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Abstract: The purpose of the present study is to apply data-mining methods to support the decision of reasonable cutting conditions. Although an enormous amount of information is listed in a catalog, it is not possible to know all of it. Seen from the viewpoint of the user, this enormous amount of information becomes a hindrance. For example, even if an expert worker does not look at a catalog, in end-mill processing, he can decide the appropriate processing condition efficiently from experience; however, this type of situation creates difficult problems for an unskilled worker or a skilled worker with little experience. The recommended cutting condition for every type of material is listed in a catalog together with the appropriate tool, but it takes much time and labor to search and examine the catalog to find the right tool, and this process is inefficient. The main subject of our research was to support the processing condition of the end-mill for each precision tool efficiently based on end-mill clusters. Our research applied the techniques of data mining, in particular, non-hierarchy clustering and hierarchy clustering, to catalog data. With these techniques, we applied multiple regression analysis and reached the following main conclusions. As a first step, we paid attention to the shape element of catalog data. In addition to using conventional mining processes, we grouped end-mills from the viewpoint of tool shape, which meant the ratio of dimensions, visually by applying the K-means method. We applied variable cluster analysis next to each cluster and extracted an predictor variable to represent each cluster, and we performed multiple regression analysis and derived a cutting condition decision formula. The cutting condition decision formula provided high accuracy. The accuracy was higher than the results achieved through mining of all data. A more highly precise processing condition decision formula was derived by doing mining again, excluding the peculiar data clusters such as small diameter end-mill. We understood what was effective for cutting condition decision to be factors related to blade length and the ratio of the full length, factors which have not been singled out through background knowledge or expert knowledge, but were noticed as an effect of catalog mining. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent years, the production of printed circuit boards (PCBs) has not only increased in quantity but also improved in quality. One requirement has been that the packaging density of PCBs be improved. High packaging density technology has allowed downsizing. The actual time required for drill processing and movement on PCBs has grown longer due to the higher densities. Attention was focused on movement time. The order in which holes are made on PCBs was considered for the purpose of improving productivity. The results are shown below. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We look on the cotton fiber reinforced plastics as industrial gear materials, and have been developing design systems for industrial gears made of cotton fiber-reinforced plastics. In this report, we deal with a method estimating for tooth root stresses caused by bending movements under running conditions. The gear material used was cotton fiber plain woven cloth reinforced phenolic resin laminates. Paper-reinforced phenolic resin laminates, a commonly used material, was used as a control for comparison. The main dimensions of the gears were module 3–5 mm and tooth width 25 mm. First, accelerations of gears were measured under running conditions to estimate dynamic performance. Second, fracture tests of gear teeth were carried out under bending loads. Different fracture modes at tooth roots for cotton fiber-reinforced plastics and phenolic resin gears were observed. The fractures occurred at a high position from the tooth root in the case of the cotton fiber-reinforced plastics gear because the cotton fiber-reinforced plastics had excellent cleavage and shear strength. This gear also had higher strength for tooth bending loads. Third, the mechanical properties of the gears were researched by tensile, bending, and shearing tests. It was clear that the cotton fiber-reinforced plastics had excellent properties in cleavage fracture between laminates and shear strength. Finally, we proposed a design method for this gear, which considers the cleavage and shear strength. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Regenerative chatter vibration is a typical machining problem during cutting. The frequency and phase shift of regenerative chatter can be used as indicators to suppress regenerative chatter. However, direct measurement of chatter vibration during cutting is difficult for end milling because the tool blade rotates. Therefore, chatter vibration is generally measured indirectly, for example, from cutting noise or vibration transmitted to the spindle. The type and position of the installed sensors must be appropriately selected to accurately measure chatter vibration with these methods. This selection must account for the machine tool structure, cutting conditions, and the position where the chatter vibration occurs, making the measurement methods not universally applicable. When chatter vibration occurs during cutting, a periodic pattern called a chatter mark is formed on the machined surface. The chatter mark is formed by vibration during cutting, i.e., vibration information during cutting is