Metodologia de análise e diagnóstico de fratura em um componente automotivo sujeito a cargas cíclicas alternadas

The competitiveness of the trade generated by the higher availability of products with lower quality and cost promoted a new reality of industrial production with small clearances. Track deviations at the production are not discarded, uncertainties can statistically occur. The world consumer and the Brazilian one are supported by the consumer protection code, in lawsuits against the products poor quality. An automobile is composed of various systems and thousands of constituent parts, increasing the likelihood of failure. The dynamic and security systems are critical in relation to the consequences of possible failures. The investigation of the failure gives us the possibility of learning and contributing to various improvements. Our main purpose in this work is to develop a systematic, specific methodology by investigating the root cause of the flaw occurred on an axle end of the front suspension of an automobile, and to perform comparative data analyses between the fractured part and the project information. Our research was based on a flaw generated in an automotive suspension system involved in a mechanical judicial cause, resulting in property and personal damages. In the investigations concerning the analysis of mechanical flaws, knowledge on materials engineering plays a crucial role in the process, since it enables applying techniques for characterizing materials, relating the technical attributes required from a respective part with its structure of manufacturing material, thus providing a greater scientific contribution to the work. The specific methodology developed follows its own flowchart. In the early phase, the data in the records and information on the involved ones were collected. The following laboratory analyses were performed: macrography of the fracture, micrography with SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) of the initial and final fracture, phase analysis with optical microscopy, Brinell hardness and Vickers microhardness analyses, quantitative and qualitative chemical analysis, by using X-ray fluorescence and optical spectroscopy for carbon analysis, qualitative study on the state of tension was done. Field data were also collected. In the analyses data of the values resulting from the fractured stock parts and the design values were compared. After the investigation, one concluded that: the developed methodology systematized the investigation and enabled crossing data, thus minimizing diagnostic error probability, the morphology of the fracture indicates failure by the fatigue mechanism in a geometrically propitious location, a tension hub, the part was subjected to low tensions by the sectional area of the final fracture, the manufacturing material of the fractured part has low ductility, the component fractured in an earlier moment than the one recommended by the manufacturer, the percentages of C, Si, Mn and Cr of the fractured part present values which differ from the design ones, the hardness value of the superior limit of the fractured part is higher than that of the design, and there is no manufacturing uniformity between stock and fractured part. The work will contribute to optimizing the guidance of the actions in a mechanical engineering judicial expertise

Limites e evolução geodinâmica do Sistema Jaguaribeano, Província Borborema, Nordeste do Brasil

