This review focuses on the complex connections between machine learning, mechatronics, and stretch forming, offering valuable insights that can lay the groundwork for future research. It provides an overview of the origins and fundamentals of these fields, emphasizes notable progress, and explores the influence of these fields on society and industry. Also highlighted is the progress of robotics research and particularities in the field of sheet metal forming and its various applications. This review paper focuses on presenting the latest technological advancements and the integrations of these fields from their beginnings to the present days, providing insights into future research directions.

The influence of notches and fatigue on the ultimate tensile strength and elongation at break of aluminium alloys (2024-T3, 6061-T4, 6061-T4 uncoated, 6061-T6 uncoated, 7075-T0, and 7076-T6) is presented in this study. A total of 120 specimens were used. On all specimens, notches were made using a CNC machine, with 60 of them subjected to low-cycle fatigue (LCF) before undergoing the tensile test. Based on the statistical examination of the measured data, mathematical prediction models have been established. Compared to their unscratched counterparts, the results indicate a significant decrease in the UTS and elongation at break for both notched and notched-fatigued specimens. The LCF pre-treatment contributes to the negative impacts of the notches, resulting in reduced values for the UTS and elongation at break, thus concluding that surface integrity is critical for maintaining the structural strength of aircraft components.

This study was conducted in order to determine the material hardness value due to modification of the milling cutting parameters. The alloy hardness was analysed as a function of different cutting parameters for milling operations (speed, feed and depth of cut), using a face mill. A total number of 17 samples were machined using parameters obtained by combining the input parameters. The total number of combinations is reduced by a preoptimization, using the DesignExpert software. The cutting process was performed in dry conditions, and it was recorded that dry cutting magnesium-aluminium alloy AZ61A with the used parameters did not lead to chip ignition. The surface hardness was determined based on the Vickers scale (HV), its values ranging from 110.59 [HV] to 121.37 [HV]. The obtained results showed that the feed has a significant contribution in the surface harness modification. The application of the Taguchi method reveals that the material hardness can be improved, together with the manufacturing time, by means of the speed, feed and depth of cut maximization.

An industrial process is defined through its quality of parts and their production costs. Labour-intensive operations must be applied to produce high-quality components with inexpensive resources. Recent development in dedicated software allows the industrial sector to rely on more and more autonomous solutions to obtain an optimum ratio between part quality and cost. The stretch forming process is an operation that has a high degree of difficulty, due to the process parameters and the spring-back effect of materials. Our approach to solving several of the shortcomings of this process was to develop a self-adaptive algorithm with computer vision capabilities that adapts to the process in real-time. This experimental study highlights the results obtained using this method, as well as a comparison to a classical method for the stretch-forming process (SFP). The results have noted that the stretch-forming algorithm improves the process, while adapting its decisions with each step.

Even though they initially appeared as a method of using waste from other production processes, tailored welded blanks (TWB) presented several advantages by combining materials with different characteristics. On the one hand, this study focuses on minimizing the adverse effects caused by the springback of TWB parts. The proposed method is based on the Taguchi technique using orthogonal type 2³ networks. On the other hand, genetic algorithms were applied to obtain maximum performance parameters within the dynamic loadings of tubular structures made of TWB by advantageous positioning of the weld line. The obtained data were compared and evaluated through software platforms such as MATLAB, Design Expert, and Dynaform, and experimental validation. By generating an objective function, the construction of thin-walled tubular structures can be controlled for a predetermined deformation and maximum energy absorption. The data obtained has an error rate of less than 3%, thus considering that this method can be used successfully in the qualitative and quantitative estimation of dynamically loaded TWB tubular structures.

Shockwave therapy is a noninvasive treatment technique used in multidisciplinary fields, such as sports medicine, physical therapy, and orthopedics. This method of treatment is recommended for medical conditions, such as muscle contractions, intramuscular hematoma, or Dupuytren’s contracture. The shockwaves are high-energy pressure waves characterized by nonlinearity, high frequency, and peak pressure followed by low-pressure amplitude which are transmitted through an applicator to the affected tissue. In the case of spinal muscles, the conventional applicator can only be used on one side of the spinal cord at a time. Taking this into consideration, the approach suggested in this paper involves the design of a dedicated dual-tip applicator. This process implied predesign, finite element analysis, statistical analysis of the data, and optimization. We analyzed the input factors, such as frequency, pressure, applicator tip distance, shape, flatness, and material along with their effects, namely induced stress, tissue contact pressure, total strain energy, and propagation velocity. The proposed final design of the applicator uses geometric features suggested by the optimization analysis and also mechanical design features.