By Travis Shive | Analytical Tools Expert • SKF USA Inc.

Bearings are a fundamental part of any machine — which is why the design of their moving elements can mean the difference between an efficient machine and one that continually wears out and breaks down. So now, some manufacturers offer bearing-simulation software tools to support everything from from entry-level design to complex machine designs necessitating internal analysis.

One engineer-facing software lets designers analyze single-shaft designs. This lets design engineers use the software themselves to modify the machine-axis shaft to existing dimensions … and then adjust the bearing arrangement and surrounding gears and spring spacers as well as other components nearby in the assembly. Engineers can then assess the performance of variations on a given design to predict bearing subsurface fatigue life as well as possible performance conditions that could spur a premature end of bearing life. Such software can warn of surface damage that may go unaccounted when bearing-life calculations are based on traditional catalog-calculation methods.

Such entry-level bearing-design software is relatively straightforward and easy to use … in some cases, with a drag-and-drop interface for adding in components. Such design software also lets users see bearing inner and outer-ring rotation as well as bearing stiffness represented in a matrix.

More sophisticated software goes beyond single-shaft equipment to let engineers build more complex models — such as multiple-shaft models to virtualize a gearbox series, for example. That in turn allows:

• Analysis of how one shaft in the assembly can affect other shafts
• Quantify the supporting properties of any housing in the assembly
• Importation of any OEM or end-user CAD components into the software for more realistic design confirmation
• Sophisticated thermal analyses to predict the temperatures of components during operation

Still more sophisticated are simulation services to help in bearing sizing and selection. These are services executed by the bearing manufacturer; such simulation generates more in-depth profiling than any software offered for engineers to use themselves. In many cases, the analysis of such programs yields in-depth information about micro-level contacts between the bearing rolling element and the rings — in addition to factors such as roller deflection and skewing. Bearing manufacturers can also supply detailed information about the cage that holds the bearing’s rolling elements — including the way in which the cage and the balls or rolling elements interact.

Value-add engineering support with software

Consider how an OEM might notice vibration in their system on after an initial machine build. Such OEMs can often measure the amplitude of vibration but not whether it’s acceptable for the bearings in the system. Here, a bearing manufacturer can intervene with software analysis — virtually applying the vibration the OEM measures to a digital twin of the design at the bearing’s outer ring. Next comes an investigation of how everything inside the bearing moving as a function of this vibration. One potential problem is the way the rolling elements impact the cage. The question ultimately becomes: Will the cage last? In this situation, cage examination to document force levels can yield a recommended vibration reduction for sufficiently long cage life and a longer machine-axis mean time before failure.

Software tools are changing how design engineering is done

Bearing simulation software offers benefits to engineers in a wide range of industries — including off-highway, pumps and systems, pulp and paper, automotive, wind, mining, and aerospace. Some of the advantages that come with using this software are that design engineers have more insight into (and control over) the finer details of a given  application … which can help them optimize their bearing selections.

Design engineering software also lets OEMs and end users work more quickly and with more power in their hands. It cuts down the amount of time spent in testing, which in turn reduces development expenses. With software, a design engineer might devise four different designs — and then simply identify which one is the most economical with the best technical attributes.

Consider a manufacturer of high-end textile machinery. Here, the objective might be to design bearing arrangements that help increase machine speed and accuracy. The bearing running accuracy is critical … software can help such OEMs quicken their design process while evaluating optimal bearing arrangements without external help.

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Nantes have made contact with 32 year old central defender Lorik Cana about a possible transfer from his current side Lazio.

The Albanian national team captain has not closed the door on a possible move to Les Canaris, according to L’Équipe.

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According to BeIN Sports, highly-rated Belgian defender and Manchester City player Jason Denayer will not be joining Marseille on loan, despite visiting the club’s facilities and stadium.

The French media outlet claims that the player has decided he must have Champions’ League football. Fiorentina have also entered the race for the player, but Galatasaray are now clearly in pole position.

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The energy sector is the lifeblood of modern society, powering all our devices and industry continuously. Consequently, this constant, vigilant production of energy requires all sorts of advanced equipment, from hydraulic valves for the oil and gas industry to solar cells to wind turbine parts. CNC has been crucial in creating these complex devices.

Aside from aerospace and automotive, energy production is one of the biggest uses of CNC machining. However, the energy industry is at a turning point where it may have to make room for newer, greener forms of power alongside conventional energy sources, or (more radically) abandon oil and gas for renewables altogether. After all, the renewables sector grew by 5% every year from 2007 to 2017, with more initiatives and growing global backing also increasing.