The studied area is geologically located in the Northern Domain of the Borborema Province (Northeast Brazil), limited to the south by the Patos shear zone. Terranes of the Jaguaribeano system are dominant, flanked by the Piranhas (E and S sides) and Central Ceará (NE side) terranes. Its basement comprises gneiss -migmatite terrains of Paleoproterozoic to Archean age (2.6 to 1.9 Ga old), overprinted by neoproterozoic to cambrian tectonotherma l events. Narrow supracrustal belts ( schist belts) display a 1.6 to 1.8 Ga age, as shown by whole - rock Rb-Sr and zircon U-Pb and Pb/Pb dates in acid metavolcanics which dominate in the lower section of these sequences, and in coeval metaplutonics (granitic augen gneisses). From the stratigraphic point of view, three Staterian belts are recognized: 1. Orós Belt - made up by the Orós Group, subdivided in the Santarém (predominantly pure to impure quartzites, micaschists and metacarbonates) and Campo Alegre (metandesites, metabasalts, metarhyolites and metarhyodacites, interlayered with metatuffs and metasediments) formations, and by the Serra do Deserto Magmatic Suite (granitic augen gneisses). 2. Jaguaribe Belt - its lithostratigrahic-lithodemic framework is similar to the one of the Orós Belt, however with a greater expression of the volcano -plutonic components (Campo Alegre Formation and Serra do Deserto Magmatic Suite). The Peixe Gordo Sequence, separately described, is also related to this belt and contain s metasedimentary, metavolcanic (with subordinated volcanoclastics) and metaplutonic units. The first one correlated to the Orós Group and the latter the Serra do Deserto Magmatic Suite. 3. Western Potiguar Belt - represented by the Serra de São José Gro up, subdivided in the Catolezinho (biotite -amphibole gneisses with intercalations of metacarbonates, calcsilicate rocks, amphibolites and quartzite beds to the top) and Minhuins (quartzites, micaschists, metaconglomerates, calcsilicate rocks, acid to the b asic metavolcanics and metatuffs) formations. Its late Paleoproterozoic (Staterian) age was established by a Pb/Pb date on zircons from a granitic orthogneiss of the Catolezinho Formation. The petrographic characteristics and sedimentary structures of the Santarém Formation of the Orós Group point to deltaic to shallow marine depositional systems, overlain by deep water deposits (turbidites). The geodynamic setting of this region encompassed a large depositional basin, probably extending to the east of the Portalegre shear zone and west of the Senador Pompeu shear zone, with possible equivalents in the Jucurutu Formation of the Seridó Belt and in the Ceará Group of central Ceará. The Arneiróz Belt, west Ceará, displays some stratigraphic features and granito ids geochemically akin to the ones of the Orós Belt. The evolutionary setting started with an extensional phase which was more active in the eastern part of this domain (Western Potiguar and part of the Jaguaribe belts), where the rudite and psamite sedime ntation relates to a fluviatile rift environment which evolved to a prograding deltaic system to the west (Orós Group). The basaltic andesitic and rhyolitic volcanics were associated to this extensional phase. During this magmatic event, acid magmas also crystallized at plutonic depths. The Orós Group illustrates the environmental conditions in the western part of this domain. Later on, after a large time gap (1.6 to 1.1 Ga), the region was subjected to an extensional deformational episode marked by 900 Ma old (Sm-Nd data) basic rocks, possibly in connection with the deposition of the Cachoeirinha Group south of the Patos shear zone. In the 800 to 500 Ma age interval, the region was affected by important deformational and metamorphic events coupled with in trusion of granitic rocks of variable size (dykes to batholiths), related to the Brasiliano/Pan -African geotectonic cycle. These events produced structural blocks which differentiate, one from the other, according to the importance of anatectic mobilizatio n, proportion of high-grade supracrustals and the amount of neoproterozoic -cambrian granitoid intrusions. On this basis, a large portion of the Jaguaretama Block/Terrane is relatively well preserved from this late overprint. The border belts of the Jagua retama Block (Western Potiguar and Arneiroz) display kyanite-bearing (medium pressure) mineral associations, while in the inner part of the block there is a north-south metamorphic zoning marked by staurolite or sillimanite peak metamorphic conditions. Regarding the deformations of the Staterian supracrustal rocks, second and third phases were the most important, diagnosed as having developed in a progressive tectonic process. In the general, more vigorous conditions of PT are related to the interval tardi - phase 2 early-phase 3, whose radiometric ages and regional structuring indicators places it in the Brasiliano/Pan-African Cycle. In the Staterian geodynamic setting of Brazilian Platform , these sequences are correlated to the lower Espinhaço Supergroup (p.ex., Rio dos Remédios and Paraguaçu groups, a paleproterozoic rift system in the São Francisco Craton), the Araí and Serra da Mesa groups (north of Goiás, in the so -called Goiás Central Massif), and the Uatumã Group (in the Amazonian Craton). Granitic ( augen gneisses) plutonics are also known from these areas, as for example the A-type granites intrusive in the Araí and Serra da Mesa groups, dated at 1.77 Ga. Gravimetric and geological data place the limits of the Jaguaribeano System (terranes) along the Senador Pompeu Shear Zone (western border) and the Portalegre- Farias Brito shear zone (eastern and southern). However, the same data area not conclusive as regards the interpretation of those structures as suture of the terrane docking process. The main features of those shear zones and of involved lothological associations, appear to favour an intracontinental transpressional -transcurrent regime, during Neoproterozoic-Cambrian times, marking discontinuities along which different crustal blocks were laterally dispersed. Inside of this orogenic system and according to the magnetic data (total field map), the most important terrane boundary appears to be the Jaguaribe shear zone. The geochronological data, on some tectonostratigraphic associations (partly represented by the Ceará and Jucurutu groups), still at a preliminary level, besides the lack of granitic zonation and other petrotectonic criteria, do not allow to propose tectonic terrane assembly diagrams for the studied area

