International Journal of Industrial Engineering & Production Research

Finite element analysis of a tubular T-joint subjected to various loading conditions including pure axial loading, pure in-plane bending (IPB) and different ratios of axial loading to in-plane bending loading has been carried out. This effort has been established to estimate magnitudes of the peak hot spot stresses (HSS) at the brace/chord intersection and to find the corresponding locations as well, since, in reality, offshore tubular structures are subjected to combined loading, and hence fatigue life of these structures is affected by combined loading. Therefore in this paper, at the first step, stress concentration factors (SCFs) for pure axial loading and in-plane bending loading are calculated using different parametric equations and finite element method (FEM). At the next step, the peak HSS distributions around the brace/chord intersection are presented and verified by the results obtained from the API RP2A Code procedure. Also the locations of the peak hot spot stresses which are the critical points in fatigue life assessment have been predicted. 

Nowadays total joint replacements are widely used in the world, so in average 800,000 joint surgeries are done yearly only in Europe and North America. However implant loosening is and remains as the major issue of all implant failures and therefore causes revision surgery procedures. Studies and experiments have identified poor fixation of implants most likely is the main cause of long term implant failure and in this case the cement-implant interface cavities are very effective due to resultant stress concentration . In this study the theory of this problem, continuum and mathematical equations for an inhomogeneous material by using Eshelby’s equivalent inclusion method with a spherical void as a special type of inhomogenities is addressed and a new yield criterion with respect to the void’s volume fraction is derived and changes in material elasticity tensor concerning Mori-Tanaka’s theorem also determined, then by using finite element method and remeshing technique a macro scale cement-implant interface cavity is modeled and concerning the loss of strength due to void existence and the interface stress concentration, the crack initiation and propagation phenomenon is numerically investigated with respect to different orthopedic cement material properties. The results show that crack propagates at the interface at constant stress and strain by elastoplastic material and it propagates in cement bulk by considering elastic material properties for cement that both could cause implant loosening even in very small void’s volume fractions in which there are no significant changes in cement yield stress and elasticity tensor according to analytical solution. But numerical simulation shows that when a homogenous cement structure is achieved via high vacuum mixing method, there is a uniform stress distribution in the cement structure and no stress concentration zone forms even at high stress levels and also there is no appropriate local site for crack initiation.

Microcasting Shape-Deposition-Manufacturing is an approach to Solid-Freeform-Fabrication (SFF) process which is a novel method for rapid automated manufacturing of near-net-shape multi-material parts with complex geometries. By this method, objects are made by sequentially depositing molten metal droplets on a substrate and shaping by a CNC tool, layer by layer. Important issues are concerned with remelting dept of substrate, cooling rate and stress build up. In the present study attempts were made to numerically model the heat transfer and phase change within the droplet/substrate, making a better understanding of process performance. Thus, making a brief literature review, a 2-D transient heat transfer Finite Element Analysis was carried out by the use of ANSYS multiphysics, in which solidification is handled using apparent capacity method. Verification was done by available experimental data in the open literature to ensure model predictions. The model was run under various process parameters and obtained results presented in the form of temperature fields, solidification profiles, cooling curves and remelting history curves. Solidification profile studies predict a columnar dendritic solidified structure in the vertical orientation which was in agreement with metallographic sections published earlier. Parametric studied were also carried out under different boundary conditions, initial temperature of the droplet and Substrate temperature. It was concluded that 1) the process is not sensitive to convection/radiation effects from the surface. 2) the main parameter that can control the maximum remelting dept is initial temperature of the droplet. the more drop temperature, the more remelting dept. This parameter also affects cooling rate during solidification. 3) Increasing substrate temperature showed a decreased cooling rate in solid, which can be used to reduce residual stresses, but it had a minor effect on the cooling rates during solidification .