In general, CNC parts and advanced machining will increase the quality and efficiency of the power generation tools and parts. This article will look at some of the major ways in which CNC is playing a crucial role in this shift.

Wind Power

Wind energy production requires durable, long-lasting parts that can take enormous stress while maintaining accuracy. Manufacturers have to produce precise blades for handling wind pressure with minimum wear and tear. Metal and carbon fiber machining has been crucial not just in the production of the blades, but also in parts like the giant bearings that adjust the angle. With the use of CNC, the giant bearings in a wind turbine’s adjustment mechanism can be manufactured with accuracy typically reserved for smaller parts. As these are massive parts whose mobility severely impacts their performance, they (much like airplane engine blades) need to be severely accurate.

Generally, multi-purpose lathe machines are used for gears, gearbox housings, and rotors. Considering the size of the average wind turbine, it requires large, heavy-duty machines, with about 90% of gear wheel manufacturing involving metal cutting. These days, this is dominated by gear milling, using a hob or disc cutters. Similarly, CNC drilling machines are often used for processing holes in tube shell heat exchangers for a variety of energy systems.

With wind turbines and windmills, there is a need for CNC machines that process reinforced carbon-fiber plastics or glass fiber materials. In terms of materials, fiberglass with a hollow core, aluminum, and lightweight woods can also be used for the rotor blades. The blade profile of most rotor blades is quite similar to that of airplanes, so these machines require quite some heavy accuracy.

Solar Power

Aside from the solar panels themselves, there are various parts that need precise manufacturing, like frames, back rails and carrier rails. Milling and drilling machines are ideal for such projects and many companies market their CNC machines as specifically for producing solar panel parts. Even large solar panel production lines incorporate multiple types of CNC processes like cutting and drilling, but also require multiple non-CNC processes in conjunction with operators working simultaneously.

Since production lines can be massive and gaudy, companies like Fanuc have been offering versatile robotic arms that can handle shapes with more flexibility and economy of workspace. Similarly, companies like Beam cut are offering software that specializes in solar panel fabrication that simplify the process and only require a single person to operate. This is one of the ways in which CNC is freeing up space and labor utilization.

Solar panel manufacturers are very often using turning centers and wire cutters for frames and housing. Plasma and fiber laser cutting machines often specialize in solar panel manufacturing, with various lasers often being used for dividing the panels themselves. Similarly, companies like Protolabs incorporate a mix of CNC machining and 3D printing to produce solar panels. This does indicate that there may be space for hybrid manufacturing within the solar power industry.

Hydro Power

Hydropower turbines and generators are not just massive machines. They also need to be durable against pressure and water damage and composed of metals that possess these same qualities, often utilizing carbon and stainless steel parts. Companies all over the world use CNC technologies to produce all sorts of components from simple shafts and bushings to hydro turbine housings, impellers, and covers.

It involves the usual turning, line boring and milling but often on a massive scale, depending on the needs of the plant. For reference, Canyon Hydro in North America uses a 7-axis CNC milling machine capable of fabricating Pelton and Francis hydroelectric turbines up to 16 feet in diameter while weighing 25 tons. The CNC machine corrects minor (yet potentially impactful) imperfections in the turbine. This is among many other machines in their fabrication center. On an even bigger scale, Voith Hydro’s York facility machines workpieces that can be over 42′ (12.80 m) in diameter and weighing more than 350 tons (317.5 t).

Aside from turbines, CNC milling and other machining technologies are used for developing the gates of dams and hydropower stations. In certain cases, the growth of various CNC machines has allowed for the production of such parts to happen on-site, as opposed to being brought in from a far-off factory.

Overall, the world of green energy is benefitting immensely from CNC machining and modern technologies. We’ve only just scratched the surface of their capabilities, yet there are already so many applications, advantages, and use cases.

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A new study introduces an enhanced flame retardancy and anti-impact performance of polyurea composite coating reinforced by modified ammonium polyphosphate and two-dimensional nano-fillers.

The protection performance of polyurea (PUA) coating is limited due to its intrinsic flammability. In order to develop a PUA composite coating with outstanding flame retardant and anti-impact performance simultaneously, modified ammonium polyphosphate (MAPP) and two-dimensional (2D) nanofillers of graphene oxide (GO) and Mg-Al layered double hydroxides (LDH) were introduced into PUA matrix. Thermal stability and combustion behavior of PUA composites were studied by thermogravimetric analyser and cone calorimeter.