The influence of visual inter-hemispheric connections on spiking, assembly and LFP activities, and their phase relationship during figure-ground stimulation

Desde os descobrimentos pioneiros de Hubel e Wiesel acumulou-se uma vasta literatura descrevendo as respostas neuronais do córtex visual primário (V1) a diferentes estímulos visuais. Estes estímulos consistem principalmente em barras em movimento, pontos ou grades, que são úteis para explorar as respostas dentro do campo receptivo clássico (CRF do inglês classical receptive field) a características básicas dos estímulos visuais como a orientação, direção de movimento, contraste, entre outras. Entretanto, nas últimas duas décadas, tornou-se cada vez mais evidente que a atividade de neurônios em V1 pode ser modulada por estímulos fora do CRF. Desta forma, áreas visuais primárias poderiam estar envolvidas em funções visuais mais complexas como, por exemplo, a separação de um objeto ou figura do seu fundo (segregação figura-fundo) e assume-se que as conexões intrínsecas de longo alcance em V1, assim como as conexões de áreas visuais superiores, estão ativamente envolvidas neste processo. Sua possível função foi inferida a partir da análise das variações das respostas induzidas por um estímulo localizado fora do CRF de neurônios individuais. Mesmo sendo muito provável que estas conexões tenham também um impacto tanto na atividade conjunta de neurônios envolvidos no processamento da figura quanto no potencial de campo, estas questões permanecem pouco estudadas. Visando examinar a modulação do contexto visual nessas atividades, coletamos potenciais de ação e potenciais de campo em paralelo de até 48 eletrodos implantados na área visual primária de gatos anestesiados. Estimulamos com grades compostas e cenas naturais, focando-nos na atividade de neurônios cujo CRF estava situado na figura. Da mesma forma, visando examinar a influência das conexões laterais, o sinal proveniente da área visual isotópica e contralateral foi removido através da desativação reversível por resfriamento. Fizemos isso devido a: i) as conexões laterais intrínsecas não podem ser facilmente manipuladas sem afetar diretamente os sinais que estão sendo medidos, ii) as conexões inter-hemisféricas compartilham as principais características anatômicas com a rede lateral intrínseca e podem ser vistas como uma continuação funcional das mesmas entre os dois hemisférios e iii) o resfriamento desativa as conexões de forma causal e reversível, silenciando temporariamente seu sinal, permitindo conclusões diretas a respeito da sua contribuição. Nossos resultados demonstram que o mecanismo de segmentação figurafundo se reflete nas taxas de disparo de neurônios individuais, assim como na potência do potencial de campo e na relação entre sua fase e os padrões de disparo produzidos pela população. Além disso, as conexões laterais inter-hemisféricas modulam estas variáveis dependendo da estimulação feita fora do CRF. Observamos também uma influência deste circuito lateral na coerência entre potenciais de campo entre eletrodos distantes. Em conclusão, nossos resultados dão suporte à ideia de um mecanismo complexo de segmentação figura-fundo atuando desde as áreas visuais primárias em diferentes escalas de frequência. Esse mecanismo parece envolver grupos de neurônios ativos sincronicamente e dependentes da fase do potencial de campo. Nossos resultados também são compatíveis com a hipótese que conexões laterais de longo alcance também fazem parte deste mecanismo