Recently, the demand for electric vehicles is intensively increasing in accordance with environmental issues in automotive industries. Given that noise level from the electric vehicles is significantly lower than that from conventional vehicles with internal combustion engine, noise management has become more critical. Conventionally, glass run channel (GRC) is used to block the noise and contaminants from outside of vehicle. In this work, the friction and degradation characteristics of GRC with thermoplastic vulcanizate substrate were assessed. The tests were performed using the reciprocating tribo-tester developed to replicate the contact sliding between GRC and window glass. Also, the test conditions were determined in consideration of operating condition of GRC. As a result, the plastic deformation of the lips due to creep and wear of the slip coating deposited on the lip surface were found to be major degradation mechanisms. Furthermore, it was shown that the friction and degradation increased significantly due to the misalignment between GRC and window glass, associated with the significant increase in the reaction force. The results of this work provide fundamental understanding of the degradation characteristics of GRC, and therefore are expected to be useful for the design of GRC with improved performance.

Soft robots, known for their flexible and gentle movements, have gained prominence in precision tasks and handling delicate objects. Most soft grippers developed thus far have relied on molding processes using high-elasticity rubber, which requires additional molds to produce new shapes, limiting design flexibility. To address this constraint, we present a novel approach of fabricating pneumatic soft grippers using thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) through the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technique. The FFF technique enables the creation of various gripper shapes without the need for additional molds, allowing for enhanced design freedom. The soft grippers were designed to respond to applied air pressure, enabling controlled bending actions. To evaluate their performance, we conducted quantitative measurements of the gripper’s shape deformation under different air pressure conditions. Moreover, force measurements were performed during gripper operation by varying the applied air pressure and adjusting the mounting angle. The results of this study provide valuable insights into the design and control of soft grippers fabricated using TPU and the FFF process. This approach offers promising opportunities for employing soft robots in various fields and paves the way for further advancements in robotics technology.

SFT, which has a high glass fiber content, is one of the effective methods to replace metal and secure weight reduction and price competitiveness. Also, paintless injection molding in which a functional pattern is applied to the mold surface can eliminate the cost of painting. In this study, three types of SFTs were manufactured by adding round glass fibers measuring Φ7 and Φ10 μm and flat glass fiber measuring 27 × 10 μm for the experiment. DOE (Design of Experiment) was conducted to confirm the change in the warpage of the product and the gloss of the micro pattern due to the cross-sectional shape of glass fibers and the major injection conditions. Based on the results, it was identified that the flat SFT had a very small warpage compared to the round SFTs, and the holding pressure was the main factor in the warpage of all three SFTs. The Φ7 μm SFT had the largest gloss value, and the Φ10 μm SFT and the flat SFT had similar average values. All SFTs demonstrated an enormous change in gloss according to the change in mold temperature. The flat SFT had the smallest standard deviation in both warpage and gloss.

In this study, acoustic emission (AE) signals associated with the behavior of materials in the magnesium alloy (Mg AZ31B) tensile test were analyzed. The AE sensor was attached with the material to measure the AE signals. During the tensile experiment, the AE sensor measured the elastic waves generated inside the specimen. The AE parameters, such as, the signal energy, duration, and frequency centroid, were studied. We also analyzed the effect of the materials size and tensile speed on the AE signals. As a result, the lowest frequency centroid value occurred at the yield and fracture points. As the width and length of the specimen increased, the number of hit counts increased and the peak frequency occurred. Other AE parameters, such as, the duration and frequency centroid, were not affected. As the tensile speed increased, the hit decreased and the frequency centroid decreased in the elastic region. It was found that in the detection of the yield and fracture deformation, the number of counts, and frequency centroid were appropriate.

SFT, which has a high glass fiber content, is one of the effective methods to replace metal and secure weight reduction and price competitiveness. This study evaluated the effect of glass fiber shape on mechanical properties in injection molding by fabricating SFT with a glass fiber content of 60%. Three types of SFTs were manufactured by adding round glass fibers of Φ7 μm and Φ10 μm and flat glass fibers of 27 × 10 μm. DOE (Design of Experiment) conducts to confirm the change in tensile strength due to changes in significant injection conditions. As a result of the experiment, Φ7 μm SFT and flat SFT have similar tensile strength and Φ10 μm SFT showed the lowest tensile strength value. As for the standard deviation of strength value, the Φ7 μm SFT had the largest standard deviation, and the Φ10 μm SFT showed the slightest change in the injection conditions. In flat SFT, it confirms that the tensile strength increased as the molding temperature increased. The fracture surface observes using SEM. It founds that the tensile strength lowers due to the small glass fiber density and many pullouts at the fracture surface of Φ10 μm with weak strength.

Fabrication of a durable and strong nanopatterned mold insert using metal sheet and plate is important for molding of thermoplastic materials. Conventionally, the nickel stamper replicating a master pattern by electroforming process has been used for injection molding of nanotextured products such as Blu-ray media. However, a more facile and cheaper mold fabrication process is highly required for manufacturing of functional products based on nanostructured surface. In this study, zirconia nanoparticles were blended with UV curing polymer to fabricate a polymer nanocompositebased nanopattern mold. Compared to the cured pure Ormostamp, the modulus of elasticity of the nanocomposite filled with approximately 54 vol% of zirconia nanoparticles increased by 160 times. Additionally, the modulus of elasticity reached 197 ㎬ by thermal decomposition of the UV-Cured polymer and post-annealing at 800°C of the nanoparticle layer. The nanopatterns were formed on stainless steel sheet and block, and applied to hot embossing of the PMMA films and injection molding of the COC materials, respectively. No deterioration of the mold occurred during the hot embossing 30 times and the injection molding 600 shots. Nanoparticle-enhanced UV curing nanocomposites or post-heat treatment methods are cost-efficient and easy, because many molds can be manufactured from one master pattern.

Plastic deformation of balls in safety coupling by collision with V-Hole was investigated in the current study. Generally, when the applied torque is greater than the maximum allowable torque, balls in V-Hole get out from the holes and the coupling loses the torque transfer capability. After balls are out from the V-Holes, the balls and V-Hole rotate at a different velocity. When balls meet the next V-Hole, they collide into the wall of the V-Hole. Due to this collision, plastic deformation and wear take place. The plastic deformation and wear may reduce the torque transfer capability of the safety coupling. The reduction in torque transfer capability was observed in the experiment. In this study, plastic deformation of balls and flange was investigated through dynamic analysis of the safety coupling. Also, the effect of relative rotational velocity on the plastic deformation was investigated.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of heat treatment on electrochemical performance of aluminum (Al)-air battery. We prepared a pure Al and an annealed Al under an annealing environment [a mixture gas of Ar (97%) and H2 (3%)] of 400°C for 1 hr. Based on electron backscatter diffraction analysis of Al at the anode, the relative misorientation of the pristine Al was higher than that of the annealed Al. Electrochemical performances of the pristine Al-air and the annealed Al-air were also compared. The annealed Al-air battery showed slightly higher power density than the pristine Alair battery. These results suggest that annealing with heat treatment is an important process to improve the electrochemical performance of aluminum-air battery.