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Micromachines
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Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems
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Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "E：Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 June 2022) | Viewed by 42468

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Youqiang Xing

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
Interests: tool coatings; green machining; additive manufacturing, micro/nano machining
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Xiuqing Hao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
Interests: micromachining processes; functional micro-textured surfaces and applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Duanzhi Duan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Interests: grinding process; smart manufacturing and systems; precision machine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advanced manufacturing technology and systems (AMTS) combine principles of mechanical engineering with design innovation to create products and processes that are better, faster and more precise. The core of AMTS is the design, fabrication, and application of original and effective solutions related to manufacturing machines, process integration and systems to keep up with the dynamic needs of today's ever-evolving industries. In this Special Issue, we seek papers in advanced manufacturing technology that cover a broad scope involving manufacturing processes, machine tool design, additive manufacturing, smart and flexible manufacturing, theoretical study and metrology. In addition, multidisciplinary (physical, chemical, micro/nano and biomedicine) manufacturing technologies and systems are welcome, including micro-/nanofabrication, nanomaterial processes, biomedical fabrication, etc. All types of papers, such as original research papers and review articles, are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Youqiang Xing
Prof. Dr. Xiuqing Hao
Prof. Dr. Duanzhi Duan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • additive manufacturing
  • computer-integrated manufacturing systems
  • green manufacturing
  • machining and forming technology
  • micro- and nanofabrication
  • precision engineering
  • smart manufacturing
  • non-traditional manufacturing processes

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Published Papers (20 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 185 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial for the Special Issue on Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems
by Youqiang Xing, Xiuqing Hao and Duanzhi Duan
Micromachines 2023, 14(3), 495; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi14030495 - 21 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1139
Abstract
Advanced manufacturing technology and systems (AMTSs) combine the principles of mechanical engineering with design innovation to create products and processes that are better, faster and more precise [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

19 pages, 9482 KiB  
Article
Influence of Pulse Energy and Defocus Amount on the Mechanism and Surface Characteristics of Femtosecond Laser Polishing of SiC Ceramics
by Xuanhua Zhang, Xiaoxiao Chen, Tao Chen, Guiying Ma, Wenwu Zhang and Lirong Huang
Micromachines 2022, 13(7), 1118; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13071118 - 15 Jul 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4006
Abstract
SiC ceramics have excellent comprehensive properties and are typical hard and brittle materials that are difficult to process and are widely used in many fields. Laser polishing technology has developed into a new surface processing technology, and femtosecond laser polishing has become an [...] Read more.
SiC ceramics have excellent comprehensive properties and are typical hard and brittle materials that are difficult to process and are widely used in many fields. Laser polishing technology has developed into a new surface processing technology, and femtosecond laser polishing has become an important method for the precision machining of hard and brittle materials. In this paper, SiC ceramics were ablated and polished by infrared femtosecond laser, the laser ablation threshold of SiC ceramics was calculated and the influence of pulse energy and defocus amount on the surface morphology, surface roughness, polishing depth and oxidation degree of femtosecond laser polishing of SiC ceramics were investigated. The results show that when the laser repetition frequency f = 175 kHz, wavelength λ = 1064 nm and ablation time t = 9 s, the laser ablation threshold of SiC ceramics is 0.355 J/cm2. With the increase in pulse energy, the surface roughness first decreased and then increased, and the polishing depth showed an overall upward trend. The change of defocus amount will lead to the change of the laser spot diameter. With the increase of the defocus amount, the laser spot irradiated on the workpiece surface becomes larger, and the laser energy density decreases, which results in the decrease of the laser ablation ability and polishing depth and the increase of the polished surface roughness. Periodic nano-ripple structures appeared on the laser-induced surface. Through Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) elemental analysis, it was found that there was an oxidation phenomenon in SiC ceramics polished by femtosecond laser in an air environment, and the change of pulse energy and defocus amount had insignificant effects on the degree of oxidation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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16 pages, 10219 KiB  
Article
An Efficient YOLO Algorithm with an Attention Mechanism for Vision-Based Defect Inspection Deployed on FPGA
by Longzhen Yu, Jianhua Zhu, Qian Zhao and Zhixian Wang
Micromachines 2022, 13(7), 1058; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13071058 - 30 Jun 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3082
Abstract
Industry 4.0 features intelligent manufacturing. Among them, the vision-based defect inspection algorithm is remarkable for quality control in parts manufacturing. With the help of AI and machine learning, auto-adaptive instead of manual operation is achievable in this field, and much progress has been [...] Read more.
