A geometrical model for surface roughness prediction when face milling Al 7075-T7351 with square insert tools

Surface quality is important in engineering and a vital aspect of it is surface roughness, since it plays an important role in wear resistance, ductility, tensile, and fatigue strength for machined parts. This paper reports on a research study on the development of a geometrical model for surface roughness prediction when face milling with square inserts. The model is based on a geometrical analysis of the recreation of the tool trail left on the machined surface. The model has been validated with experimental data obtained for high speed milling of aluminum alloy (Al 7075-T7351) when using a wide range of cutting speed, feed per tooth, axial depth of cut and different values of tool nose radius (0.8. mm and 2.5. mm), using the Taguchi method as the design of experiments. The experimental roughness was obtained by measuring the surface roughness of the milled surfaces with a non-contact profilometer. The developed model can be used for any combination of material workpiece and tool, when tool flank wear is not considered and is suitable for using any tool diameter with any number of teeth and tool nose radius. The results show that the developed model achieved an excellent performance with almost 98% accuracy in terms of predicting the surface roughness when compared to the experimental data. © 2014 The Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

Modified lipids from LDL in the blood during mid-life increase blood brain barrier permeability

Low density lipoprotein levels (LDL) are consistently elevated in cardiovascular disease. It has been suggested that those with high circulating LDL levels in mid-life may be susceptible to develop neurodegenerative diseases in later life. In the circulation, high levels of LDL are associated with increased oxidative modification (oxLDL) and nitration. We have investigated the hypothesis that disruption of blood brain barrier function by oxLDL and their lipids may increase risk of neurodegeneration in later life and that statin intervention in mid-life can mitigate the neurodegenerative effects of hyperlipidaemia. Blood from statin-naïve, normo- and hyperlipidaemic subjects (n=10/group) was collected at baseline. Hyperlipidaemic subjects received statin-intervention whereas normolipidaemic subjects did not prior to a second blood sampling, taken after 3 months. The intervention will be completed in June 2013. Plasma was separated by centrifugation (200g, 30min) and LDL was isolated by potassium bromide density gradient ultracentrifugation. Total homocysteine, LDL cholesterol, 8-isoprostane F2α levels were measured in plasma using commercial kits. LDL were analysed by agarose gel electrophoresis. LDL-lipids were extracted by partitioning in 1:1 chloroform:methanol (v/v) and conjugated to fatty acid free-BSA in serum-free EGM-2 medium (4hrs, 370C) for co-culture with human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC). HMVEC were maintained on polycarbonate inserts for two weeks to create a microvascular barrier. Change in barrier permeability was measured by trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TER), FITC-dextran permeability and immunohistochemistry. HMVEC glutathione (GSH) levels were measured after 2 hours by GSH-glo assay. LDL isolated from statin-naïve hyperlipidaemic subjects had higher mobility by agarose gel electrophoresis (Rf;0.53±0.06) and plasma 8-isoprostane F2α (43.5±8.42 pg/ml) compared to control subjects (0.46±0.05 and 24.2±5.37 pg/ml; p<0.05). Compared to HMVEC treatment with the LDL-lipids (5μM) from normolipidaemic subjects, LDL-lipids from hyperlipidaemic subjects increased barrier permeability (103.4±12.5 Ωcm2 v 66.7±7.3 Ωcm2,P<0.01) and decreased GSH (18.5 nmol/mg v 12.3 nmol/mg; untreated cells 26.2±3.6 nmol/mg).

Aborto: um fenômeno sem lugar – uma experiência de plantão psicológico a mulheres em situação de abortamento

