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The shipment of cut flowers from Colombia and Ecuador to the United States, the biggest importer of this product in the world, has doubled in the last 20 years. One of the main constraints in cut roses production is the gray mold disease caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, which can destroy the flowers, in the crop, during storage and/or shipping. Since the resistance of the fungus to conventional fungicides has been increasing, as well as the health effects in rose growers, alternative approaches for controlling the disease are needed. The effect of UV-C light on the gray mold development in cut roses was studied. Irradiation with 2,160; 1,080 and 540 J ⋅ m–2 UV-C, every 24 h for 5 days in a humid chamber, did not harm the roses. Instead, as seen by image analysis, a highly significant reduction of the area of the lesions by the disease and of the fungus germination was obtained at 1,080 J ⋅ m–2. The addition of a 4-h dark period to the irradiation did not improve the effect of UV-C on the disease. The results of this work potentiate the use of UV-C light in the agro-industry as a low-cost and non-invasive alternative method to control diseases. They also reflect the application of optical approaches as image analysis in the evaluation of important agricultural features.

RATIONALE Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that exposure to molds and other fungi can play a role in a variety of allergic and pulmonary diseases in susceptible individuals. Species-specific mold antigen extracts are used in the clinical evaluation of suspected mold-related conditions, however alignment between these extracts and the species of molds identified in the indoor environment of water-damaged homes has not been rigorously evaluated. OBJECTIVES To identify the predominant genera and species of mold in the air of homes with water damage, mold growth, and/or occupants with respiratory complaints (complaint homes), and to assess their alignment with the mold antigen extracts used in clinical practice. METHODS The genera and species of molds identified in culture-type outdoor and indoor air samples collected from complaint homes throughout the U.S. and Canada from 2002-2017 were examined. Mold antigen extracts available and utilized for skin and serum testing in clinical practice were assessed and alignment between these data were evaluated. RESULTS Culture data from 24,455 indoor air samples from 7,547 complaint homes and 29,493 outdoor samples was evaluated. Mean exposure values (CFU/m3) were calculated for each genus and species, and indoor vs outdoor values compared. Penicillium was the predominant genus identified in water-damaged homes, with a mean exposure (233.3 CFU/m3) 2.9 times higher than that of the Aspergillus genus (81.4 CFU/m3). Five Penicillium (P. aurantiogriseum, P. brevicompactum, P. citrinum, P. crustosum, and P. variabile) and three Aspergillus (A. versicolor, A. sydowii, and A. niger) species were identified as the predominant indoor water-damage related fungi. However, none of these Penicillium species and only one of the Aspergillus species is currently available as an antigen extract for use in skin testing or serum testing panels. CONCLUSIONS Significant misalignment exists between the currently available mold antigen extracts and the predominant species of molds found in water-damaged homes. Improving alignment has the potential to enhance diagnosis of mold-related diseases including allergic asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis and to improve patient outcomes via interventions including antigen avoidance through building remediation and occupant relocation, consistent with the findings of a recent ATS Workshop Report.

Numerical simulation of the injection molding process of the outer panel of the automotive plastic rear door and mold design is presented here. CATIA is used to design the original automotive steel structure. In order to efficiently design the panels; finite element analysis is used to verify whether the designed parts meet the mechanical properties requirements such as light weight, low fuel consumption, short production cycle, strong modeling design, high corrosion resistance and good recovery. To simulate the injection molding process, CAE software such as ANSYS and HYPERWORKS are used to analyze the back door of the selected material. After the numerical analysis, suitable material is selected, so that the modal and thermodynamic properties of the product could be satisfied as well as improved. In this paper, UG is used to design the convex and concave mold for the injection molding of the automobile’s plastic back door panel. Combined with the characteristics of the parts and the design requirements of the injection mold, the multi-scheme design of the pouring and cooling system is carried out. By comparing the effects of different gating and cooling systems on injection molding, the best gating and cooling system is selected.

Introduction. Significant cranial defects result from a decompressive craniectomy following head trauma, malignant brain edema, intracranial hemorrhage, or resection of tumor affected bone. Unrepaired cranial defects are not just a tremendous esthetic problem. The underlying brain is unprotected, prone to injury, and this state can lead to the so-called ?syndrome of the trephined? with mood instability, headaches, and even a neurological deficit. Currently, there is no widely accepted uniform technique of cranial vault shape restoration. Combining 3D technology with the use of polymethylmethacrylate is a challenging field that can bring good functional and aesthetic results and, in the case of smart design, become efficient, low-cost technology. We offer a possible solution to a problem that would be acceptable in neurosurgical practice. Case outline. We present a 37-year-old male patient with a massive hemicranial defect as a consequence of previous decompressive craniectomy following severe craniocerebral injury the previous year. Together with engineers from the appropriate 3D modeling studio, we have designed a two-part mold by laser printing technology using biocompatible advanced polyamide. We made a customized polymethylmethacrylate graft intraoperatively using this mold and achieved good aesthetic results. Conclusion. Reports of 3D printing assisted cranioplasties are growing, describing different techniques and cost- estimation. We hope to introduce a low-cost and simple method for repairing a skull defect.

