Robust surface practices for sheet metal forming dies

Examines the use of surface coatings in stamping using an overall systems approach. The effects of die coating surface properties on friction, wear and part strain, have been studied in-plant with an emphasis on optimising the tool coating system to provide robust sheet metal forming procedures.

Tool wear analysis in sheet metal stamping

This thesis advances the understanding of die wear in sheet metal stamping. It was found that transient conditions exist at the die radius, resulting in severe contact pressures that are critical to the wear behaviour. The findings challenge applicability of traditional wear tests and models for sheet metal stamping processes.

Experimental analysis of friction in forming automotive coated steels

The thesis addressed and answered a number of key issues in the experimental analysis of friction in sheet forming operations. Conventional friction theories were linked with the properties of sheet coatings and the process geometries. Newly derived mathematical models extended the analysis of friction in sheet metal forming applications.

A process model to support design and construction

This research is focused on developing a highly detailed understanding of current organisational interactions and information flows leading to a definition of the process model for the environment into which information and communication technology (ICT) applications will be placed. The authors of this paper propose a theoretical process model and the associated detailed information structure which reflects the complexity of information, stakeholder interaction and intellectual property concerns which are currently seen in the construction industry. This is being developed and tested against a field study renovation project. The field study project identifies information flows and interactions between stakeholders such as designers, project managers, clients, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. The process model which is being established shows very high levels of complexity in dependencies and interdependencies between implicit and explicit information within the project design and construction teams. Without an understanding of these detailed and complex process interactions, proposals for the application of ICT to the construction industry will not reflect the requirements of those for whom they are being developed.

Design and construction of a micropump for drug delivery applications

This paper presents design, construction, and evaluation of a micropump for drug delivery applications. The proposed micropump consists of three components: fluidics, electronics, and software. The fluidics component includes a silicone elastic diaphragm, a microservo, housing and two check valves. The diaphragm is modeled and simulated to establish its geometrical specifications. The housing is built using a rapid prototype machine. The electronics component consists of a microcontroller, a microswitch array, a simple display and a power unit. The software component is written in C and receives inputs from user, controls the microservo speed and displays the programmed speed. A number of experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance and capabilities of the micropump. The experiments focus on measurement of flow rate, dosage and duration of operation. A discussion of the performance and capabilities of the developed micropump is also given.

Compression and extrusion of metals using rotating dies

Experimental and theoretical investigations of compression and extrusion of metals with steadily or cyclically rotating dies were carried out. Reasonably simple models were produced by classical plasticity theory and analytical equations were developed to establish a theoretical basis for the associated phenomena. Analytical solutions agreed well with the experimental results.

Height and construction costs of residential buildings in Hong Kong and Shanghai

A widely recognised theme of construction economics suggests that the cost of construction per square metre increases as building height rises. However, after many years, research conducted regarding the height and cost issue have established a classic relationship between those two, well known as a U-shaped curve. This paper describes the study of height-cost relationship of high-rise residential buildings in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Initial findings indicated that the curved relationships of height-cost of residential buildings in Shanghai and Hong Kong exhibit different profiles. The differences suggest that, Hong Kong contractors have more expertise in multi-storey and high-rise construction than contractors in Shanghai. The dissimilarities also imply that different sets of criteria should be applied in the judgement of height affects cost in different locations. Many factors could be contributors, such as the history and experience in constructing residential high-rise buildings, location, linkage and relationships to the neighbourhood provinces, design and construction regulations, and government policy on residential construction.

Technical features of BIM servers for collaboration on building and construction projects

This paper reviews the technical features and requirements of Building Information Modelling (BIM)-servers as collaboration platforms for multi-disciplinary building and construction projects. Multi-disciplinary collaboration is the norm in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries, especially in complex projects. The widespread adoption of object-oriented Computer-aided Design (CAD) tools that support BIM capabilities has generated greater interest in model based exchange of information across disciplines and consultants who have traditionally collaborated through the frequent exchange of 2D drawings and documents. BIM-servers are collaboration platforms that are expected to provide the technical capability to support this inter-disciplinary exchange of 3D models in addition to intelligent management of the related drawings, documents and other forms of data. Since BIM-servers are a recent technical development a review of their technical features can help further development. This paper serves this objective by providing a review of the technical features and requirements for using BIM-servers as multi-disciplinary collaboration platforms on building and construction projects. The methodologies include focus group interviews (FIGs) with representatives from the diverse AEC disciplines, a case study on a state-of-the-art BIM-server, and a critical review and analysis of current collaboration platforms that are available to the AEC industries. This paper concludes that greater emphasis should be placed on supporting technical requirements to facilitate technology management and implementation across disciplines. Their implications for user-centric technology development in design and construction industry are also discussed.

Procurement of construction facilities: a case study of design management within a design and construct organisation

Presents a case study of design management within an Australian design-construct organization on a large residential apartment project, with the purpose of identifying and analysing issues associated with the organization, responsibilities and stages of development in a typical design-construct project. Discusses the nature of introspection in the Australian construction industry, the shift in procurement methods, the design and build approach, whole life issues, the need for a design manager, and the role of the facilities manager. Profiles the case study organization and its contracts and procurement methods, before focusing on weaknesses in the company, the role of the project design development manager in leading the design team, managing the design consultants, and interacting and advising the developer in relation to design decisions. Suggests from the exercise that: the project manager should remain the overall project leader, manager and interface between design, cost, programme, buildability, construction and user requirements; the design manager should be responsible for issuing all documentation; and the design cost manager should be responsible for verifying that the design developed accords with project budgets, project brief and quality requirements in conjunction with the design manager.

