Page 400 - AWSAR 2.0

376 || AWSAR Awarded Popular Science Stories - 2019
review filled me with opportunities to address problems related to the design of cryogenic machining systems and possible advantages of cryogenic machining.
The main challenge was to transport nitrogen from the source to the machining zone in a liquid form, as it tends to vaporize quickly at the atmospheric temperature and pressure. We designed a vacuum-jacketed hose and phase separator to fulfill this requirement. We have also filed a patent to secure intellectual property right for innovative phase separators. Other design and selection requirements of nozzles and the design of fixtures to retrofit cryogenic delivery setup with the existing range of machine tools were successfully completed. We intended to make a low-cost indigenously developed cryogenic delivery to meet the demands for small and medium-sized enterprises so that they could afford it without purchasing/importing at pocket-burning prices. After
several iterations, we finalized
the design of different parts
and chalked out the
specification for the customized
vertical machining center as
per the requirement to work
under cryogenic conditions. In
India, there is a lack of industries
that provide cryogenic
equipment and components.
Also, there is no Indian
company that can provide
ready-to-use cryogenic
machining systems. When we
got into purchasing, we realized
that it was tough to get
customized items from manufacturers and follow
government procedures of
procurement at the same time.
learning experience for me. However, we successfully procured all the related
components and other consumables with the great administrative support of IITRAM Ahmedabad. After designing and fabricating the cryogenic delivery setup, we started cryogenic machining experiments for different engineering materials, more specifically heat resistant alloys and CFRP composites under cryogenic conditions. Before jumping to the cryogenic machining, let us first realize the importance of the two words: cryogenic and machining. Cryogenic is the science that deals with a very low temperature. A temperature below minus 153°C comes in this category. Applications of cryogenic science have already established its positive impact in the aerospace, medical, space, oil, and gas industries. However, its application in manufacturing still remains relatively unexplored. In every manufacturing industry, machining is a must-do operation to get final components with desired tolerances. It
involves the process of removing excess material from a workpiece to give it the desired shape. Simple operations such as drilling, grinding, turning, and milling are common in manufacturing industries and fall into the machining category. In the case of hard metals and alloys, a lot of heat is produced during machining due to the relative motion between the hard workpiece and the harder cutting tool. Conventional practices for disposing heat from the cutting zone are by making the use of oil-based cooling and lubrication fluids. The use of these cutting fluids
creates harmful fumes due to the chemical reaction of the oil with a workpiece, tool, and tool coatings during machining. It results in an
The main challenge was to transport nitrogen from the source to the machining zone in a liquid form, as it tends to vaporize quickly at the atmospheric temperature and pressure. We designed
a vacuum-jacketed hose and phase separator to fulfill this requirement. We have also filed a patent to secure intellectual property right for innovative phase separators.
It was a great