Industry 4.0 features intelligent manufacturing. Among them, the vision-based defect inspection algorithm is remarkable for quality control in parts manufacturing. With the help of AI and machine learning, auto-adaptive instead of manual operation is achievable in this field, and much progress has been made in recent years. In this study, considering the demand of inspection features in industrialization, we made further improvement in smart defect inspection. An efficient algorithm using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-accelerated You Only Look Once (YOLO) v3 based on an attention mechanism is proposed. First, because of the relatively fixed camera angle and defect features, an attention mechanism based on the concept of directing the focus of defect inspection is proposed. The attention mechanism consists of three improvements: (a) image preprocessing, which is to tailor images for selectively concentrating on the defect relevant things. Image preprocessing mainly includes cutting, zooming and splicing, named CZS operations. (b) Tailoring the YOLOv3 backbone network, which is to ignore invalid inspection regions in deep neural networks and optimize the network structure. (c) Data augmentation. First, two improvements can be made to efficiently reduce deep learning operations and accelerate the inspection speed, but the preprocessed images are similar and the lack of diversity will reduce network accuracy. So, (c) is added to mitigate the lack of considerable amounts of training data. Second, the algorithm is deployed on a PYNQ-Z2 FPGA board to meet the industrialization production requirements for accuracy, efficiency and extensibility. FPGA can provide a low-latency, low-cost, high-power-efficiency and flexible architecture that enables deep learning acceleration for industrial scenarios. A Xilinx Deep Neural Network Development Kit (DNNDK) converted the improved YOLOv3 to Programmable Logic (PL), which can be deployed on FPGA. The conversion process mainly consists of pruning, quantization and compilation. Experimental results showed that the algorithm had high efficiency, inspection accuracy reached 99.2%, processing speed reached 1.54 Frames per Second (FPS), and power consumption was only 10 W. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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10 pages, 2519 KiB  
Article
High-Precision Regulation of Nano-Grating Linewidth Based on ALD
by Yaxin Zhang, Chenying Wang, Weixuan Jing, Song Wang, Yujing Zhang, Liangliang Zhang, Yijun Zhang, Nan Zhu, Yunxiang Wang, Yifan Zhao, Qijing Lin and Zhuangde Jiang
Micromachines 2022, 13(7), 995; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13070995 - 24 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1611
Abstract
A nano-grating standard with accurate linewidth can not only calibrate the magnification of nano-measurement instruments, but can also enable comparison of linewidths. Unfortunately, it is still a challenging task to control the linewidth of nano-grating standards. Accordingly, in this paper, atomic layer deposition [...] Read more.
A nano-grating standard with accurate linewidth can not only calibrate the magnification of nano-measurement instruments, but can also enable comparison of linewidths. Unfortunately, it is still a challenging task to control the linewidth of nano-grating standards. Accordingly, in this paper, atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to regulate the linewidth of the one-dimensional grating standards with a pitch of 1000 nm, fabricated by electron beam lithography (EBL). The standards were measured using an atomic force microscope (AFM) before and after ALD, and the linewidth and pitch of the grating were calculated through the gravity center method. The obtained results prove that the width of a single grating line in the standard can be regulated with great uniformity by precisely utilizing ALD. Meanwhile, the proposed method does not affect the pitch of grating, and the measurement uncertainty of standards is less than 0.16% of the pitch, thereby demonstrating a high surface quality and calibration reliability of the standards, and realizing the integration of linewidth and pitch calibration functions. Moreover, the precise and controllable fabrication method of the micro-nano periodic structure based on ALD technology has many potential applications in the fields of optoelectronic devices and biosensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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13 pages, 8598 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Mechanisms of SiC–Water Reaction during Nanoscale Scratching without Chemical Reagents
by Zhihao Cheng, Qiufa Luo, Jing Lu and Zige Tian
Micromachines 2022, 13(6), 930; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13060930 - 11 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1759
Abstract
Microcracks inevitably appear on the SiC wafer surface during conventional thinning. It is generally believed that the damage-free surfaces obtained during chemical reactions are an effective means of inhibiting and eliminating microcracks. In our previous study, we found that SiC reacted with water [...] Read more.
