigoyen, Rodrigo; Puertas Arbizu, Ignacio; León Iriarte, Javier; Fuertes Bonel, Juan Pablo; Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de Materiales; Mekanika, Energetika eta Materialen Ingeniaritza
This present research work deals with the development of ultrafine grained cams obtained from previously ECAP (Equal Channel Angular Pressing)-processed material and manufactured by isothermal forging. The design and the manufacturing of the dies required for the isothermal forging of the cams are shown. Optimization techniques based on the combination of design of experiments, finite element and finite volume simulations are employed to develop the dies. A comparison is made between the mechanical properties obtained with the cams manufactured from material with no previous deformation and with those from previously SPD (Severe Plastic Deformation)-processed material. In addition, a comparative study between the experimental results and those obtained from the simulations is carried out. It has been demonstrated that it is possible to obtain ultrafine grained cams with an increase of 10.3% in the microhardness mean value as compared to that obtained from material with no previous deformation.
Open Access
Optimization and modeling of ZrB2 ceramic processing by EDM for high-performance industrial applications
(Elsevier, 2025-04-11) Luis Pérez, Carmelo Javier; Torres Salcedo, Alexia; Puertas Arbizu, Ignacio; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2
This study investigates the Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) of zirconium diboride (ZrB2), a novel conductive ceramic with exceptional properties, including high temperature resistance, excellent thermal conductivity, and remarkable hardness. These properties make ZrB2 highly suitable for extreme environments, such as aerospace and nuclear applications. To the best of our knowledge, no comprehensive studies have addressed the manufacturing of ZrB2 parts by EDM, positioning this research as a cutting-edge contribution. Two electrode materials, graphite (C) and copper-graphite (Cu–C), were used to analyze the material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness (Ra) as functions of current intensity (I), pulse time (ti), and duty cycle (η). Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were used to model the response variables. While MLR was effective for MRR (R2 > 0.9), ANN outperformed it in predicting Ra, especially for Cu–C electrodes (R2 = 0.9366 vs. 0.3847 for MLR). Current intensity was the most influential parameter for MRR, while pulse time significantly affected Ra. Residual analysis confirmed ANN superior accuracy for Ra, with residuals below ±1 vs. ±2 for MLR. The study culminated in the successful EDM manufacture of a ZrB2 hexagonal nut, employing optimized parameters (I = 6 A, ti = 50 μs, η = 0.3, for the C electrode) derived using ANN models and particle swarm optimization. This result demonstrates the EDM process ability to produce high-precision components with complex geometries, showcasing its versatility and industrial potential. Therefore, this study broadens the understanding of ZrB2 machinability and expands its applications in advanced technologies.
Open Access
EDM machinability and surface roughness analysis of INCONEL 600 using graphite electrodes
(Springer, 2016) Torres Salcedo, Alexia; Puertas Arbizu, Ignacio; Luis Pérez, Carmelo Javier; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza
Open Access
A proposal of a constitutive description for aluminium alloys in both cold and hot working
(MDPI, 2016) León Iriarte, Javier; Luis Pérez, Carmelo Javier; Fuertes Bonel, Juan Pablo; Puertas Arbizu, Ignacio; Luri Irigoyen, Rodrigo; Salcedo Pérez, Daniel; Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de Materiales; Mekanika, Energetika eta Materialen Ingeniaritza
The most important difficulties when the behaviour of a part that is subjected to external mechanical forces is simulated deal with the determination of both the material thermo-mechanical properties and its boundary conditions. The accuracy of the results obtained from the simulation is directly related to the knowledge of the flow stress curve. Therefore, the determination of a material flow rule which is valid for both a wide temperature range and different initial deformation conditions in the starting material presents a great deal of interest when simulation results close to the experimental values are required to be obtained. In this present study, a novel flow stress curve is proposed that is able to accurately predict the behaviour of both materials with no previous accumulated strain and materials that have been previously subjected to severe plastic deformation processes. Moreover, it is possible to use it both for hot and cold working. The results are analysed in a wide test temperature range, which varies from room temperature to 300 °C, and from material previously processed by angular channel extrusion or with no previous strain accumulated. It is shown that the flow rule proposed is effective to model the material behaviour in a wide temperature range and it makes it possible to take the recrystallization phenomena that appear in previously deformed materials into account. In addition, the results obtained are compared with those predicted by other flow rules that exist in the prior literature. Furthermore, the study is complemented with finite element simulations and with a comparison between simulation and experimental results.