This paper mainly introduces the research and application of the technical features, technological principles and construction procedures of the pipe track inner mold in the construction of the pipe track through the silver pipe track project. The inner mold system is composed of trolley support; with a combination of large mold instead of cabin mold scaffold system. The cabin mold scaffold system optimizes the cabin mold system construction from “scaffolding ? installation mold ? reinforcement ? mold removal ? scaffolding removal ? horizontal transfer” to “inner mold trolley installation and commissioning ? trolley in place ? support form ? release mold ? mold movement.” Reduce labor intensity, conserve construction consumables, and assure quality and safety by reducing the expansion, deconstruction, and transfer procedure of the mold and supporting structure. The occupation time of internal mold trolley in each structural construction section is reduced, the trolley turnover efficiency is improved, and the economic benefit is improved thanks to the central support of early mold removal in the workshop, which serves as a model for the construction organization and technical treatment of similar projects.

The accuracy of wind power prediction directly affects the operation cost of power grid and is the result of power grid supply and demand balance. Therefore, how to improve the prediction accuracy of wind power is very important. In order to improve the prediction accuracy of wind power, a prediction model based on wavelet denoising and improved slime mold algorithm optimized support vector machine is proposed. The wavelet denoising algorithm is used to denoise the wind power data, and then the support vector machine is used as the prediction model. Because the prediction results of support vector machine are greatly affected by model parameters, an improved slime mold optimization algorithm with random inertia weight mechanism is used to determine the best penalty factor and kernel function parameters in support vector machine model. The effectiveness of the proposed prediction model is verified by using two groups actually collected wind power data. Seven prediction models are selected as the comparison model. Through the comparison between the predicted value and the actual value, the prediction error and its histogram distribution, the performance indicators, the Pearson’s correlation coefficient, the DM test, box-plot distribution, the results show that the proposed prediction model has high prediction accuracy.

Based on the rapid advancement of IoT technology, it has become pervasive in various industries for promoting effective production, including the plastic injection molding industry. In this study, a fundamental investigation of mold deformation was conducted to develop a monitoring system. Mahalanobis distance (MD), which is calculated from mold strain data, was adopted in this monitoring system. We determined that the simple MD index is helpful for judging between normal and abnormal mold states. This index is expected to be a key component of future IoT applications.

Plastics are ubiquitous in the modern world with both positive and negative consequences. Students will benefit from understanding how plastics are manufactured. They will be more aware of the material and have a better appreciation for the need to recycle. Injection molding is one of the primary plastics manufacturing methods and hobby scale injection molding machines can be used to educate students about plastics and polymers. Furthermore, it is possible to create custom injection molds from aluminum using similar hobby scale tools. In this article, experiences introducing injection molding in the classroom and experiences with mold making as a senior design project are presented. Suggestions and procedures for using the injection molding machine and for creating custom aluminum molds are covered.

ESA, NASA, and other space institutions are planning the return to the Moon. In the next decades, a human outpost on the lunar surface is going to be established to extend the opportunities for science and economy. For this project, new materials, methods, and processes based on In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) are needed. One aspect is the casting of metals to produce tools, construction elements, or infrastructure, which are to frail or too large to be transported with a rocket. Earth-based manufacturing relies on sand-casting or permanent mold casting processes. These could be adapted for Moon manufacturing with lunar regolith. Regolith can be shaped and/or sintered to produce a mold similar to sand-casting or permanent mold casting. This paper presents results from first experiments carried out by TU Braunschweig and Orbit Recycling with aluminum, Al-alloys and the regolith simulant TUBS-M. It is shown that it is possible to cast a wide range of aluminum parts using lunar regolith. Using a permanent mold, it was possible to achieve multiple casts from one mold. Thus, new ISRU based adapted processes for lunar manufacturing could be possible.

Son yıllarda kullanımı gittikçe yaygınlaşan üç boyutlu görüntüleme ve modelleme yöntemleri, iki boyutlu çalışmaların yerini almaktadır. Tıp alanında da yaygın kullanımı olan üç boyutlu görüntüler özellikle nöroşirurji pratiğinde cerrahi açıdan kolaylıklar sağlamaktadır. Üç boyutlu görüntüler esas alınarak epilepsi, kranioplasti, vasküler ve intrakranial lezyonların cerrahisi şekilllendirilebilmektedir.Daha önceki ameliyata ya da travmaya bağlı olarak kemik doku kaybının yerine konup, beyin dokusunun korunması kranioplastinin asıl amacıdır. Bu amaçla otolog greftler kullanılabileceği gibi polimetilmetakrilat gibi maddeler de kullanılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada kranioplasti planlanan hasta için üç boyutlu yazıcı kullanılarak PLA kalıbı üretilmiştir ve PMMA ile kranioplasti işlemi gerçekleştirilmiştir. Hastanın perop gözleminde kalıbın tam olarak oturduğu görülmüştür. Hasta takiplerinde kozmetik açıdan memnundu. Teknolojinin ilerlemesi ile birlikte üç boyutlu yazıcıların nöroşirurji pratiğinde kullanımı daha da artacak, kişisel tedavi yöntemleri geliştirilecek, daha az maliyet ve komplikasyon oranları ile daha iyi sonuçlar elde edilecektir., In recent years, the use of three-dimensional imaging and modeling methods has become increasingly frequent, replacing two-dimensional studies. Three-dimensional images, which are widely used in medicine, provide surgical facilities, especially in neurosurgical practice. Surgery for epilepsy, cranioplasty, vascular and intracranial lesions could be shaped based on three-dimensional images.The main purpose of cranioplasty is to replace bone tissue loss due to previous surgery or trauma to protect brain tissue. For this purpose, autologous grafts could be used as well as materials such as polymethylmethacrylate.In this study, a PLA mold was produced using a three-dimensional printer for the patient who was planned for cranioplasty and cranioplasty was performed with PMMA. The perioperative observation of the patient revealed that the mold was fully seated. The patient was satisfied cosmetically in the follow-up.With the advancement of technology, the use of three-dimensional printers in neurosurgery practice will further increase, individual treatment methods will be developed and better results will be obtained with less cost and complication rates.