Microcracks inevitably appear on the SiC wafer surface during conventional thinning. It is generally believed that the damage-free surfaces obtained during chemical reactions are an effective means of inhibiting and eliminating microcracks. In our previous study, we found that SiC reacted with water (SiC–water reaction) to obtain a smooth surface. In this study, we analyzed the interfacial interaction mechanisms between a 4H-SiC wafer surface (0001-) and diamond indenter during nanoscale scratching using distilled water and without using an acid–base etching solution. To this end, experiments and ReaxFF reactive molecular dynamics simulations were performed. The results showed that amorphous SiO2 was generated on the SiC surface under the repeated mechanical action of the diamond abrasive indenter during the nanoscale scratching process. The SiC–water reaction was mainly dependent on the load and contact state when the removal size of SiC was controlled at the nanoscale and the removal mode was controlled at the plastic stage, which was not significantly affected by temperature and speed. Therefore, the reaction between water and SiC on the wafer surface could be controlled by effectively regulating the load, speed, and contact area. Microcracks can be avoided, and damage-free thinning of SiC wafers can be achieved by controlling the SiC–water reaction on the SiC wafer surface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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16 pages, 4034 KiB  
Article
Simulation Analysis of Multi-Physical Field Coupling and Parameter Optimization of ECM Miniature Bearing Outer Ring Based on the Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Turbulent Flow Model
by Zhaolong Li, Wangwang Li and Bingren Cao
Micromachines 2022, 13(6), 902; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13060902 - 07 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1511
Abstract
Electrochemical machining (ECM) is an essential method for machining miniature bearing outer rings on the high-temperature-resistant nickel-based alloy GH4169. However, the influence of electrolyte temperature distribution and bubble rate distribution on electrolyte conductivity in the ECM area could not be fully considered, resulting [...] Read more.
Electrochemical machining (ECM) is an essential method for machining miniature bearing outer rings on the high-temperature-resistant nickel-based alloy GH4169. However, the influence of electrolyte temperature distribution and bubble rate distribution on electrolyte conductivity in the ECM area could not be fully considered, resulting in the simulation model not being able to accurately predict the machining accuracy of the outer ring of the miniature bearing, making it challenging to model and predict the optimal process parameters. In this paper, a multiphysics field coupled simulation model of electric, flow, and temperature fields during the ECM of the miniature bearing outer ring is established based on the gas–liquid two-phase turbulent flow model. The simulation analyzed the distribution of electrolyte temperature, bubble rate, flow rate, and current density in the machining area, and the profile change of the outer ring of the miniature bearing during the machining process. The analysis of variance and significance of machining voltage, electrolyte concentration, electrolyte inlet flow rate, and interaction on the mean error of the ECM miniature bearing outer rings was derived from the central composite design. The regression equation between the average error and the process parameters was established, and the optimal combination of process parameters for the average error was predicted, i.e., the minimum value of 0.014 mm could be achieved under the conditions of a machining voltage of 16.20 V, an electrolyte concentration of 9.29%, and an electrolyte inlet flow rate of 11.84 m/s. This is important to improve the machining accuracy of the outer ring of the ECM miniature bearing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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17 pages, 8502 KiB  
Article
Study on the Material Removal Mechanism of Ultrasonic Elliptical Vibration Cutting of Medical β Titanium Alloy
by Zhenda Wang, Yongzhi Pan, Yijia Zhang, Xiuhua Men, Xiuli Fu and Shengfeng Ren
Micromachines 2022, 13(6), 819; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13060819 - 25 May 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1651
Abstract
For new medical β titanium implants, the surface micro texture processing technology is a difficult problem. To solve this problem, a new method of ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting (UEVC) is adopted in this paper. The mechanism of material removal in ultrasonic elliptical vibration [...] Read more.
