The high chemical activity, low thermal conductivity, and high strength of titanium alloys lead to severe tool wear during cutting. The coating applied to the tool surface insulates the effect of heat and chemical reactions. TiAlSiN coating and AlCrN coating are two representative coatings with excellent properties in TiN-based and CrN-based applications, respectively. Three types of nanocoatings—TiAlSiN monolayer, AlCrN monolayer, and TiAlSiN/AlCrN multilayer—were prepared, and the microstructure, mechanical properties, oxidation resistance, diffusion properties with titanium alloy, and cutting performance of the coatings were investigated utilizing SEM, TEM, XRD, TGA, GD-OES, nanoindentation, and scratching instruments. The hardness, elastic modulus, and adhesion strength of TiAlSiN/AlCrN multilayer coatings are between TiAlSiN monolayer and AlCrN monolayer coatings, which meet the “law of mixtures”. Adhesion strength is the primary condition for cutting applications and should have a minimum threshold value. Ti and N elements are the most significant in the diffusion between coatings and titanium alloys. The nitride coating containing Cr aggravates the loss of N in contact with the titanium alloy. In addition, multilayer structural coatings can lead to more severe diffusion than monolayer coatings due to their inherent interlayer defects. Although diffusion between titanium alloys and coated tools is more severe than with other workpiece materials, the main factor affecting tool cutting life is still the H³/E*² value determined by the hardness and modulus of elasticity together.

TiAlSiN and AlCrN coatings are two representative coatings with excellent properties in TiN-based and CrN-based coatings, respectively. Multilayering is one of the most important directions for coating performance optimization. In this paper, nanoscale monolayer TiAlSiN, AlCrN, and multilayer TiAlSiN/AlCrN coatings were prepared. The microstructure, mechanical properties, oxidation resistance, and wear resistance of the above three coatings were investigated. The following properties of the TiAlSiN/AlCrN coating, including phase, nanohardness, elastic modulus, adhesion strength, and oxidation resistance, fall between those of the TiAlSiN and AlCrN coatings and conform to the “law of mixtures”. Due to the interfacial effect of the multilayer coating, the residual stress of the TiAlSiN/AlCrN coating is less than that of the two monolayer coatings. At 500 °C, the order of wear resistance of the three coatings is consistent with the order of H³/E*² values, i.e., TiAlSiN > TiAlSiN/AlCrN > AlCrN; at 800 °C, the order of wear resistance becomes TiAlSiN/AlCrN > TiAlSiN > AlCrN because TiAlSiN coating has entered the rapid oxidization stage first, reducing its wear resistance.

Quad Flat No-leads (QFN) packaging is one of the most commonly used packaging types for microelectronic devices due to its outstanding thermal performance. However, it is difficult to analyze the thermal performance of QFN packaging because numerical simulations and experiments often require a large amount of time and resources. In this work, an analytical thermal resistance network model for calculating the mean die temperature of eccentric QFN packaging on the printed circuit board (PCB) is presented. Based on the heat dissipation path from the die to ambient, the thermal resistance network is established. The analytical solution of the mean die temperature of QFN packaging is obtained by the analytical expressions of each thermal resistance in the thermal resistance network. Simulations by commercial software ANSYS provide a reference for verification of the present model. The comparison of the results between simulation and analytical solution shows that the network model can calculate the mean die temperature of QFN packaging accurately over wide ranges of PCB’s thermal conductivity and heat transfer coefficient, and the maximum relative error is only 4.73%. The present model is fast and resource-saving to predict the mean die temperature of QFN packaging; moreover, it provides an optimization method for QFN packaging design to achieve good reliability.

With the rapid advancement of next-generation communication technology, traditional Quad Flat No-leads (QFN) packaging is facing challenges to meet functional requirements. Due to its high integration and excellent thermal performance, the Multi-chips Module combined with Quad Flat No-leads (MCM-QFN) packaging is gaining popularity. However, the structural complexity of MCM-QFN packaging and the thermal coupling effect between multiple dies make it challenging to analyze the steady-state thermal distribution of MCM-QFN packaging, which is necessary for assessing the reliability and optimizing the layout design of the multi-chips module. By analyzing the heat dissipation path from each die to the ambient, this paper proposes an analytical thermal resistance network model for calculating each mean die temperature of MCM-QFN packaging. The thermal coupling effect among the multi-chips, the thermal spreading resistance between critical layers, and the boundary conditions and cooling conditions are all considered. All thermal resistances in the model are expressed analytically, and the mean temperature of each chip can be calculated within 0.1 s using MATLAB programming. To validate the accuracy of the proposed model, finite element method (FEM) simulations are conducted to provide a reference for the mean temperature of each chip under four sets of thermal conditions. The data comparison demonstrates that the analytical model is fast and accurate in calculating each mean die temperature of MCM-QFN packaging, with a maximum error of 3.72%, and the calculation speed increased by about 600× compared to that of FEM simulation. Furthermore, the analytical model is able to offer a direction for optimizing the layout design and material selection of MCM-QFN packaging.

To bridge the gap that exists in the key equipment of the new subsea production control system, the all-electric subsea gate valve actuator, and exploit subsea oil and gas resources with high reliability and safety while saving energy, this paper proposes a novel concept prototype of an all-electric subsea gate valve actuator which has the key functions of a redundant drive, failsafe closing, auxiliary override, position indication, and low-power position holding. It satisfied the electrically-driven requirements of the subsea gate valves and achieved Safety Integrity Level 3. The prototype was developed and tested successfully. The all-electric subsea gate valve actuator is suitable for controlling subsea gate valves with various sizes and rated working pressures to minimize the power consumption for the purpose of keeping the valves open and safely closing them in the event of the electrical failure. An override and position-indicating mechanism is equipped for emergency operation and the visual indication of the status of subsea gate valves.