Remarkable flame-retardant and fire protective performance

Results show that PUA composite sample with 17 wt% MAPP, 1.5 wt% GO and 1.5 wt% LDH exhibited remarkable flame-retardant and fire protective performance. The flame retardancy index increases to 1.7 from 1.0 with the time required to burn out and total heat release being dramatically decreased by 31.0 % and 33.4 %, respectively. The introduction of the flame retardant does not substantially damage the energy dissipating capacity and anti-impact performance of the PUA matrix. Interfacial properties of PUA composites were studied by standard avulse and shear methods. The PUA composites with LDH and GO could form stronger bonding with the steel compared to neat PUA.

The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 180, July 2023.

This is the fourth post in the series. This time I will explain the word Entity and describe the principle of operation of one of the most popular modules – Paragraphs. 

The most commonly used phrases related to Drupal

Other articles of this series can be found here:

• Phrases that you need to understand when talking to a Drupal developer: Node
• Phrases that you need to understand when talking to a Drupal developer: Field & Block
• Phrases that you need to understand when talking to a Drupal developer: Module and Taxonomy

Paragraphs 

Paragraphs is a Drupal module that needs to be installed before use. It is a seemingly simple module that offers the content editors of Drupal websites great possibilities. At Droptica, we have built the Droopler distribution based on this module, among others.

In one of the previous texts, I have described the fields. The fields allow you to plan the structure of the form for creating a given subpage, and this translates into the appearance of that given subpage. 

Let us assume that you want to have a subpage with a large banner (photo) with text. You can add an Image field and a Text field in order to collect the necessary data. 

However, what if you want to have more such banners on one subpage? Or if you want a banner, then text, then a banner again, and then text again? It is not possible to plan all possible combinations with the Fields module. 

This is where the Paragraphs module may help. It allows you to build the paragraph types that will then be used during the content creation (Node). 

You can create a Banner type paragraph, add 2 fields in it: image and text. In addition, let us make a second paragraph named text with a single text box. 

Then add a Paragraphs field to the [Node | link]. At this point, you can build your content from components – from paragraphs. On one subpage you can start with a banner and add text below. On another, you can just add text. On another – add 2 banners and text. 

I always compare the Paragraphs module to a Lego bricks factory. First, define what blocks you want to have in the factory. Then you can produce how many blocks of a given type you want and build content from them. 

Watch the video on the Droopler website or on our YouTube, channel in order to understand the concept behind the Paragraphs module better.

If you are building a website with many long landing pages, I definitely recommend the Paragraphs module. 

Entity

Entity is a word that has been already used in this entry. Entity is something to keep data in. 
In the Drupal core, there are such entities as:

• Node
• Taxonomy
• User (user accounts)

It is good to know that the programmer can also define his own type of Entity. Sometimes this is better than using a Node entity with additional fields, e.g. for performance reasons. 

This situation is more common when Drupal is a backend system, but it can also happen when building a corporate website. It is good to know then that in the system, there may be something like a dedicated entity created by the developer to hold a specific type of data.

Summary 

I hope that after reading all entries you will understand the world of Drupal better and that the implementation of tasks you entrust to the Drupal developers will be much more efficient. 
 

Private equity investor Advent International has reached conditional agreement with Goldman Sachs Asset Management to acquire Caldic, a supplier of raw materials for the coatings and adhesives industry, among other things.

Caldic will merge with Advent portfolio company Grupo Transmerquim S.A. (GTM), chemical distributor in Latin America. The company employs around 1,200 people across 35 locations. The business generated sales of about  EUR 1 billion in 2020.

“We pursue a long-term growth approach”

Ronald Ayles, Managing Partner and Global Head of Chemicals at Advent International said: “As with all our investments, we pursue a long-term growth approach and intend to support Caldic throughout its next phase of growth. We see great prospects in the combination with GTM, nearly doubling the size of the New Caldic from the start and we look forward to working in close cooperation with the highly qualified employees and management team to firmly establish the combination as a global growth platform.”

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2022, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Marseille have sent New Zealand defensive player Bill Tuiloma on loan to Strasbourg for the forthcoming season.

The player will return to OM at the end of his loan spell.

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According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus full-back Paolo De Cegile will finally be joining Marseille on loan with an option to buy.

The player had been having doubts, but he is expected for a medical with OM tomorrow morning.

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