The present paper discusses the experience of a psychological emergency attendance in Maternidade Escola Januário Cicco (MEJC) in Natal and has as main objective to investigate the limits and possibilities of this practice in offering psychological care to women in abortion situation. The Ministry of Health considers the abortion a serious medical problem in Brazil and acknowledge the repercussions it causes in personal life and between the women’s family, most of all among the younger ones, in fully productive and reproductive age, that if not supported may suffer deep psychological and physical wounds. This research inserts itself in the field of psychological practices in institutions, by many ways, and aim to offer, by different approaches, among then the psychological emergency attendance, a psychological attention at the institutions. This attention refers to a care during the suffering at the time of crisis and in the many ways that the problem is present. The results were analyzed at a heideggerian hermeneutics optics, which search a determined aspect of reality that intends to know/understand, accompanied by the man’s own movement in existence. The cartography and the logbook were chosen in narrative form as a resource to allow the approximation of daily experience. The emergency psychological attendance was realized on curettage setor of MEJC between march of 2013 and february 2014 at tuesdays and Thursdays from 9h to 12h. The existential plot unveiled at this experience showed some possibilities and limits of emergency psychological attendance as studied. Among the possibilities, the emergency attendance helped the women that suffered an abortion to find new meanings, as: realize the need to self-care; see in the attendance a way to cope with the lost or other issues in their life’s; to enlarge the possibilities of her choice; to rethink her sex e reproductive life, and rethink her relationships and life projects. The attendance has proven itself as a health care mechanism showing the women the need to search for the necessary condition to self-care and to question what in that environment was saw as natural. The attendance showed itself as a suitable practice to the health care demand by creating/inventing ways of meet the woman needs. The attendance promoted an opening at the technical horizons of women’s, what was realized when the complaints moved past the physical health. As refered to the limits, some needs was beyond the emergency attendance service and demanded forwarding to regular psychological care or others specialized services. The service was not able to attend all of the demands of the sector. The attendance did not touched the medical staff to its need or made a change in posture to act beyond the technicality. The attendance, although has not made change in this context, was able to show the main difficulties, like the lack on prepare of the medical staff to deal with the abortion past beyond the technical procedure and the precariousness of the infrastructure of the services offered. At last, the attendance represented a shelter to the women in abortion situation, allowing the suffering to have a place.

Um estudo do gênero ata de audiência na esfera jurídico-trabalhista

The activities in labor judicial sphere are permeated by the use of diverse text genres, which are indispensable instruments to the accomplishment of actions that involve the jurisdictional realm. Among the genres that circulate in this domain, we selected the genre minutes of hearing as the object of study of this research, because it is a document supporting the actions, procedures and deliberations agreed, in hearings, by members involved in work-related litigation. In this study we aim to describe the elements that constitute the referred genre in what concerns its pragmatic, organizational and linguistic dimensions. Therefore, we use the postulations of Sociodiscursive Interactionism as theoretical framework, through the writings of Bronckart (2006; 2007; 2012), supported by Marcuschi studies (2008; 2010; 2011), Koch and Favero (1987), Elias Koch (2011; 2012) and Zanotto (2012). In methodological terms, it is characterized as a qualitative approach research (BOGDAN; BIKLEN, 1994; CHIZZOTTI, 2000; MOREIRA; CALEFFE, 2006) with aspects of an ethnographic work (ANDRÉ, 1995; CANÇADO, 1994). The discussion proposed inserts into the field of Applied Linguistics for it focalizes ―social issues and creates intelligibility about the social practices in which language plays the main role‖ (MOITA LOPES, 2006, p.14). The analyses indicate – regarding the pragmatic dimension – that the genre in focus constitutes artefact that enables the register of actions, deliberations, testimonials, procedures and occurrences established during the hearings and has as its interlocutors judges, litigants and their legal representatives. Concerning the organizational dimension, despite the genre in scope present a proposal of standardized writing, their examples contemplate variations and flexibility especially with regard to the development and outcome of the text. As for linguistic aspects, it is noticeable the presence of lexical choices inherent in the language used by labor law discourse community. Lastly, stand out the relevance of the research lies in the fact that it approaches, from the perspective of the Applied Linguistics, the forensic writing and, consequently, offers contributions to the understanding of such genre.