directly recorded. Therefore, this paper proposes a method to analyze the frequency and phase shift of chatter vibration using a two-dimensional discrete Fourier analysis of the chatter mark based on the modeled formation mechanism of chatter marks, and further validates the proposed method by elucidating the mechanism of chatter mark formed by chatter vibration. First, a cutting simulation was performed based on the vibration displacement of the tool during chatter cutting obtained experimentally. This simulation elucidates the mechanism by which the vibration information of chatter vibration can be analyzed from the chatter mark. Subsequently, the chatter vibration parameters were analyzed from the chatter mark using the proposed method. The parameters were consistent with those analyzed from the vibration displacement of the tool, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed method. • The formation mechanism of chatter marks was elucidated by simulation. • The waveform of chatter vibration during cutting cannot be analyzed from chatter mark. • A method was proposed to analyze the regenerative chatter vibration during cutting. • The proposed method enables direct analysis of regenerated chatter vibration. • The results of the proposed method and the conventional method are in good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, collaborative robots able to work together with humans have become widespread in production sites and factory automation fields. In this context, the goal is to provide a production site where cooperative robots can share various types of tools with humans. However, we have not yet reached the point where collaborative robots and humans can share tools for advanced skills. Therefore, it is very important to investigate how a collaborative robot can control advanced tools requiring human skills and the processes for realizing such control. Musical instruments are some of the most difficult tools to handle. It is important to focus on musical instruments because they allow us to evaluate the robot's manipulation not only by evaluating its movements, but also by evaluating the resultant sound. In this study, we consider a flexible and large deformable musical saw as an unknown and advanced tool difficult for humans to manipulate. In a previous report, a support method for imitating a human was adopted and provided manipulation control based on striking sound feedback using a cooperative humanoid robot. In the present paper, the support method is improved at the tip of the musical saw to realize an advanced wrist motion. In addition, we discuss skillful manipulations based on striking sound feedback control while considering the positions and postures between the collaborative humanoid robot and musical saw. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High expectations are being placed on bamboo fibers as an alternative to glass fibers for applications of industrial products. However, conventional bamboo fiber extraction techniques have problems that primarily involve quality, accuracy, and efficiency. To solve these problems, we propose a new method for obtaining bamboo fibers with a machining center (MC) using in-situ measurement. The bamboo pipe's inner and outer shapes were measured with a touch probe. The fiber shape and its distribution were also investigated. Based on these bamboo properties, we propose a method to create a tool path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofibers are used in various fields and applications, such as medical care, environment protection, apparel, and agriculture; it is believed that they will continue to show substantial growth in the future. In this study, we focused on the filtration application of nanofibers. The filtration performances achieved polymeric nanofiber mass production by a melt-blowing method. First, the filtration performances of the fiber were experimentally tested with different thicknesses. Then, the computational fluid dynamics flow-analyzing software was used to simulate the pressure loss and flow resistivity of the trial-produced filter under the same conditions as those used in the experiment. Then, a three-directional physical model was proposed and used to calculate the fiber's gap size with different diameters under the same filling rate and the assumption that the fibers always exhibit uniform distribution. Consequently, it was confirmed that the trial-produced non-woven filter possessed excellent filtration abilities and that the investigated data can be used as a standard to manufacture non-woven fabric for producing high-performance filters and face masks. However, the manufacturing method of non-woven fabric filters must be investigated to satisfy both high particle filtration efficiency and low pressure loss in order to develop a high-performance filter. • The paper presents the relations among filling rate, fiber diameter, filtration efficiency and flow resistivity for high-performance filters and face masks. • Our experimental results show the relations between filter thickness and filtration efficiency. • Our proposed three-directional physical model for fiber aggregate can effectively estimate the fiber's gap size under the same filling rate and fiber diameter. • The CFD analysis and proposed flow resistivity theories are useful for accurately estimating the flow resistivity. • This paper shows a standard parameters for manufacturing high-performance filters and face masks in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]