The article presents a technique for process-induced residual strain modeling for thermoset composite material parts. The model takes into account the mechanical and thermal contact between the part and the mold. The technique is implemented in the ABAQUS software using user subroutines. Using the technique, it is possible to clarify the distribution of the heat transfer coefficient on the surface of the part and mold using the CFD method. Distribution of heat transfer coefficients are obtained in ANSYS CFX under the appropriate process conditions. The method is verified for the U-shaped sample. Also, the results of modeling the stringer-stiffened curved composite panel using the developed technique without taking into account the mold and heat transfer coefficient distribution are presented.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze in detail one of the new cost approaches, time driven activity-based costing (TDABC), and in this context the cost of a mold manufacturing company is analyzed., Methodology: For this research, we used primary and secondary sources. Direct observation, interviews with relevant departments and computer analysis methods were used as data collection method. A software and online database especially developed for the project was used in order to ease data collection., Findings: Different than traditional volume-based cost methods, with TDABC, based on data analysis, we have identified idle capacities for each department. Which means, TDABC method can be used as an effective management tool as well as for financial reporting purposes., Originality/Value: This paper aims to provide empirical evidence in the implementation of TDABC in project-based manufacturing industry, especially in mold sector and give a contribution to researchers in this field., peer-reviewed

Additive manufacturing is a technology that is influencing every facet of manufacturing such as casting. 3D printing in particular has the potential to revolutionize castings in terms of precision and time taken in production. Patternless molds increase the efficiency of the casting process for large scale manufactured components. Therefore, ceramic based molds can be utilized for low temperature alloy parts such as mounting brackets. Nowadays, 3D printing technologies allow the direct printing of these molds. This is possible with the aid of CAD modelling of the casting mold which allows instant printing of patternless molds. The aim of this work is to introduce an approach to prepare a 3D design for a casting mold that can be manufactured using 3D printing technology. Mold design was made using Solidworks software according to standardized calculations from which cope and drag components were extracted. Candidates for potential mold material are highlighted along with advantages & limitations of utilizing 3D printing methodology.

Objectives: Flexible Flat Foot (FFF), a common foot deformity decreasing medial longitudinal arch height is often comorbid with subtalar joint pronation causing physical activity difficulties in this population. Among the orthotic insoles prescribed for improving foot function, foot orthoses with medial heel skive technique have a limited research background. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of the custom-mold insole with medial heel skive technique on physical function in FFF. Methods: Eighteen adults with FFF from the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences students and staff participated in this study. Custom-Mold insole with medial heel skive was fabricated for all research participants. Physical function in the activities of daily living and sports was assessed by the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), Activities of Daily Living (ADL) subscale (ADL-FAAM), and SPORT-FAAM questionnaires at the beginning of the study and 6 weeks after. Paired Samples t-test and nonparametric tests were used to compare the collected results. Results: After 6 weeks of using the insole with medial heel skive technique, scores in both ADL and SPORTS activities were significantly improved. Discussion: Foot function improvement was not found in all of the studies assessing foot function in flat feet after using different orthotic insoles, by different questionnaires or other systems. In this study, foot and ankle function was significantly improved per FAAM questionnaire- which had highly limited use in orthotic interventions in flat feet population- using medial heel skive technique; however, further studies are required to accentuate medial heel skive technique effect on flat feet function by comparing this technique with other positive cast modifications to control the flat foot. According to the present study results, custom-mold insole with medial heel skive may improve physical function in FFF and can be prescribed in this group.

Traditional soft lithography based PDMS device fabrication requires complex procedures carried out in a clean room. Herein, we report a photolithography-free method that rapidly produces PDMS devices in 30 min. By using a laser cutter to ablate a tape, a male photoresist mold can be obtained within 5 min by a simple heating-step, which offers significant superiority over currently used photolithography-based method. Since it requires minimal energy to cut the tape, our fabrication strategy shows good resolution (∼ 100 µm) and high throughput. Furthermore, the micro-mold height can be easily controlled by changing the tape types and layers. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrated that the fabricated PDMS devices are compatible with biochemical reactions such as quenching reaction of KI to fluorescein and cell culture/staining. Collectively, our strategy shows advantages of low input, simple operation procedure and short fabrication time, therefore we believe this photolithography-free method could serve as a promising way for rapid prototyping of PDMS devices and be widely used in general biochemical laboratories.

