Page 55 - Mechatronic Components Roadmap to Design

Chapter 6

Manufacturing Processes

ABSTRACT
A mechanical part can be manufactured in different ways, but even though the geometry
and tolerances are the same, the mechanical properties can be different: consider a part
manufactured by casting, milling, or forging. Each of the manufacturing methods has
advantages and disadvantages. For example, if a part is manufactured by casting it will
be more resilient to vibration and impact, but it will have a lower yield strength compared
to the same part that is manufactured by milling. Some of the manufacturing methods
produce parts that have mechanical properties dependent on the direction of the part, such
as rolling and extrusion. Most of the manufacturing processes use a cutting concept from a
bigger material, such as lathe, milling, or drilling. Molding uses the concept of the molten
material to be poured into a shape. For molded parts, stress distribution inside the part
because of different cooling speeds of the different sections still poses a great challenge.
Additive manufacturing methods are gaining more popularity and are becoming more
common with the help of cheap filament-type 3D printers. This method is especially
becoming important in educational environments and probably in the next decade we will
see biomaterial 3D printers becoming common and metal 3D printers becoming more
accessible and cheaper to use.

Mechatronic Components. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-814126-7.00006-2
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