Arquitetura, cidade e território no Brasil colonial: a contribuição dos carmelitas calçados da Bahia e Pernambuco (1580-1800)

This study investigates the religious group named 'shoe wearing carmelites' (or Calced Carmelites) from Brazil´s Order of Carmo, from 1580 until 1800, in the Capitaincy of Bahia de Todos os Santos (Recôncavo, city of Salvador and Sergipe) and in the Capitaincy of Pernambuco (Alagoas, Pernambuco and Itamaracá). The study does not include the religious group known as the 'Reformed' Carmelites from Goiana, Recife and Paraíba convents. The Order of Carmo is a religious order from the Roman Catholic Church, founded in the 12th century. By the 16th century they were split into 'Calced' and 'Discalced'. In 1580 the Calced ones came from Portugal to Brazil, built convents in urban areas and were able to acquire slaves, farms and other assets. As any other religious order, the Carmelites had their modus operandi. This work emphasizes the way they operated or acted in the city, either individually or in association with other Carmelite religious foundations elsewhere (networking). Their action affected, although indirectly, the building of some specific aspects of the architecture, the city and the territory in colonial Brazil. The main objective of this study is to demonstrate the impact of the Calced Carmelites from Bahia and Pernambuco upon the territory of colonial Brazil, which is analyzed according to three scales: 1) the region or interurban; 2) the city or intraurban; 3) the building or the architecture. The research employs the comparative method of analysis, especially for the architectural scale. The work demonstrates that although not acting as architects or urbanists, the Carmelites contributed to the formation of the colonial territory of Brazil, behaving as a well-articulated and hierarchized religious network, from an economic and social perspective. Moreover, they influenced the emergence and growth of several colonial urban nuclei, from Bahia to Pernambuco, mainly in the surroundings of their religious buildings. Finally, it is very clear this religious order’s contribution to colonial architecture, as it can be seen by the architectural characteristics of the convents and churches which have been analyzed, many of which still stand in a good state of conservation nowadays.

Investigating the Structure of FtsZ to Understand its Functional Role in Bacterial Cell Division

FtsZ, a bacterial tubulin homologue, is a cytoskeleton protein that plays key roles in cytokinesis of almost all prokaryotes. FtsZ assembles into protofilaments (pfs), one subunit thick, and these pfs assemble further to form a “Z ring” at the center of prokaryotic cells. The Z ring generates a constriction force on the inner membrane, and also serves as a scaffold to recruit cell-wall remodeling proteins for complete cell division in vivo. FtsZ can be subdivided into 3 main functional regions: globular domain, C terminal (Ct) linker, and Ct peptide. The globular domain binds GTP to assembles the pfs. The extreme Ct peptide binds membrane proteins to allow cytoplasmic FtsZ to function at the inner membrane. The Ct linker connects the globular domain and Ct peptide. In the present studies, we used genetic and structural approaches to investigate the function of Escherichia coli (E. coli) FtsZ. We sought to examine three questions: (1) Are lateral bonds between pfs essential for the Z ring? (2) Can we improve direct visualization of FtsZ in vivo by engineering an FtsZ-FP fusion that can function as the sole source of FtsZ for cell division? (3) Is the divergent Ct linker of FtsZ an intrinsically disordered peptide (IDP)?

One model of the Z ring proposes that pfs associate via lateral bonds to form ribbons; however, lateral bonds are still only hypothetical. To explore potential lateral bonding sites, we probed the surface of E. coli FtsZ by inserting either small peptides or whole FPs. Of the four lateral surfaces on FtsZ pfs, we obtained inserts on the front and back surfaces that were functional for cell division. We concluded that these faces are not sites of essential interactions. Inserts at two sites, G124 and R174 located on the left and right surfaces, completely blocked function, and were identified as possible sites for essential lateral interactions. Another goal was to find a location within FtsZ that supported fusion of FP reporter proteins, while allowing the FtsZ-FP to function as the sole source of FtsZ. We discovered one internal site, G55-Q56, where several different FPs could be inserted without impairing function. These FtsZ-FPs may provide advances for imaging Z-ring structure by super-resolution techniques.