Metal additive manufacturing (MAM) provides lots of benefits and potentials in manufacturing molds or dies with sophisticated conformal cooling channels. It is known that the conformal cooling technology provides effective cooling to reduce cycle time for increasing productivity. Ordinarily, mold inserts fabricated by general printing procedures will result in coolant leakage in the injection molding process. The yield in the manufacturing of fully dense injection molding tools was limited to the very narrow working widow. In addition, high costs of fully dense injection mold fabricated by MAM constitute the major obstacle to its application in the mold or die industry. In general, the high cost of MAM is approximately 50-70% more expensive than conventional computer numerical control machining. In this study, a low-cost and highly efficient method of reducing coolant leakage for direct metal printed injection mold with cooling channels was proposed. This new method employs general process parameters to manufacture the green injection mold rapidly and then uses optimum heat treatment (HT) procedures to improve microstructure of the green injection mold. The results of this study revealed that optimum HT procedures can prevent coolant leakage and save manufacturing time of the injection mold fabricated by direct metal laser sintering. The evolution mechanisms of microstructure were investigated experimentally. The save in the injection mold manufacture time about 67% can be obtained.

The mold temperature uniformity has a crucial effect on the quality of composite part manufactured by the autoclave curing process, especially for large size mold. It has been a challenging issue to design appropriate thermal cure profile not only improving the temperature uniformity but also reducing the manufacturing cost. This paper aims to provide a fast and reliable thermal cure profile design method considering the actual autoclave curing condition and the thermal behavior of the curing mold. Firstly, a computational fluid dynamic (CFD)-based autoclave simulation model is established for a large framed mold and validated. Which offers reliable evaluation about the thermal behavior and heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of the curing mold. Then, a novel method is introduced using unit volume element-based simulation to represent the highest and the lowest temperature histories of the mold top surface as accurately as the CFD-based simulation but with huge reduction in computation time. Finally, thermal cure profile optimization is performed combining genetic algorithm (GA) and the unit volume element method to reduce temperature gradient and cure time simultaneously as the temperature uniformity governs the final part quality and the cure time governs manufacturing cost. The optimization results showcase the benefits of well-designed thermal cure profile for improving the autoclave curing process and the proposed design method can be applied to various large size molds for manufacturing large composite parts.

The article describes the method of finish alloying steel in molds in top and bottom casting. Due to the reduction of oxygen activity in the metal due to the relatively lower casting temperature than the previous stages of steelmaking redistribution, it is achieved the reduction of the ferroalloys loss and increasing the yield of useful elements of ferroalloys. An important indicator of the implementation of the proposed technology is the alloying of steel in the mold to obtain steel of a certain brand in small volumes. The aim of the study is to determine the rational place of addition of alloys into the volume of the melt and the method of casting, for the best dissolution of alloys in steel directly in the mold. To solve this problem, the method of physical modeling on a water transparent model using a fluorescent dye that glows brightly in ultraviolet light was used. The experiment consisted of three series of with different methods of casting and introduction of dye: 1) top casting with the introduction of dye into the mold; 2) bottom casting with the introduction of dye into the mold; 3) bottom casting with the introduction of dye in the trumpet. It was analyzed that the averaging of the dye is more efficient at a lower liquid level in the mold, because mixing occurs due to the flow of liquid in the mold, the higher the liquid level in the mold, the weaker the mixing flows. The research revealed minimization of averaging time at the optimal fluid level. For top and bottom casting with the addition of dye to the mold, the optimal level is 33%. When the dye is introduced into the center, there is a slight directly proportional increase in the time of complete homogenization with an increase in the liquid level in the mold. Among the analyzed methods of steel casting, the most effective in terms of homogenization of the alloying additive is bottom casting. The color of the liquid at different stages of filling the mold with the introduction of the dye at the level of 25% of the height of the mold is analyzed.

Purpose TG43 does not account for a lack of scatter and tissue and applicator heterogeneities. The advanced collapsed-cone engine (ACE) algorithm available for use in the Oncentra Brachy treatment planning system (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden) can model these conditions more accurately and is evaluated for esophageal and surface mold brachytherapy treatments. Methods and Materials ACE was commissioned for use then compared against TG43 for five esophageal and five surface mold treatment plans. Dosimetric differences between each algorithm were assessed using superimposed comparisons and dose-volume histogram statistics. Results Esophagus (6 Gy per fraction): Compared with TG43, ACE demonstrated up to a 0.63% and 0.05 Gy reduction in planning target volume (PTV) V100% and PTV D98, respectively. Lung D2cc and bone D2cc deviated by up to 0.09 Gy and 0.03 Gy, respectively. Lung D0.1 cc and bone D0.1 cc both deviated by up to 0.12 Gy. Surface mold (4.5 Gy per fraction): Compared with TG43, ACE demonstrated up to a 12.5% and 0.18 Gy reduction in PTV V80% and PTV D98, respectively. Bone D2cc and D0.1 cc both reduced by up to 0.2 Gy when modeled with ACE. Increasing mold size laterally increased the dosimetric differences between TG43 and ACE. Conclusions TG43 generally overestimated dose delivered to the target volume and organs at risk for the sites investigated. Dosimetric differences observed for esophageal treatments were minimal; however, surface mold treatments would benefit from the increased dosimetric accuracy offered by ACE. Implementation should be considered for surface mold 192Ir treatment planning, but increased calculation time, additional contouring, and mass density assignment requirements should be scrutinized with regard to their potentially negative impact on current clinical practice.