For new medical β titanium implants, the surface micro texture processing technology is a difficult problem. To solve this problem, a new method of ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting (UEVC) is adopted in this paper. The mechanism of material removal in ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting is explored for different cutting paths. By means of simulation and experimentation, the material removal mechanism of ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting medical β titanium alloy is revealed with respect to the aspects of cutting deformation, stress distribution, force and thermal variation, and chip formation mechanism. The results show that: (1) The cutting temperature and cutting force in the UEVC process obey the law of periodic change, and the maximum point of cutting force appears ahead of the maximum point of cutting temperature. (2) The material removal process of UEVC is a “press–shear–pull” composite cutting process. The tool squeezes the material to form the chips. Under the action of high temperature, the material is removed by adiabatic shear. (3) The difference of UEVC paths will affect the removal mode of materials and form different surface morphology. (4) For different cutting paths, compressive stress is distributed at the lowest point of the machining pit, and tensile stress is distributed at the protrusion position. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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23 pages, 32020 KiB  
Article
Predicting Milling Stability Based on Composite Cotes-Based and Simpson’s 3/8-Based Methods
by Xu Du, Pengfei Ren and Junqiang Zheng
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 810; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13050810 - 23 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1560
Abstract
Avoiding chatter in milling processes is critical for obtaining machined parts with high surface quality. In this paper, we propose two methods for predicting the milling stability based on the composite Cotes and Simpson’s 3/8 formulas. First, a time-delay differential equation is established, [...] Read more.
Avoiding chatter in milling processes is critical for obtaining machined parts with high surface quality. In this paper, we propose two methods for predicting the milling stability based on the composite Cotes and Simpson’s 3/8 formulas. First, a time-delay differential equation is established, wherein the regenerative effects are considered. Subsequently, it is discretized into a series of integral equations. Based on these integral equations, a transition matrix is determined using the composite Cotes formula. Finally, the system stability is analyzed according to the Floquet theory to obtain the milling stability lobe diagrams. The simulation results demonstrate that for the single degree of freedom (single-DOF) model, the convergence speed of the composite Cotes-based method is higher than that of the semi-discrete method and the Simpson’s equation method. In addition, the composite Cotes-based method demonstrates high computational efficiency. Moreover, to further improve the convergence speed, a second method based on the Simpson’s 3/8 formula is proposed. The simulation results show that the Simpson’s 3/8-based method has the fastest convergence speed when the radial immersion ratio is large; for the two degrees of freedom (two-DOF) model, it performs better in terms of calculation accuracy and efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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12 pages, 6165 KiB  
Article
Investigation on the Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Side Ohmic Contact Characteristics for Double Channel GaN/AlGaN Epitaxial Layer
by Qingzhi Meng, Qijing Lin, Weixuan Jing, Na Zhao, Ping Yang and Dejiang Lu
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 791; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13050791 - 19 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1769
Abstract
A side ohmic contact mode for the double channel GaN/AlGaN epitaxial layer is proposed in this paper. Rectangle transmission line model (TLM) electrodes are prepared, and the specific contact resistance is tested at the annealing temperatures from 700 °C to 850 °C. The [...] Read more.
A side ohmic contact mode for the double channel GaN/AlGaN epitaxial layer is proposed in this paper. Rectangle transmission line model (TLM) electrodes are prepared, and the specific contact resistance is tested at the annealing temperatures from 700 °C to 850 °C. The results show that the minimum specific contact resistance is 2.58 × 10−7 Ω·cm2 at the annealing temperature of 750 °C, which is three to four times lower than the surface contact mode. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and atomic force microscope (AFM) were carried out for the analysis of the morphology, element composition, and the height fluctuation at the contact edge. With the increase in the annealing temperature, the specific contact resistance decreases due to the alloying of electrodes and the raised number of N vacancies. However, when the annealing temperature exceeds 800 °C, the state of the stress in the electrode films transforms from compressive stress to tensile stress. Besides, the volume expansion of metal electrode film and the increase in the roughness at the contact edge leads to the degradation of the side ohmic contact characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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15 pages, 2150 KiB  
Article
Fabrication and Modeling of Matching System for Air-Coupled Transducer
by Jinjie Zhou, Jiaqi Bai and Yao Liu
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 781; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13050781 - 17 May 2022
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 1876
Abstract
The tremendous acoustic impedance difference between the piezoelectric composite and air prevents the ultrasonic transition, resulting in low amplitude for the received signal for the composite defect detection using an air-coupled transducer. The matching system, which includes the matching layers and bonding layers [...] Read more.