The Ct linker is the most divergent region of FtsZ in both sequence and length. In E. coli FtsZ the Ct linker is 50 amino acids (aa), but for other FtsZ it can be as short as 37 aa or as long as 250 aa. The Ct linker has been hypothesized to be an IDP. In the present study, circular dichroism confirmed that isolated Ct linkers of E. coli (50 aa) and C. crescentus (175 aa) are IDPs. Limited trypsin proteolysis followed by mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) confirmed Ct linkers of E. coli (50 aa) and B. subtilis (47 aa) as IDPs even when still attached to the globular domain. In addition, we made chimeras, swapping the E. coli Ct linker for other peptides and proteins. Most chimeras allowed for normal cell division in E. coli, suggesting that IDPs with a length of 43 to 95 aa are tolerated, sequence has little importance, and electrostatic charge is unimportant. Several chimeras were purified to confirm the effect they had on pf assembly. We concluded that the Ct linker functions as a flexible tether allowing for force to be transferred from the FtsZ pf to the membrane to constrict the septum for division.

Automated Assessment of Image Quality and Dose Attributes in Clinical CT Images

Computed tomography (CT) is a valuable technology to the healthcare enterprise as evidenced by the more than 70 million CT exams performed every year. As a result, CT has become the largest contributor to population doses amongst all medical imaging modalities that utilize man-made ionizing radiation. Acknowledging the fact that ionizing radiation poses a health risk, there exists the need to strike a balance between diagnostic benefit and radiation dose. Thus, to ensure that CT scanners are optimally used in the clinic, an understanding and characterization of image quality and radiation dose are essential.

The state-of-the-art in both image quality characterization and radiation dose estimation in CT are dependent on phantom based measurements reflective of systems and protocols. For image quality characterization, measurements are performed on inserts imbedded in static phantoms and the results are ascribed to clinical CT images. However, the key objective for image quality assessment should be its quantification in clinical images; that is the only characterization of image quality that clinically matters as it is most directly related to the actual quality of clinical images. Moreover, for dose estimation, phantom based dose metrics, such as CT dose index (CTDI) and size specific dose estimates (SSDE), are measured by the scanner and referenced as an indicator for radiation exposure. However, CTDI and SSDE are surrogates for dose, rather than dose per-se.

Currently there are several software packages that track the CTDI and SSDE associated with individual CT examinations. This is primarily the result of two causes. The first is due to bureaucracies and governments pressuring clinics and hospitals to monitor the radiation exposure to individuals in our society. The second is due to the personal concerns of patients who are curious about the health risks associated with the ionizing radiation exposure they receive as a result of their diagnostic procedures.

An idea that resonates with clinical imaging physicists is that patients come to the clinic to acquire quality images so they can receive a proper diagnosis, not to be exposed to ionizing radiation. Thus, while it is important to monitor the dose to patients undergoing CT examinations, it is equally, if not more important to monitor the image quality of the clinical images generated by the CT scanners throughout the hospital.

The purposes of the work presented in this thesis are threefold: (1) to develop and validate a fully automated technique to measure spatial resolution in clinical CT images, (2) to develop and validate a fully automated technique to measure image contrast in clinical CT images, and (3) to develop a fully automated technique to estimate radiation dose (not surrogates for dose) from a variety of clinical CT protocols.

The acquisition of abstract words by young infants.

Young infants' learning of words for abstract concepts like 'all gone' and 'eat,' in contrast to their learning of more concrete words like 'apple' and 'shoe,' may follow a relatively protracted developmental course. We examined whether infants know such abstract words. Parents named one of two events shown in side-by-side videos while their 6-16-month-old infants (n=98) watched. On average, infants successfully looked at the named video by 10 months, but not earlier, and infants' looking at the named referent increased robustly at around 14 months. Six-month-olds already understand concrete words in this task (Bergelson & Swingley, 2012). A video-corpus analysis of unscripted mother-infant interaction showed that mothers used the tested abstract words less often in the presence of their referent events than they used concrete words in the presence of their referent objects. We suggest that referential uncertainty in abstract words' teaching conditions may explain the later acquisition of abstract than concrete words, and we discuss the possible role of changes in social-cognitive abilities over the 6-14 month period.