With this survey, we investigated healthcare-associated invasive mold infection (HA-IMI) surveillance and air sampling practices in US acute-care hospitals. More than half of surveyed facilities performed HA-IMI surveillance and air sampling. HA-IMI surveillance was more commonly performed in academic versus nonacademic facilities. HA-IMI case definitions and sampling strategies varied widely among respondents.

Animal specimens are easily invaded and corroded by molds, which seriously affects the beautful shape and integrity of biological specimens, It’s led to a huge economic loss. And the traditional methods & agentia of molds controlled are always spoisonous and polluted agentia. In this paper, review the detecting methods of animal specimens infected molds, exploring methods and reagents of prevention of molds,which can make the animal specimens be preserved for a long time without mold damage. This way would be green, environmental-friendly, and protect the human health and reduce economic losses.

Many growers on mushroom farms producing white and brown varieties of Agaricus bisporus have noticed a potential association between sciarid fly (Lycoriella ingenua) pest populations and green mold (Trichoderma aggressivum) disease expression, and suspect that in addition to other preventative measures, controlling flies may be important to controlling green mold spread. In this study, we examined the association between L. ingenua populations and green mold disease incidence in commercial mushroom farms. In addition, we studied how relevant variables related to farming practices and farm characteristics may affect fly and disease incidence. Our data show that L. ingenua and green mold incidence are associated and that preventative measures such as sanitation and new technologies to reduce human-substrate contact are correlated with reduced green mold incidence. In addition, data indicated farm characteristics such as the proximity to neighboring farms as well as an organic mushroom growing regime are associated with fly incidence.

Fused deposition modeling (FDM), which is the most popular additive manufacturing technology, is widely used in numerous fields of economy and society such as aerospace, automobile, mechanical and biomedical engineering, education and sports. As the turbo-expander wheel is one of the major components of a large oxygen plant and has the enclosed structure with 20 streamline blade grooves, they are made with plaster casting process. As its efficiency is seriously affected by the profile of blade grooves, it is important to design the optimal profile and make plaster core precisely for the enhancement of the quality of products. In this paper, we designed the optimal profile by using the fluid analysis simulation tool and showed how the mold for making the plaster core mold according to this profile could be manufactured by using FDM equipment and so product manufacture period reduced and it resulted in the cost saving.

For large composite parts manufactured by autoclave curing process, temperature uniformity of the mold is essential to ensure final part quality. This paper aims to investigate the influence of mold placement variation in autoclave on heating performance of a large framed mold and find the optimal mold placement parameters for improving the temperature uniformity and heating rate. Firstly, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based autoclave simulation model is established and validated, which offers reliable prediction of the mold temperature field and flow distribution in autoclave. Then, numerical experiments are performed based on the autoclave simulation model and response surface methodology (RSM) to establish relations between mold placement variables and responses including temperature uniformity and heating rate. Finally, using the established regression model, multi-objective optimization is conducted considering both temperature uniformity and heating rate. The optimal mold placement parameters are obtained successfully which improves the temperature uniformity significantly with little change in heating rate comparing to the commonly adopted mold placement approach. The strategies provided by mold placement optimization can be applied for various large framed molds in composite manufacturing improving the autoclave curing process.

This paper aims to identify and eliminate the weaknesses of the epoxy mold compound (EMC) thawing process that contributes to mold misprocessing occurrence such as wrong mold compound, under thawed or expired mold compound. Creation of automation solutions addressing high risk areas such as barcoding of compound traceability, auto-locking system of thawing cabinet and thawing room access, automated map of compound status and upgrade of lot transaction system to link with EMC status and identity was implemented. Collectively this makes the process error proof from wrong judgement or negligence from human dependent activities. The project was able to eliminate occurrence of possible mold misprocessing related to EMC thawing and serves as cost avoidance due to potential lots affected.