The tremendous acoustic impedance difference between the piezoelectric composite and air prevents the ultrasonic transition, resulting in low amplitude for the received signal for the composite defect detection using an air-coupled transducer. The matching system, which includes the matching layers and bonding layers attached to the piezoelectric composite, can reduce the acoustic impedance difference and benefit the acoustic transition. In this paper, the fabrication method and modeling for the matching layers are proposed to optimize the transducer performance. The effects of bonding layer material on the transducer performance are also discussed. Experiments were conducted for modeling validation. The proposed model can predict the matching layer acoustic properties with an error of less than 11%. The bonding layer using the same material as the first matching layer can help to increase the sensitivity by about 33% compared to the traditional epoxy bonding. The optimized air-coupled ultrasonic transducer, based on the results of this study, has a 1283 mV amplitude in the air, which is 56% higher than commercially available transducers, and can identify the defects in two typical non-metallic composite materials easily. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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16 pages, 8883 KiB  
Article
Effects of pH Values and H2O2 Concentrations on the Chemical Enhanced Shear Dilatancy Polishing of Tungsten
by Liang Xu, Lin Wang, Hongyu Chen, Xu Wang, Fangyuan Chen, Binghai Lyu, Wei Hang, Wenhong Zhao and Julong Yuan
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 762; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13050762 - 12 May 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1928
Abstract
In order to obtain tungsten with great surface qualities and high polishing efficiency, a novel method of chemical enhanced shear dilatancy polishing (C-SDP) was proposed. The effects of pH values and H2O2 concentrations on the polishing performance of tungsten C-SDP [...] Read more.
In order to obtain tungsten with great surface qualities and high polishing efficiency, a novel method of chemical enhanced shear dilatancy polishing (C-SDP) was proposed. The effects of pH values and H2O2 concentrations on the polishing performance of tungsten C-SDP were studied. In addition, the corrosion behaviors of tungsten in solutions with different pH values and H2O2 concentrations were analyzed by electrochemical experiments, and the valence states of elements on the tungsten surface were analyzed by XPS. The results showed that both pH values and H2O2 concentrations had significant effects on tungsten C-SDP. With the pH values increasing from 7 to 12, the MRR increased from 6.69 µm/h to 13.67 µm/h. The optimal surface quality was obtained at pH = 9, the surface roughness (Ra) reached 2.35 nm, and the corresponding MRR was 9.71 µm/h. The MRR increased from 9.71 µm/h to 34.95 µm/h with the H2O2 concentrations increasing from 0 to 2 vol.%. When the concentration of H2O2 was 1 vol.%, the Ra of tungsten reached the lowest value, which was 1.87 nm, and the MRR was 26.46 µm/h. This reveals that C-SDP technology is a novel ultra-precision machining method that can achieve great surface qualities and polishing efficiency of tungsten. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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10 pages, 3482 KiB  
Article
Integrated Piezoresistive Normal Force Sensors Fabricated Using Transfer Processes with Stiction Effect Temporary Handling
by Ni Liu, Peng Zhong, Chaoyue Zheng, Ke Sun, Yifei Zhong and Heng Yang
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 759; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13050759 - 11 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1512
Abstract
Tactile sensation is a highly desired function in robotics. Furthermore, tactile sensor arrays are crucial sensing elements in pulse diagnosis instruments. This paper presents the fabrication of an integrated piezoresistive normal force sensor through surface micromachining. The force sensor is transferred to a [...] Read more.
Tactile sensation is a highly desired function in robotics. Furthermore, tactile sensor arrays are crucial sensing elements in pulse diagnosis instruments. This paper presents the fabrication of an integrated piezoresistive normal force sensor through surface micromachining. The force sensor is transferred to a readout circuit chip via a temporary stiction effect handling process. The readout circuit chip comprises two complementary metal-oxide semiconductor operational amplifiers, which are redistributed to form an instrumentation amplifier. The sensor is released and temporarily bonded to the substrate before the transfer process due to the stiction effect to avoid the damage and movement of the diaphragm during subsequent flip-chip bonding. The released sensor is pulled off from the substrate and transferred to the readout circuit chip after being bonded to the readout circuit chip. The size of the transferred normal force sensor is 180 μm × 180 μm × 1.2 μm. The maximum misalignment of the flip-chip bonding process is approximately 1.5 μm, and sensitivity is 93.5 μV/μN/V. The routing of the piezoresistive Wheatstone bridge can be modified to develop shear force sensors; consequently, this technique can be used to develop tactile sensors that can sense both normal and shear forces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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14 pages, 6095 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation of Grinding Force and Material Removal Mechanism of Laser-Structured Zirconia Ceramics
by Jingzhu Pang, Xia Ji, Yan Niu and Shaojun Chen
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 710; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13050710 - 30 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1535
Abstract
Zirconia is a high demanded structural ceramic with desirable mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties. Poor surface integrity and limited material removal rate caused by high cutting force and wheel wear are the main problems in ceramic grinding. In order to reduce the grinding [...] Read more.