Utilisation d’un modèle de co-culture cellulaire pour l’évaluation in vitro du transport inverse du cholestérol

De nouveaux modèles cellulaires in vitro par transfert de milieu et par coculture ont été mis au point afin d’évaluer la capacité des HDL à éliminer l’excès de cholestérol des tissus périphériques et de le transporter vers le foie afin d’être excrété par le foie, un processus nommé le transport inverse du cholestérol (TIC). Le système cellulaire par transfert in vitro où des macrophages J774 sont gorgés de LDL acétylées et marqués au 3H-cholestérol a été préalablement établi afin de mesurer par scintillation l’efflux de cholestérol marqué vers le milieu de culture contenant des accepteurs de cholestérol. Ce milieu conditionné est transféré sur des cellules HepG2 afin d’étudier l’influx du cholestérol marqué. Ce dernier nous permet d’observer un transport de cholestérol de 25 % hors des J774 et un transport de 39 000 cpm dans les HepG2 en utilisant un milieu contenant 2 % de sérums humains mis en commun. Une stimulation des cellules J774 par l’AMPc augmente l’efflux et l’influx d’environ 45 %. Des tests de preuve de concept ont été effectués sur le système cellulaire par co-culture qui utilise des chambres de Boyden où les J774 sont localisées au fond d’un puits et les HepG2 dans un insert, et où le milieu est partagé entre les deux types cellulaires. On a déterminé qu’une confluence densité de 60 000 cellules/cm2 sur un insert constitué d’une membrane de polyester avec des pores de 3,0 μm, sans autre revêtement, permet d’observer un influx spécifique au sérum d’environ 6 000 cpm associés aux cellules HepG2, où 50 % des comptes radioactifs sont dans les cellules et l’autre moitié présente à la surface cellulaire.

Validating Scanned Foot Images and Designing Customized Insoles on the Cloud

People with foot problems need special healthcare: foot care. Customized insoles can provide this care. They are inserts that are placed in the shoes. They correct biomechanical and postural inaccuracies in foot. Insole production contains four phases: foot image scanning, image validation, insole design and insole manufacturing. Currently, image scanning and validation is separated in location and time, i.e. podiatrists take images and insole designers validate them at different location and at different time. A cloud-based solution, the CloudSME one-stop shop simulation platform, enables remote access to image validation and insole design service deployed and running on the Cloud. The remote access allows podiatrists validating scanned image while the patient is in their offices. The simulation platform also supports remote design of customized insoles.

CT Image Electron Density Quantification in Regions with Metal Implants: Implications for Radiotherapy Treatment Planning

In radiotherapy planning, computed tomography (CT) images are used to quantify the electron density of tissues and provide spatial anatomical information. Treatment planning systems use these data to calculate the expected spatial distribution of absorbed dose in a patient. CT imaging is complicated by the presence of metal implants which cause increased image noise, produce artifacts throughout the image and can exceed the available range of CT number values within the implant, perturbing electron density estimates in the image. Furthermore, current dose calculation algorithms do not accurately model radiation transport at metal-tissue interfaces. Combined, these issues adversely affect the accuracy of dose calculations in the vicinity of metal implants. As the number of patients with orthopedic and dental implants grows, so does the need to deliver safe and effective radiotherapy treatments in the presence of implants. The Medical Physics group at the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario and Queen's University has developed a Cobalt-60 CT system that is relatively insensitive to metal artifacts due to the high energy, nearly monoenergetic Cobalt-60 photon beam. Kilovoltage CT (kVCT) images, including images corrected using a commercial metal artifact reduction tool, were compared to Cobalt-60 CT images throughout the treatment planning process, from initial imaging through to dose calculation. An effective metal artifact reduction algorithm was also implemented for the Cobalt-60 CT system. Electron density maps derived from the same kVCT and Cobalt-60 CT images indicated the impact of image artifacts on estimates of photon attenuation for treatment planning applications. Measurements showed that truncation of CT number data in kVCT images produced significant mischaracterization of the electron density of metals. Dose measurements downstream of metal inserts in a water phantom were compared to dose data calculated using CT images from kVCT and Cobalt-60 systems with and without artifact correction. The superior accuracy of electron density data derived from Cobalt-60 images compared to kVCT images produced calculated dose with far better agreement with measured results. These results indicated that dose calculation errors from metal image artifacts are primarily due to misrepresentation of electron density within metals rather than artifacts surrounding the implants.