The analysis of the basic parameters of the dosage of molten iron in metal forms using the magnetodynamic installation MDN-6CH. A schematic diagram has been developed for controlling the electromagnetic systems of the unit. The technology of dosing and pouring metal into the chill mold has been developed in the manufacture of cast iron balls with a diameter of 40 and 120 mm. At the optimal casting temperature, the electrical parameters of the inductor (voltage Ui, current Ii, power Ri) were in the range Ui = 250-300 V, Ii = 480-520 A, Ri = 140-160 kW. When reducing the mass of metal in the crucible MDN-6CH using a control scheme made switching inductor from a voltage of 300 V to 250 V. The power was reduced by 15-20 kW, and the temperature of the metal remained within the tolerance of the technology of metal casting. Using the adopted dosing scheme, it became possible to cast metal at constant parameters of the electromagnetic system and the time of pouring. The technology of dispensing and pouring metal into the mold for the production of cast iron balls with a diameter of 40 and 120 mm was carried out at an inductor voltage of 300 V, and the electromagnet - 220 V. The initial level of metal on the drain socket was equal to 20 mm. The molding time of molds in the manufacture of balls with a diameter of 40 mm was 7.3 s, and balls with a diameter of 120 mm - 16.2 s. The operating time of the electromechanical actuator was set in the manufacture of balls with a diameter of 40 mm - 0.35 s, and balls with a diameter of 120 mm - 0.75s. The consumption of metal in the manufacture of balls with a diameter of 40 and 120 mm was in the range of 0.7-0.75 kg / s and 1.65-1.70 kg / s, respectively. The metal casting was carried out at temperatures of 1320-1340 ° C and 1360-1380 ° C. The dosage accuracy was determined by weighing the metal of the poured balls and the molding system of the mold. Mathematical processing of the results of the dosing showed that in the manufacture of balls with a diameter of 40 mm at a temperature of 1320 °C the error of dosing is 10-11%. With increasing iron temperature, the dosage error decreases and at a metal temperature of 1370 °C is 5-6%. In the manufacture of balls with a diameter of 120 mm at a temperature of iron 1330, the dosage error is 7-8%, and at a temperature of 1360 ° C - 3-4%. The study of the characteristics of the casting and dosing process of cast iron in the chill mold allowed us to develop the technology of casting cast iron melts, which provided the required metering accuracy and high productivity of the conveyor production of grinding bodies.

The reported estimation calculations have determined the kinetics of temperature changes in the model clamp‒dielectric matrix‒upper electrode‒punch‒sintered ring product‒lower electrode‒punch‒stand. This has made it possible to determine the temperature of the control volumes of the product and tooling in a random period. The experiments have confirmed that the estimated values of temperature in the upper and lower layers of the sintered product are rather similar and differ little from actual ones. Specifically, it has been established that the sintered product concentrates 24% of the thermal energy, which is released throughout the entire unit (press-tool‒product). Under a conductive heating method, it is very important that the maximum temperature in the zone of the sintered product should be reached in the shortest period. It has been shown that during exploitation the material of a mold under conditions of electric sintering is exposed to the thermocyclic and thermomechanical influence. The tooling components have different resistance to wear: a resource of the isolated insert is 20cycles of sintering, of electrodes–punches ‒ 50cycles. This allows us to argue that it is necessary to choose a material for the components of a mold, which could meet the following requirements: –the minimal heating of the tooling elements, thereby ensuring its structural reliability and operational adaptability (a holder, a matrix, a stand); –the maximum heating of the chain: an upper electrode‒punch‒needle‒the sintered product‒a lower ring electrode-punch, thereby contributing to the accumulation of heat in the contact area between the components of the mold and a would-be product. The above measures lead to the increased structural strength of sintered products, as well as to the optimization of control over would-be technological operations and prompt registration of important experimental data. Thus, there are reasons to assert the possibility of the targeted adjustment of temperature fields through the preliminary calculation and selection of the tooling materials based on the thermal-physical characteristics. The application of a given mathematical model is an effective way to resolve the above issue

Roll-to-roll (R2R) embossing is a low-cost and high-productivity manufacturing process that replicates the microstructures from a cylindrical impression mold onto flexible films with high resolution and accuracy. However, discontinuous non-rotationally symmetric microstructures are very difficult to fabricate on either planar or cylindrical surfaces. In this paper, a novel machining method, diamond micro-scraping (DMS), is developed to provide a possible solution for the fabrication of polygonal Fresnel lens structure on the roller mold. In the proposed DMS machining method, the tool path is generated according to geometrical calculations considering the structural design of the drum roll lathe, the polygonal Fresnel lens structure designed, diamond tool geometries, and parameters of the roller mold. Through a series of processing experiments, the feasibility of DMS machining method is verified, and polygonal Fresnel lens structure is fabricated on the roller mold. The experimental results show that the profile accuracy of the processed polygonal Fresnel lens structure is at the submicron level and the surface roughness is several nanometers. The proposed DMS machining method can meet the requirement of embossing high-precision optical roller mold.

Pressure casting process, which is based on the principle of filling and solidifying the liquid metal into the mold cavity with the effect of speed and pressure, enables to obtain a serial product. The pressure casting process usually involves a thermal process. Starting with the casting process, the thermal resistances, especially formed at the casting mold interface, and the resultant interfacial heat transfer coefficient (IHTC) are among the most important factors determining the mechanical and physical properties of the produced part. The IHTC depends on the mold temperature, casting temperature, injection pressure, injection rate, vacuum application and many other incalculable parameters. In this study, it was aimed to determine the heat transfer coefficient and heat flux of the casting mold interface which has a significant effect on the quality of parts in the pressure casting of cylindrical mold geometry of AlSi8Cu3Fe aluminum alloy. The study was carried out depending on different casting temperatures, injection pressure, injection speed and vacuum application to the mold cavity. Temperatures were measured with thermocouples placed in the mold and casting material, IHTC and heat flux were calculated with finite difference method by using experimentally measured temperatures. In the application of artificial intelligence methods, casting temperature, injection speed, injection pressure and vacuum conditions are given as input parameters and interfacial flow coefficient and heat flux are accepted as output parameters. With the help of these parameters, DTR, MLR and ANNR deep learning algorithms were used to estimate the interfacial heat transfer coefficient. Among these algorithms, ANNR algorithm was found to be the most accurate estimating model at the rate of 99.9%. For the obtained model, a computer program was prepared for the users to be able to see and follow the experimental results and the results obtained from the model at the same time.