Elastic behaviour in mechanical draw presses

This thesis explores the elastic behaviour of the mechanical double action press and draw die system commonly used to draw sheet metal components in the automotive industry. High process variability in production and excessive time spent in die try-out are significant problems in automotive stamping. It has previously been suggested that the elastic behaviour of the system may contribute to these problems. However, the mechanical principles that cause the press system to affect the forming process have not been documented in detail. Due to a poor understanding of these problems in industry, the elasticity of the press and tools is currently not considered during the die design. The aim of this work was to explore the physical principles of press system elasticity and determine the extent to which it contributes to problems in try-out and production. On the basis of this analysis methods were developed for controlling or accounting for problems during the design process. The application of frictional restraining force to the edges of the blank during forming depends on the distribution and magnitude of the clamping force between the binders surfaces of the draw die. This is an important control parameter for the deep drawing process. It has been demonstrated in this work that the elasticity of the press and draw die can affect clamping force in two ways. The response of the press system, to the forces produced in the press during forming, causes the magnitude of clamping force to change during the stroke. This was demonstrated using measured data from a production press. A simple linear elastic model of the press system was developed to illustrate a definite link between the measured force variation and the elasticity of the press and tools. The simple model was extended into a finite element model of the complete press system, which was used to control a forming simulation. It was demonstrated that stiffness variation within the system could influence the final strains in a drawn part. At the conclusion of this investigation a method is proposed for assessing the sensitivity of a part to clamping force variation in the press during die design. A means of reducing variation in the press through the addition of a simple linear spring element is also discussed. The second part of the work assessed the influence of tool structure on the distribution of frictional restraining forces to the blank. A forming simulation showed that tool stiffness affects the distribution of clamping pressure between the binders. This was also shown to affect the final strains in a drawn part. However, the most significant influence on restraining force was the tendency of the blank to increase in thickness between the binders during forming. Using a finite element approximation of the try-out process it was shown that the structure of the tool would also contribute to the problems currently experienced in try-out where uneven contact pressure distributions are addressed by manually adjusting the tool surfaces. Finally a generalised approach to designing draw die structures was developed. Simple analysis methods were combined with finite element based topology optimisation techniques to develop a set of basic design guidelines. The aim of the guidelines was to produce a structure with uniform stiffness response to a pressure applied at the binder surface. The work concludes with a recommendation for introducing the methods developed in this thesis into the standard production process.

On representation and construction in a tectonic design studio

The study compares the roles of representation and construction in enhancing students' learning in a tectonic design studio by investigating issues of representational media use in the conception, development and communication of design processes and relating these to real-scale construction as a means of understanding tectonic design.

Developing reflexive capability for successful joint ventures between Australian and Malaysian property and construction professionals

Increasingly Malaysian property and construction firms are seeking to work internationally. Firms enter international markets through various strategies and typically property and construction professionals rely on developing various forms of cooperative and collaborative arrangements. The common modes of entry include international alliances, project joint ventures, partnerships, company joint ventures and large consortiums; which arise as a response to clients seeking expressions of interests from the international community or the firms seeking to internationalise approaching clients and/or potential host country partners. Increasingly project teams on international mega projects are composed of multiple key partners from different countries coming together to achieve a higher level of strategic flexibility. Establishing and maintaining local connections and business networks are therefore critical to ensure the success of exporting firms. This paper reports the findings of a project which explores factors affecting the performance of Malaysian property and construction professionals working internationally through effective joint ventures. The project seeks to develop a performance measurement framework to examine the extent to which Malaysian firms are developing sustainable business models internationally which adapt and respond to changing conditions. A generic framework was initially developed prior to this study through a grounded theory approach merging theory from internationalisation, design management and market knowledge literature followed by a case study empirical investigation and then further literature review based upon the themes which emerged from the case study analysis. A reflexive capability model for firms in managing both economic and non-economic capital; including social, cultural and intellectual capital was developed. This project seeks to build upon the reflexive model by adapting it to the unique contexts related to the specific geographic localities of exporting Malaysian firms. Specifically, the project explores the extent to which the performance measurement framework can be used to map capabilities Malaysian construction firms have and Which they need to develop in relation to developing and maintaining international collaborative partnerships. The preliminary results of one case study Malaysian architectural firm are discussed.

On representation and construction in a tectonic design studio

This study investigates the roles of representationand construction in enhancing students' learning in a tectonic design studio.  Students of architecture use 3D CAD, physical models and drawings, either alone or in hybrid combinations in the the design, development and communication of their design process.  Each of these media has intrinsic attributes that limit or enhance students' ability to engage in issues of architecture.  This can have a significant influence on students' learning of conceptual and tectonic design, in particularly in their early years of study.  Tectonic design, as an element of the architectural design process that involves the designerly consideration of issues of construction, is an important skill that is integral to architectural practice.  The unique problem based learning environment of the design studio offers opportunities for the development of deep learning approaches to tectonic design, however these are limited by the way students engage in representational media.  This research is based on an ethnographis case study of a cohort of second year architecture students at Deakin University, Geelong, in 2002.

Working collaboratively in a group assignment using a Mediawiki for an architecture and construction management undergraduate unit

This paper describes an architecture and construction management unit which implements Mediawiki in teaching and learning. The main objective of using the Mediawiki is to engage students to work collaboratively online in a group assignment. It also aims to further develop student information technology skills and thus enhance their learning experience. One of the learning objectives of the unit is to develop the ability to communicate the results of student research in construction technology using appropriate digital media from which Mediawiki was chosen. This paper outlines the challenges and issues faced in the implementation of Mediawiki as a collaborative tool in a group assignment of an architecture and construction management unit. It also discusses how academic staff and students were supported through the process of learning to use the Mediawiki. Finally, potential future directions of using Mediawiki in teaching and learning are explored based on students’ comments and feedback.