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FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
B.ENG.(HONS.) IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
YEAR II SEMESTER II
MAY/JUNE 2014 SESSION OF EXAMINATIONS
MFE2201 Advanced Manufacturing Processes
09.15-11.15 hours
This paper contains FOUR questions. You are to attempt THREE questions.
1.a) What is the difference between direct and indirect Rapid Tooling (RT)? Mention two main
applications for indirect RT.
(6 marks)
b) Describe, with the help of diagrams, the working principle of the following additive
manufacturing (AM) technologies:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
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2.a) Explain in detail with the aid of diagrams where necessary, the working principle of the
following manufacturing processes:
(9 marks)
(9 marks)
b) A company in the building industry needs to cut large quantities of different profile shapes in 20
mm thick marble slabs. For this application, justify one non-traditional machining process from
the list in (2a) above that might be used. Assume that either the part geometry or the work
material (or both) rules out the use of conventional machining processes. Justify your answer by
indicating three attractive characteristics of the selected process.
(5 marks)
c) Using diagrams, briefly explain how the following PAM process variants work:
Dual gas plasma, and
(5 marks)
Water-injected plasma.
(5 marks)
Explain at least three advantages of using polymer materials for manufacturing such
microfluidic devices.
(3 marks)
ii.
From which group of thermoplastic materials would you choose for the micro fluidic
devices as described above? Give reasons for your answer.
(3 marks)
iii.
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c) If the devices are manufactured from polypropylene (PP) with a glass transition temperature
(Tg) of 0C and a melting temperature (Tm) of 165C.
i.
Explain briefly the macromolecules structure below Tg, between Tg and Tm as well
as above Tm.
(9 marks)
ii.
Select and describe the optimum processing temperature window for the
manufacturing technique you selected in (a).
(3 marks)
iii.
4. A company utilises, a Cincinnati Arrow 500 Vertical Machining Centre (VMC) which is equipped
with an A2100 Siemens controller to machine steel parts.
a) The VMC part program for this product is listed below. Generate plan and section detailed
diagram(s) as deemed necessary, complete with the relevant X, Y and Z dimensions of the
final component that results after the abovementioned VMC utilising this part program,
machines the workpiece in Figure 1. The cutting tools being utilised are a 10 mm endmill
(Tool 1), and a 6 mm endmill (Tool 2). Assume that fixtures for clamping the workpiece to
the machine table do not interfere with the tool path, and that the work piece has been aligned.
Assume also that after workpiece set-up, the datum is located as shown in Figure 1. The as
finished shape of the part fits within a maximum overall rectangular workpiece shape
envelope as shown in Figure 1.
(18 marks)
b) With reference to this part program, explain each of the following
i.
ii.
iii.
M3 in line N10;
M6 in line N70;
L0 and S800 in line 50.
(4 marks)
c) After machining on the Cincinnati Arrow 500 VMC, the part is hardened. Subsequently a
blind cavity with internal splines as shown in Figure 2 needs to be machined in the hardened
workpiece, with the centre of the cavity at co-ordinates X210 Y100. The splines have an
overall depth of 8 mm and thus do not go through the part thickness. What non-traditional
manufacturing process would you recommend to the company in order to machine this cavity
feature?
(2 marks)
d) Explain with the aid of a diagram the principle of operation of the process recommended in
2(c) above.
(9 marks)
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