The paper presents a wide analysis of the literature on the modified blow molding process with simultaneous stretching of PET [poly(ethylene terephthalate)] material for storing hot filled drinks. The paper is a continuation of the first part presented earlier [1]. In this part it is presented in detail the impact of stretch blow molding with hot mold process parameters on thermal resistance of PET containers. An analysis of the literature shows that the relaxation of the amorphous phase has the greatest impact on the thermal stability and pressure resistance of the bottle. At the same time, the thermal stability of the bottle increases, and the pressure strength decreases when the relaxation of the amorphous phase is increased, and the crystallites increase to the largest size possible without causing thermal whitening of the material. The measure of relaxation of the amorphous phase is based on the amount of oriented and “rigid” amorphous phase, since the higher the degree of relaxation of the amorphous phase, the smaller the amounts of oriented and rigid amorphous phase. The main parameters of the hot mold SBM process that affect the properties of the hot filling bottle are the intrinsic viscosity of the preform material, the power profile of the heating lamps in the heating oven (there are seven levels of heating lamps), the heating time in the oven and the associated time of temperature-induced crystallization prior to the SBM process, the speed of the stretching rod, the pre-blow delay due to the stretching rod position, the pre-blow pressure, pre-blow duration, air blow pressure, duration of the main blow, temperature profile of the heated blow mold (there are two heat zones for the blow mold, the lateral surface of the bottles and base zone), duration of annealing in the mold, cooling air temperature of a bottle in a blow mold fed by a stretching rod, and the pressure in the feed branch for air cooling of a bottle in a blow mold fed by a stretching rod. Thus, the properties of a bottle or hot fill can be influenced by as many as 20 factors during the SBM process with a hot mold.

Patients on antifungal therapy who develop breakthrough mold infections pose significant treatment challenges for clinicians. Treatment of these infections demands a multimodal approach, including a thorough patient assessment, immune restoration, and evaluation for nonadherence and drug–drug interactions. However, limited clinical trial data are available to guide therapeutic decision-making. Organisms associated with breakthrough mold infection have historically included Aspergillus species and the Mucorales; however, rare and resistant molds are increasing in prevalence. Treatment failure and mortality rates remain high with breakthrough infection, irrespective of the selected treatment. Therapeutic drug monitoring, dose optimization, and combination antifungal therapy have been increasingly used to treat refractory cases. Switch therapy and combination antifungal therapy represent the major treatment strategies for breakthrough mold infection. Herein, preclinical and clinical data are reviewed supporting the merits of each approach. Additionally, recommendations for therapeutic drug monitoring are provided.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to isolate and identify mold species from poultry farms with detection of their virulence potential, biofilm formation capability and to perform antifungal susceptibility testing to some representative isolates. Design: Observational study. Animals: Fifty freshly dead broiler chicks were included in this study. Procedures: A total of 250 samples were collected from 50 diseased chicks (5 samples each), including lung, liver, kidney, heart, and tracheal swap. In addition, litter samples were collected from 7 poultry farms and were subjected to mycological examination. The isolated mold species have been tested for hemolytic activity, catalase, amylase, lipase, and biofilm production activity; besides, detection of virulence genes (rhbA, fos-1, and pskB) using PCR assay. . Results: A total of 208 mold isolates were identified, with five genera; Aspergillus (84.6%), Zygomycetes (12.9%), Acremonium (0.96%), Penicillium (0.96%) and Alternaria (0.48%). Mold isolates displayed various degrees of fungal activities on blood agar plates, catalase activity, amylase activity, lipase activity, and the ability for biofilm production in vitro. Regarding the selected virulence genes, fos-1 was detected in A.fumigatus (3 isolates) and A.flavus (2isolates). While pksP gene was detected in A.fumigatus (7 isolates) and A.niger (2 isolates) and rhbA detected in A. fumigatus (8 isolates) and one isolate of A. flavus of the total evaluated species. The MIC determination provide evidence for the high resistance of all evaluated isolates to nystatin, and a relatively higher sensitivity was displayed by clotrimazole followed by ciclopiroxolamine and tioconazole. Conclusion and clinical relevance: The results reveal that most of the fungal isolates tested displayed enzymatic activity, which are the most effective virulence factors contributing to fungal pathogenicity and high resistance to antifungal, which represents a potential public health concern.