Graphene-based waveguide resonators for submillimeter-wave applications

Utilization of graphene covered waveguide inserts to form tunable waveguide resonators is theoretically explained and rigorously investigated by means of full-wave numerical electromagnetic simulations. Instead of using graphene-based switching elements, the concept we propose incorporates graphene sheets as parts of a resonator. Electrostatic tuning of the graphene surface conductivity leads to changes in the electromagnetic field boundary conditions at the resonator edges and surfaces, thus producing an effect similar to varying the electrical length of a resonator. The presented outline of the theoretical background serves to give phenomenological insight into the resonator behavior, but it can also be used to develop customized software tools for design and optimization of graphene-based resonators and filters. Due to the linear dependence of the imaginary part of the graphene surface impedance on frequency, the proposed concept was expected to become effective for frequencies above 100 GHz, which is confirmed by the numerical simulations. A frequency range from 100 GHz up to 1100 GHz, where the rectangular waveguides are used, is considered. Simple, all-graphene-based resonators are analyzed first, to assess the achievable tunability and to check the performance throughout the considered frequency range. Graphene–metal combined waveguide resonators are proposed in order to preserve the excellent quality factors typical for the type of waveguide discontinuities used. Dependence of resonator properties on key design parameters is studied in detail. Dependence of resonator properties throughout the frequency range of interest is studied using eight different waveguide sections appropriate for different frequency intervals. Proposed resonators are aimed at applications in the submillimeter-wave spectral region, serving as the compact tunable components for the design of bandpass filters and other devices.

From science gateways to commercial solutions

The European CloudSME project that incorporated 24 European SMEs, besides five academic partners, has finished its funded phase in March 2016. This presentation will provide a summary of the results of the project, and will analyze the challenges and differences when developing “SME Gateways”, when compared to “Science Gateways”. CloudSME started in 2013 with the aim to develop a cloud-based simulation platform for manufacturing and engineering SMEs. The project was based around industry use-cases, five of which were incorporated in the project from the start, and seven additional ones that were added as an outcome of an open call in January 2015. CloudSME utilized science gateway related technologies, such as the commercial CloudBroker Platform and the WS-PGRADE/gUSE Gateway Framework that were developed in the preceding SCI-BUS project. As most important outcome, the project successfully implemented 12 industry quality demonstrators that showcase how SMEs in the manufacturing and engineering sector can utilize cloud-based simulation services. Some of these solutions are already market-ready and currently being rolled out by the software vendor companies. Some others require further fine-tuning and the implementation of commercial interfaces before being put into the market. The CloudSME use-cases came from a very wide application spectrum. The project implemented, for example, an open marketplace for micro-breweries to optimize their production and distribution processes, an insole design validation service to be used by podiatrists and shoe manufacturers, a generic stock management solution for manufacturing SMEs, and also several “classical” high-performance computing case-studies, such as fluid dynamics simulations for model helicopter design, and dual-fuel internal combustion engine simulation. As the project generated significant impact and interest in the manufacturing sector, 10 CloudSME stakeholders established a follow-up company called CloudSME UG for the future commercialization of the results. Besides the success stories, this talk would also like to highlight the difficulties when transferring the outcomes of an academic research project to real commercial applications. The different mindset and approach of academic and industry partners presented a real challenge for the CloudSME project, with some interesting and valuable lessons learnt. The academic way of supporting SMEs did not always work well with the rather different working practices and culture of many participants. Also, the quality of support regarding operational solutions required by the SMEs is well beyond the typical support services academic institutions are prepared for. Finally, a clear lack of trust in academic solutions when compared to commercial solutions was also imminent. The talk will highlight some of these challenges underpinned by the implementation of the CloudSME use-cases.

Sneakerheads and Custom Kicks: Insights into Symbolic Mass Customization

This chapter presents an exploratory study involving a group of athletic shoe enthusiasts and their feelings towards customized footwear. These "sneakerheads" demonstrate their infatuation with sneakers via activities ranging from creating catalogs of custom shoes to buying and selling rare athletic footwear online. The key characteristic these individuals share is that, for them, athletic shoes are a fundamental fashion accessory stepped in symbolism and meaning. A series of in-depth interviews utilizing the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) provide a better understanding of how issues such as art, self-expression, exclusivity, peer recognition, and counterfeit goods interact with the mass customization of symbolic products by category experts.