Zirconia is a high demanded structural ceramic with desirable mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties. Poor surface integrity and limited material removal rate caused by high cutting force and wheel wear are the main problems in ceramic grinding. In order to reduce the grinding force and enhance the removal rate in grinding, zirconia ceramics are firstly ablated by laser and then be grinded. A nanosecond laser is used to ablate the surface of zirconia ceramic, the laser-ablated structures with micro pits and thermal microcracks are generated. With the input of subsequent grinding, the machinability of zirconia ceramic workpiece with laser-ablated structures changes. Grinding experiments are conducted to study the grinding force and the material remove of laser-structured zirconia ceramic. Results show that the grinding forces in tangential and normal direction are significantly reduced. Compared to the grinding surface without laser-structured, a damage-free grinding surface is obtained by laser assistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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16 pages, 3797 KiB  
Article
High Sensitivity Optical Fiber Mach–Zehnder Refractive Index Sensor Based on Waist-Enlarged Bitaper
by Na Zhao, Zelin Wang, Zhongkai Zhang, Qijing Lin, Kun Yao, Fuzheng Zhang, Yunjing Jiao, Libo Zhao, Bian Tian, Ping Yang and Zhuangde Jiang
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 689; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13050689 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1468
Abstract
A Mach–Zehnder fiber optic sensor with high refractive index response sensitivity was developed. By fabricating a waist-enlarged bitaper structure on the interference arm of a single mode–multimode–single mode (SMS) Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI), the spectral contrast and response sensitivity were improved. Subsequently, the response [...] Read more.
A Mach–Zehnder fiber optic sensor with high refractive index response sensitivity was developed. By fabricating a waist-enlarged bitaper structure on the interference arm of a single mode–multimode–single mode (SMS) Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI), the spectral contrast and response sensitivity were improved. Subsequently, the response sensitivity was further improved by etching the interference arm. When a beam of light was introduced into the sensor, due to the structural mismatch between the multimode fiber and the normal transmission light, the difference between the low-order mode and the high-order mode was generated in the fiber core and the fiber cladding. In the process of transmission in the sensing arm, due to the different refractive indices of the core and cladding, the optical path difference of the high-order mode and the low-order mode was different, which eventually generated interference fringes. The experimentally measured response sensitivity of SMS MZI in the range of 1.351 RIU to 1.402 RIU is 57.623 nm/RIU; the response sensitivity of a single mode–multimode–bitaper–multimode–single mode (SMBMS) MZI is 61.607 nm/RIU; and the response sensitivity of the etched SMBMS (ESMBMS) MZI is 287.65 nm/RIU. The response sensitivity of the new ESMBMS MZI is three times higher than that of the original SMS MZI. The sensor has the characteristics of compact structure, high sensitivity, easy manufacture, and a wide range of refractive index measurements, and can be used in food processing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and other fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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11 pages, 3702 KiB  
Article
Simultaneous Measurement of Temperature and Refractive Index Using Michelson Interferometer Based on Waist-Enlarged Fiber Bitaper
by Na Zhao, Zelin Wang, Zhongkai Zhang, Qijing Lin, Kun Yao, Liangquan Zhu, Bian Tian, Libo Zhao, Ping Yang and Zhuangde Jiang
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 658; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13050658 - 20 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1842
Abstract
An all-fiber temperature and refractive dual-parameter-sensing Michelson interferometer is designed based on the waist-enlarged bitaper. At 5 mm from the fiber end, the waist-enlarged bitaper is manually spliced and the probe is formed. Since the input light encounters the waist-enlarged bitaper, it will [...] Read more.