In this paper, describe the fabrication of high strength punch molds that can be applied to ultra-high strength sheet materials after processing. A method for improving the strength of the punching die by additive manufacturing (AM) of a high strength powder material using a metal 3D printer was proposed. Furthermore, a semi-additive technique was proposed to increase the punch strength through partial AM of specific parts of the punch that require high strength. A preprocessing process for predicting the semi-additive shape for the punch function portion is proposed for application of the AM technology of a metal 3D printer to this semi-additive technique. The preprocessing for determining the semi-additive shape consists of the predicting step of the punch strength based on the shear process of the sheet material, analyzing step the stress distribution of the punch, defining step the semi-additive range, designing step the semi-additive shape, and verifying step the additive interface strength. Based on this simulation, the range of shapes for the semi-additive was 1.21 mm and 2.62 mm for sheet material CP1180 and 1.3 mm and 3.2 mm for sheet material 22MnB5. The shape and range determined in the simulation process defines a semi-additive area (volume) for the 3D printing AM technique using a high-strength powder material, and a semi-additive punch was manufactured according to the defined area. The semi-additive punch (HWS powder material) fabricated in this study was performed a durability test for validity verification in the piercing process of high-strength sheet material (CR980). This validation test compared the state of the punch after 1000 piercing processes with a typical cold piercing punch (SKD11 solid material). From this test, the feasibility of the semi-additive punch was confirmed by showing a similar state of scratches and abrasion from the two punches. The simulation analysis processor for the additive shape and the additive range prediction for the semi-additive punch manufacturing presented in this paper can be useful for the additive manufacture of cutting and trimming punch mold.

The need for freeform surfaces are widely recognized in the optical, aerospace, biomedical, and automotive industries. However, the fabrication of freeform surfaces is very difficult and expensive because of the involvement of advanced, multi-axis, dedicated machining processes. In many applications, the machining surface needs further polishing to reduce the surface roughness. The main aim of this work is to investigate the flexible pad polishing process for the finishing of the freeform surface. To achieve this, a flexible pad polishing setup is developed in two-axis configuration that can be integrated with a diamond turning machine or any other computer numerical control (CNC) machine and capable to polish the conventional rotationally symmetric surfaces as well as freeform surfaces. The polishing parameters for the developed polishing head are optimized for the nano-finishing of the freeform mold surface of Stavax ESR steel. The effectiveness of the current polishing setup is demonstrated by measuring the improvement in surface roughness height and profile. Test results reveal that the improvement on the freeform surface is significant, that is, surface roughness ( Ra) reduces from 220 nm to 25 nm while keeping the profile within the desired tolerance.

Blow-molding machines are divided into two types: (1) rotary type blow-molding machine, and (2) linear type blow-molding machine. Good kinematic characteristics of mold clamping mechanism is the goal pursued by manufacturers of blow-molding machine. Traditionally, the mold clamping mechanism has only one dead-position configuration for the mold in the closed position. When the mold is in the open position, the mold clamping mechanism does not have dead-position configuration. This study focuses on the design of mold clamping mechanisms with two dead-position configurations when the mold is in open and closed positions. Firstly, with reference to the existing patents, based on the Yan's creative design methodology, four design concepts of mold clamping mechanisms are synthesized. Then, according to the studies on kinematics of mechanisms, three mold clamping mechanisms with two dead-position configurations are also synthesized. The results of this paper will enhance the research and development (R&D) capability of the mold clamping mechanisms to improve industrial competitiveness.

This paper analyses the impact of export’s intensity on capital structure choices of 647 Portuguese firms of the mold industry, for the period 2010-2017. Not only exports intensity variables are considered, but also variables to deal with firm specific characteristics and macroeconomic factors to fulfill the paper’s aim. Four alternative proxies of capital structure are used: total, long-term, short-term debt and bank loans. Analyzing an unbalanced sample of 4225 observations, using a panel data methodology and estimating the models with fixed effects for firms, the findings of the study reveal that the reliable determinants for leverage are asset structure, growth opportunities, non-debt tax shields, liquidity, risk, size, age and macroeconomic factors. Export’s intensity is only relevant to explain debt through bank loans, while export’s intensity to countries outside Europe is relevant to explain both total and short-term debt. The main results are consistent with the pecking order theory which propose a hierarchy of funds. The trade-off theory is also relevant. Finally, this study shows that firms from the mold industry are more indebted than other Portuguese firms (in mean), and short-term debt is more relevant in the total leverage of the firm.

We proposed a U-shaped optical fiber sensor formed by using self-made 3D-printed mold. Compared to previous fabrication methods of U-shaped fiber sensors, the utilized 3D-printed mold can not only effectively control the radius of U-shaped structure but also enhance the mechanical strength of the sensor by filling PDMS into the mold. The measured displacement sensing performance for the fabricated U-shaped fiber sensor with bending radius of 10mm can realize high displacement sensing sensitivity of 53 pm/μm, and the temperature response is −0.51 nm/°C.

Mold monitoring in the context of intelligent manufacturing is a key issue in large-scale processing workshops. In response to the confusion and easy loss of mold management during the production process in the factory environment, this paper proposes a mold monitoring and positioning method based on reed sensors and mobile communication positioning technology. By monitoring the state of mold's opening or closing, along with mobile station positioning methods of 4G, the number of times and position of the mold can be monitored in real time on the intelligent mold management system. Further, we present a common framework applied in edge intelligence and fog computing as well as the structure of cloud platform in which the real-time status of the mold is remotely monitored. The possibility of extending the proposed framework to a real industrial plant is discussed at the end.