The Performance Characteristics of a Surface-Modified Cutting Tool

In the past, many papers have been presented which show that the coating of cutting tools often yields decreased wear rates and reduced coefficients of friction. Although different theories are proposed, covering areas such as hardness theory, diffusion barrier theory, thermal barrier theory, and reduced friction theory, most have not dealt with the question of how and why the coating of tool substrates with hard materials such as Titanium Nitride (TiN), Titanium Carbide (TiC) and Aluminium Oxide (Al203) transforms the performance and life of cutting tools. This project discusses the complex interrelationship that encompasses the thermal barrier function and the relatively low sliding friction coefficient of TiN on an undulating tool surface, and presents the result of an investigation into the cutting characteristics and performance of EDMed surface-modified carbide cutting tool inserts. The tool inserts were coated with TiN by the physical vapour deposition (PVD) method. PVD coating is also known as Ion-plating which is the general term of the coating method in which the film is created by attracting ionized metal vapour in this the metal was Titanium and ionized gas onto negatively biased substrate surface. Coating by PVD was chosen because it is done at a temperature of not more than 5000C whereas chemical Vapour Deposition CVD process is done at very high temperature of about 8500C and in two stages of heating up the substrates. The high temperatures involved in CVD affects the strength of the (tool) substrates. In this study, comparative cutting tests using TiN-coated control specimens with no EDM surface structures and TiN-coated EDMed tools with a crater-like surface topography were carried out on mild steel grade EN-3. Various cutting speeds were investigated, up to an increase of 40% of the tool manufacturer’s recommended speed. Fifteen minutes of cutting were carried out for each insert at the speeds investigated. Conventional tool inserts normally have a tool life of approximately 15 minutes of cutting. After every five cuts (passes) microscopic pictures of the tool wear profiles were taken, in order to monitor the progressive wear on the rake face and on the flank of the insert. The power load was monitored for each cut taken using an on-board meter on the CNC machine to establish the amount of power needed for each stage of operation. The spindle drive for the machine is an 11 KW/hr motor. Results obtained confirmed the advantages of cutting at all speeds investigated using EDMed coated inserts, in terms of reduced tool wear and low power loads. Moreover, the surface finish on the workpiece was consistently better for the EDMed inserts. The thesis discusses the relevance of the finite element method in the analysis of metal cutting processes, so that metal machinists can design, manufacture and deliver goods (tools) to the market quickly and on time without going through the hassle of trial and error approach for new products. Improvements in manufacturing technologies require better knowledge of modelling metal cutting processes. Technically the use of computational models has a great value in reducing or even eliminating the number of experiments traditionally used for tool design, process selection, machinability evaluation, and chip breakage investigations. In this work, much interest in theoretical and experimental investigations of metal machining were given special attention. Finite element analysis (FEA) was given priority in this study to predict tool wear and coating deformations during machining. Particular attention was devoted to the complicated mechanisms usually associated with metal cutting, such as interfacial friction; heat generated due to friction and severe strain in the cutting region, and high strain rates. It is therefore concluded that Roughened contact surface comprising of peaks and valleys coated with hard materials (TiN) provide wear-resisting properties as the coatings get entrapped in the valleys and help reduce friction at chip-tool interface. The contributions to knowledge: a. Relates to a wear-resisting surface structure for application in contact surfaces and structures in metal cutting and forming tools with ability to give wear-resisting surface profile. b. Provide technique for designing tool with roughened surface comprising of peaks and valleys covered in conformal coating with a material such as TiN, TiC etc which is wear-resisting structure with surface roughness profile compose of valleys which entrap residual coating material during wear thereby enabling the entrapped coating material to give improved wear resistance. c. Provide knowledge for increased tool life through wear resistance, hardness and chemical stability at high temperatures because of reduced friction at the tool-chip and work-tool interfaces due to tool coating, which leads to reduced heat generation at the cutting zones. d. Establishes that Undulating surface topographies on cutting tips tend to hold coating materials longer in the valleys, thus giving enhanced protection to the tool and the tool can cut faster by 40% and last 60% longer than conventional tools on the markets today.