Manufacturing companies are now placing great emphasis on competitiveness and looking for ways to explore their resources more efficiently. This paper presents optimum efficiency improvement of the automotive transmission assembly production line by using line balancing. To optimize has been...

This paper presents the result of a study evaluating the influence of alternative path generation strategy on structure and some mechanical properties of parts produced by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology. Several scientific investigations focused on resolving issues in FDM parts by modifying a path generation strategy to optimize its mechanical properties. In this study, an alternative strategy was proposed with the intention of minimizing internal voids and, thus, to improve mechanical properties. Polycarbonate samples made by this alternative path generation strategy were subjected to tensile strength test and metro-tomography structure evaluation. The results reveal that the structure observed on build models differs from a structure expected from path generation predicted by software Insight 9.1. This difference affected the tensile strength of samples.

The structure and thermal characteristics of nanocomposites based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and montmorillonite (MMT) intercalated with polyvinylpyrrolidone were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The modification of PVA with intercalated MMT reduces the degree of crystallinity of the resulting nanocomposites but significantly increases their thermal stability. Under ultrasound, the intercalated MMT was completely distributed in a PVA solution and formed a monocrystalline structure. Films based on PVA with modified MMT were cross-linked at 110°C in the presence of 5 wt% acrylic acid and 0.5 wt% Ferrous(II) sulfate as an initiator. The formed films have a homogeneous cross-linked structure.

Polymer blending enhances material properties by combining different polymers, which requires careful consideration of both thermodynamic and technological compatibility. This study investigates the compatibility of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and a bio-plasticizer in blends produced via roll milling at various mixing ratios. Compatibility and morphology were analyzed using thermally stimulated discharge (TSD), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while mechanical and thermal properties were assessed by mechanical testing and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The PVC/TPU (100/30) blend exhibited superior phase compatibility over PVC/TPU (100/50), as indicated by a single relaxation peak in TSD and DMA, along with a more homogeneous morphology and enhanced tensile properties. The PVC/TPU/bio-plasticizer (100/20/50) blend showed a well-balanced mechanical performance and improved phase homogeneity. The TSD peak maxima trends for the TPU/bio-plasticizer blend highlighted the bio-plasticizer’s dual role in enhancing flexibility at low concentrations while restricting molecular mobility at higher concentrations. TGA revealed TPU’s positive effect on PVC’s degradation profile, while the bio-plasticizer reduced thermal stability. These findings demonstrate that blending PVC, TPU, and bio-plasticizer creates compatible materials with enhanced and diverse properties, making them suitable for industrial applications.