Open Access
Design and optimization of the dies for the isothermal forging of a cam
(Elsevier, 2015) Salcedo Pérez, Daniel; Luis Pérez, Carmelo Javier; Luri Irigoyen, Rodrigo; León Iriarte, Javier; Puertas Arbizu, Ignacio; Fuertes Bonel, Juan Pablo; Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de Materiales; Mekanika, Energetika eta Materialen Ingeniaritza
In the present study, the design of the dies required for the isothermal forging of a cam is analysed by finite volume method. Specifically, cams are of great importance in automotive industry, where a lower weight and an improvement in the lubrication or in the materials to be in contact lead to a significant reduction in the fuel cost. The flow stress curves of one Al-Mg alloy were firstly determined by using compression tests. Once these flow stress curves were obtained, FV simulation was employed. In the forging process, the optimum die configuration has been selected. To this end, several aspects have been taken into account such as the force required for the forging, the correct die filling, the introduced plastic strain and the damage imparted to the billet.
Open Access
Análisis de la influencia de las condiciones de proceso sobre el acabado superficial de materiales cerámicos fabricados por electroerosión
(CENIM, 2004) Puertas Arbizu, Ignacio; Luis Pérez, Carmelo Javier; Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de Materiales; Mekanika, Energetika eta Materialen Ingeniaritza
El mecanizado por electroerosión (en inglés, Electrical Discharge Machining, EDM) constituye una alternativa emergente frente a otros procesos de fabricación de materiales cerámicos conductores, tales como: mecanizado por láser, mecanizado electroquímico, chorro de agua con abrasivos, mecanizado por ultrasonidos y rectificado con muela de diamante. Debido a su interés en el ámbito industrial, en este trabajo se lleva a cabo un estudio de la influencia de las condiciones de operación sobre el aspecto superficial de tres materiales cerámicos conductores: carburo de boro prensado en caliente (B4C), carburo de silicio infiltrado con silicio (SiSiC) y carburo de wolframio en matriz metálica de cobalto (WC-Co), electroerosionados bajo diferentes condiciones de mecanizado y para el caso particular de regímenes de acabado (Ra ≤ 1 μm).
Open Access
Manufacturing of nanostructured rings from previously ECAE-processed AA5083 alloy by isothermal forging
(Hindawi, 2013) Luis Pérez, Carmelo Javier; Salcedo Pérez, Daniel; León Iriarte, Javier; Puertas Arbizu, Ignacio; Fuertes Bonel, Juan Pablo; Luri Irigoyen, Rodrigo; Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de Materiales; Mekanika, Energetika eta Materialen Ingeniaritza
The manufacturing of a functional hollow mechanical element or ring of the AA5083 alloy previously equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) processed, which presents a submicrometric microstructure, is dealt with. For this purpose, the design of two isothermal forging dies (preform and final shape) is carried out using the design of experiments (DOE) methodology. Moreover, after manufacturing the dies and carrying out tests so as to achieve real rings, themechanical properties of these rings are analysed as well as their microstructure. Furthermore, a comparison between the different forged rings is made fromECAE-processedmaterial subjected to different heat treatments, previous to the forging stage. On the other hand, the ring forging process ismodelled through the use of finite element simulation in order to improve the die design and to study the force required for the isothermal forging, the damage value, and the strain thematerial predeformed by ECAE has undergone.With this present research work, it is intended to improve the knowledge about the mechanical properties of nanostructured material and the applicability of this material to industrial processes that allow the manufacturing of functional parts.