This chapter describes the various types of cushion systems used in forming presses and their effect on part quality. It begins with a review of the deep drawing process, explaining that wrinkling, tearing, and fracture are the result of excess or insufficient material flow, which can be prevented by maintaining the correct amount of holding force on the periphery of the blank. It then describes how blank holding force is generated in double-action presses and the extent to which displacement profiles can be adjusted on both the inner and outer slides. The discussion then turns to single-action presses that incorporate some type of cushion system. The chapters describes the many ways that cushion systems are implemented in forming presses and the force and displacement characteristics achievable with each method. It also explains how multipoint cushion systems are designed and how they facilitate uniform metal flow into the die cavity of large deep-drawn parts.

This chapter discusses the maintenance needs of major components in induction heat-treating systems, including power supplies, heat stations, capacitors, high-frequency output stages, induction coils, water systems, quench systems, and fixturing.

This appendix discusses the sizing, scaling, and configuration requirements of the basic components in a quench cooling system, including tanks, pumps, hoses, and inlet and outlet fixtures and the materials from which they are made.

This chapter details low-temperature test procedures and equipment. It discusses the role temperature plays in the properties of typical engineering materials. The effect that lowering the temperature of a solid has on the mechanical properties of a material is summarized for three principal groups of engineering materials: metals, ceramics, and polymers (including fiber-reinforced polymers). The chapter describes the factors that influence the selection of tensile testing procedures for low-temperature evaluation, along with a comparison of tensile and compression tests. It covers the parameters and standards related to low-temperature tensile testing. The chapter discusses the factors involved in controlling test temperature. Finally, the chapter discusses the safety issues concerning the use of cooled methanol, liquid-nitrogen, and liquid helium.

This chapter discusses the design and operation of hydraulic presses. It begins by describing the role of each major component in a hydraulic system. It then explains the difference between pump-driven and accumulator-driven presses and the types of applications for which are suited. The chapter goes on to describe the load, energy, and time-dependent characteristics of hydraulic presses and the factors that determine accuracy. It also explains how hydraulic presses are used for deep drawing, fine blanking, and hydroforming as well as warm forming and hot stamping operations.

This chapter describes sheet metal forming operations, including cutting, blanking, piercing, and bending as well as deep drawing, spinning, press-brake and stretch forming, fluid forming, and drop hammer and electromagnetic forming. It also discusses the selection and use of die materials and lubricants along with superplastic forming techniques.

After pouring, castings are allowed to solidify and cool. They are later removed from the molds in the shakeout operation. A series of activities then follow, which are generally referred to as finishing and heat treatment. These activities can be broadly categorized as shakeout, abrasive blast cleaning, removal of risers, ingates, and discontinuities, rough inspection, removal of discontinuities, finishing welding, heat treatment, and final visual, dimensional, and NDT inspection. This chapter provides a detailed discussion on these activities.

Many companies conduct only metallurgical evaluations in the wake of failures, discovering nothing more than the physical mechanism by which the failure occurred. The origin of failures, however, is often complex, involving not only physical mechanisms, but also human behavior and latent factors. Failures may also involve multiple parts, entire machines, or processes of any size and shape. The chapter examines the unique aspects of many failures and explains how they can sometimes be traced to systemic issues. It also covers the reasons why products fail, including improper service or operation, improper maintenance, improper testing, assembly errors, fabrication or manufacturing errors, and design errors. The case of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse is presented to illustrate the consequence of overlooked factors, in this case, wind dynamics, and the importance of identifying root causes to prevent repeat failures.

This chapter describes the molecular structures and chemical reactions associated with the production of thermoset and thermoplastic components. It compares and contrasts the mechanical properties of engineering plastics with those of metals, and explains how fillers and reinforcements affect impact and tensile strength, shrinkage, thermal expansion, and thermal conductivity. It examines the relationship between tensile modulus and temperature, provides thermal property data for selected plastics, and discusses the effect of chemical exposure, operating temperature, and residual stress. The chapter also includes a section on the uses of thermoplastic and thermosetting resins and provides information on fabrication processes and fastening and joining methods.

This chapter covers a wide range of finishing and coating operations, including cleaning, honing, polishing and buffing, and lapping. It discusses the use of rust-preventative compounds, conversion coatings, and plating metals as well as weld overlay, thermal spray, and ceramic coatings and various pack cementation and deposition processes. It also discusses the selection and use of industrial paints and paint application methods.

This chapter discusses corrosion prevention methods used with aluminum and its alloys. The methods range from relatively straightforward measures, such as proper handling and storage, to advanced early warning corrosion monitoring systems for military aircraft. The chapter summarizes the basic factors that influence design for corrosion resistance and discusses the use of conversion coatings, organic coatings, porcelain enameling, and electroplating. It also discusses corrosion monitoring methods used in chemical processing and refining industries.

This article describes in more detail the fundamental building-block level, atomic, then expands to a discussion of molecular considerations, intermolecular structures, and finally supermolecular issues. An explanation of important thermal, mechanical, and physical properties of engineering plastics and commodity plastics follows, and the final section briefly outlines the most common plastics manufacturing processes.

Corrosion problems can be divided into eight categories based on the appearance of the corrosion damage or the mechanism of attack: uniform or general corrosion; pitting corrosion; crevice corrosion, including corrosion under tubercles or deposits, filiform corrosion, and poultice corrosion; galvanic corrosion; erosion-corrosion, including cavitation erosion and fretting corrosion; intergranular corrosion, including sensitization and exfoliation; dealloying; environmentally assisted cracking, including stress-corrosion cracking, corrosion fatigue, and hydrogen damage (including hydrogen embrittlement, hydrogen-induced blistering, high-temperature hydrogen attack, and hydride formation). All these forms are addressed in this chapter in the context of aqueous corrosion. For each form, a general description is provided along with information on the causes and the list of metals that can be affected, with particular emphasis on the recognition and prevention measures.