An all-fiber temperature and refractive dual-parameter-sensing Michelson interferometer is designed based on the waist-enlarged bitaper. At 5 mm from the fiber end, the waist-enlarged bitaper is manually spliced and the probe is formed. Since the input light encounters the waist-enlarged bitaper, it will excite high-order modes to transmit in the fiber cladding, and there will be an optical path difference between the basic mode and the higher-order mode. The light transmitted in the core and cladding is reflected upon encountering the fiber end face and the interference occurs due to the optical path difference between basic mode and higher-order mode. Changes in temperature and refractive index at the fiber probe can be detected by monitoring the interference fringes. The refractive response sensitivity is −191.06 dBm/RIU from 1.351 RIU to 1.4027 RIU, and the temperature response sensitivity is 0.12 nm/°C from 11 °C to 98 °C. Through the sensitivity matrix equation, the superimposed refractive index and temperature signals can be effectively demodulated. The sensor has the advantages of multi-parameter measurement, compact structure, low cost, easy fabrication and high reliability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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13 pages, 13482 KiB  
Article
Effect of Wetting Characteristics of Polishing Fluid on the Quality of Water-Dissolution Polishing of KDP Crystals
by Xu Wang, Hang Gao, Qianfa Deng, Jinhu Wang, Hongyu Chen and Julong Yuan
Micromachines 2022, 13(4), 535; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13040535 - 29 Mar 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1731
Abstract
KDP crystals constitute the only laser-frequency conversion and electro-optical switches that can be used in laser systems for inertial confinement fusion. However, KDP crystals are difficult to produce because of their inherent softness, brittleness, water-solubility, and temperature sensitivity. The authors’ group developed a [...] Read more.
KDP crystals constitute the only laser-frequency conversion and electro-optical switches that can be used in laser systems for inertial confinement fusion. However, KDP crystals are difficult to produce because of their inherent softness, brittleness, water-solubility, and temperature sensitivity. The authors’ group developed a water-dissolution polishing method in previous studies to obtain near-damage-free KDP surfaces. In this article, the effect of the wetting characteristics of the water dissolution polishing fluid on the crystal surface—a factor rarely considered in the usual process optimization—on the polished surface quality was comprehensively studied. The mean radius of micro water droplets at 5 wt.% and 7.5 wt.% water content was approximately 0.6 nm and 1.2 nm, respectively. Theoretically, the smaller micro water droplet size is beneficial to the polished surface quality. When the water content was 5 wt.%, due to the poor wetting characteristics of the polishing fluid, surface scratches appeared on the polished surface; when the water content was 7.5 wt.%, the effects of the wetting characteristics and the radius of the micro water droplets reached a balance, and the polished surface quality was the best (Ra 1.260 nm). These results confirm that the wetting characteristics of the polishing fluid constitute one of the key factors that must be considered. This study proves that the wetting characteristics of the polishing fluid should be improved during the optimization process of polishing fluid composition when using oil-based polishing fluids for ultra-precision polishing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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11 pages, 2907 KiB  
Article
Influence of Annealing Temperature on Optical Properties of Sandwiched ZnO/Metal/ZnO Transparent Conductive Thin Films
by Qijing Lin, Fuzheng Zhang, Na Zhao and Ping Yang
Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 296; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13020296 - 13 Feb 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2097
Abstract
Two sandwiched ZnO/Metal/ZnO transparent conductive thin films, 50nm ZnO/Cu/50nm ZnO (abbreviated as ZnO(Cu)) and 50nm ZnO/Ti/Cu/Ti/50nm ZnO (abbreviated as ZnO(Ti/Cu)) were deposited by magnetron sputtering technology. The comparative analysis of experiment results shows that the introduction of the Ti layer is beneficial to [...] Read more.
Two sandwiched ZnO/Metal/ZnO transparent conductive thin films, 50nm ZnO/Cu/50nm ZnO (abbreviated as ZnO(Cu)) and 50nm ZnO/Ti/Cu/Ti/50nm ZnO (abbreviated as ZnO(Ti/Cu)) were deposited by magnetron sputtering technology. The comparative analysis of experiment results shows that the introduction of the Ti layer is beneficial to the overall properties of ZnO(Ti/Cu) thin film compared to ZnO(Cu) thin film with the same metal layer thickness. The effect of the annealing temperature on the performance of the two film systems was studied. Although the carrier concentration did not always increase with annealing temperature, the sheet resistances did decrease due to the obvious increase of mobility. The transmittance of ZnO(Cu) thin films increases with annealing temperature, while that of ZnO(Ti/Cu) films increases at first and then decreases. The optical band gap of ZnO(Cu) thin films increases with temperature, but is lower than that of ZnO(Ti/Cu) thin films, whose bandgap first increases with temperature and then decreases. The figure of merit of the ZnO(Ti/Cu) film is better than that of ZnO(Cu), which shows that the overall performance of ZnO(Ti/Cu) films is better, and annealing can improve the performance of the film systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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15 pages, 3655 KiB  
Article
Research on the High Temperature and High Pressure Gold-Plated Fiber Grating Dual-Parameter Sensing Measurement System
by Na Zhao, Zhongkai Zhang, Qijing Lin, Kun Yao, Liangquan Zhu, Yi Chen, Libo Zhao, Bian Tian, Ping Yang and Zhuangde Jiang
Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 195; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13020195 - 27 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2135
Abstract
In electrohydrostatic drive actuators, there is a demand for temperature and pressure monitoring in complex environments. Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) has become a promising sensor for measuring temperature and pressure. However, there is a cross-sensitivity between temperature and pressure. A gold-plated FBG is [...] Read more.
In electrohydrostatic drive actuators, there is a demand for temperature and pressure monitoring in complex environments. Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) has become a promising sensor for measuring temperature and pressure. However, there is a cross-sensitivity between temperature and pressure. A gold-plated FBG is proposed and manufactured, and an FBG is used as a reference grating to form a parallel all-fiber sensing system, which can realize the simultaneous measurement of pressure and temperature. Based on the simulation software, the mechanical distribution of the pressure diaphragm is analyzed, and the fixation scheme of the sensor is determined. Using the demodulator to monitor the changes in the reflectance spectrum in real-time, the pressure and ambient temperature applied to the sensor are measured. The experimental results show that the temperature sensitivity of gold-plated FBG is 3 times that of quartz FBG, which can effectively distinguish the temperature changes. The pressure response sensitivity of gold-plated FBG is 0.3 nm/MPa, which is same as the quartz FBG. Through the sensitivity matrix equation, the temperature and pressure dual-parameter sensing measurement is realized. The accuracy of the temperature and pressure measurement is 97.7% and 99.0%, and the corresponding response rates are 2.7 ms/°C and 2 ms/MPa, respectively. The sensor has a simple structure and high sensitivity, and it is promising to be applied in health monitoring in complex environments with a high temperature and high pressure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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18 pages, 24835 KiB  
Article
A Prognostics Method Based on Back Propagation Neural Network for Corroded Pipelines
by Mingjiang Xie, Zishuo Li, Jianli Zhao and Xianjun Pei
Micromachines 2021, 12(12), 1568; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi12121568 - 16 Dec 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2172
Abstract
A method that employs the back propagation (BP) neural network is used to predict the growth of corrosion defect in pipelines. This method considers more diversified parameters that affect the pipeline’s corrosion rate, including pipe parameters, service life, corrosion type, corrosion location, corrosion [...] Read more.
A method that employs the back propagation (BP) neural network is used to predict the growth of corrosion defect in pipelines. This method considers more diversified parameters that affect the pipeline’s corrosion rate, including pipe parameters, service life, corrosion type, corrosion location, corrosion direction, and corrosion amount in a three-dimensional direction. The initial corrosion time is also considered, and, on this basis, the uncertainties of the initial corrosion time and the corrosion size are added to the BP neural network model. In this paper, three kinds of pipeline corrosion growth models are constructed: the traditional corrosion model, the corrosion model considering the uncertainties of initial corrosion time and corrosion depth, and corrosion model also considering the uncertainties of corrosion size (length, width, depth). The rationality and effectiveness of the proposed prediction models are verified by three case studies: the uniform model, the exponential model, and the gamma process model. The proposed models can be widely used in the prediction and management of pipeline corrosion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

28 pages, 1449 KiB  
Review
A Survey of the Influence of Process Parameters on Mechanical Properties of Fused Deposition Modeling Parts
by Ge Gao, Fan Xu, Jiangmin Xu, Guanghai Tang and Zhenyu Liu
Micromachines 2022, 13(4), 553; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13040553 - 30 Mar 2022
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4149
Abstract
Due to the availability of materials and low cost for production, fused deposition modeling is becoming the most widely used additive manufacturing (AM) technology. However, the reasonable choice of process parameters for FDM is a significant task that directly affects the performance of [...] Read more.
Due to the availability of materials and low cost for production, fused deposition modeling is becoming the most widely used additive manufacturing (AM) technology. However, the reasonable choice of process parameters for FDM is a significant task that directly affects the performance of the printed part. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the influences of various process parameters on the quality characteristics of the components. The objectives of this study are to thoroughly review the current state of research that characterizes, estimates the effects of process parameters on mechanical properties, and summarizes the conclusions of existing works. In addition, some general issues of the presented research are summarized, and the need for future development is also emphasized. Finally, the research proposes several areas that deserve further study in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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