During quenching heat treatment, the formation of high residual stress values and the presence of distortion are phenomena which are difficult to control and accurately predict, their effects being extremely important to the components or pieces of complex and robust geometry that are commonly used in the industry. The latter is mainly due to the mixture of the high temperature levels formed between the surface and the cores of the components and the martensitic transformation during quenching. In this research, an experimental and simulated analysis of the process of the quenching heat treatment of AISI 4340 steel, using geometrically complex components, was undertaken with the objective of studying and understanding the effect of quenching process parameters on distortion, stress generation, and mechanical properties. A model that applied the finite elements method (FEM), in which entry data such as thermo-physical and mechanical properties were obtained through experimental techniques that were reported in the literature, made it possible to simulate the cooling process under different conditions, which helped to explain the origins of the distortion in the quenched parts. The results show a close relationship between various quenching parameters such as heat extraction speed, the immersion orientation in the liquid, and the component’s geometry. The data obtained could contribute to accelerating the design process of the heat processing routes for quenching components by taking into consideration both the classic process variables and, due to the increased precision resulting from mathematical modeling, additional factors such as the geometry of real applications.

Currently, the disposal of waste tires is considered one of the priority environmental and public health problems worldwide. Every year, more than 1.4 billion unused tires are placed in landfills. Population growth, economic development, and a strong demand for vehicle production in the automotive industry increase this problem. In Mexico, nearly 36 million unused tires are deposited in landfills or clandestine deposits, the vast majority being burned or accumulated in the open air. The lack of regulations in the handling, disposal, and recycling of tires creates a worrying panorama for environmental care and the problems that this entails. The objective of this work is to propose a viable alternative for the final disposal and recycling of waste tires through the implementation of a company for the manufacture of products based on recycled rubber in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, reducing environmental pollution by these wastes and generating sources of employment through a sustainable company. For this purpose, a study was carried out in Tamaulipas, Mexico, through surveys to determine the number of tires that can be obtained and determine the feasibility of the business; subsequently, a prediction was made using simulation software to design and estimate the expected production in the manufacture of parking bumpers using two scenarios with two and four workers. Likewise, specialized software was used to optimize waste tire collection routes from the different tire stores to the company’s location. The results show that with an optimal design of the tire collection routes, up to 483 tons of waste tires can be recovered per year, representing 10% of the total unused tires in Tamaulipas. Because it is an environmental and social problem, installing a company manufacturing products based on recycled rubber is feasible and has a high probability of success for the region studied. According to the simulation, employing four workers increases productivity and decreases manufacturing costs. Through the simulation, three tire collection routes were determined considering the total number of tire stores in the city where the company is located.

Although quenching is one of the most widely used heat treatments in the metal-mechanical industry to improve the mechanical properties of steels, it is also responsible for the generation of residual stress, distortion, and fractures in the treated parts. The high-temperature gradients present during quenching and martensitic transformation are the main failure mechanisms. Cooling is the critical quenching stage where several variables that need to be controlled are involved in reducing these problems. The objective of this research was to evaluate the main variables in the quenching process in SAE 4340 steels, which promote distortion, residual stress accumulation, and fracture failures. A 2ᴷ factorial experiment was designed, samples with C-ring geometry susceptible to changes in quenching variables were used, and the variables studied were the agitation and temperature of the quenching medium. Experimental measurements, statistical tools and modeling were used to evaluate and predict the distortion generated in quenched samples. Such tools include Minitab 21^® software and its statistics utilities. Furthermore, a finite element method model was carried out using STFC Deform^®. The results suggest that there are optimal conditions in the quenching process to minimize distortion and residual stresses and to improve mechanical properties of quenched parts; therefore, the methods used in this work could be useful to detect and control the appearance of defects in an industrial environment.

Samples of Sr₄Al₆O₁₂SO₄ are obtained through a solid-state reaction of Al₂O₃, SrSO₄, and SrCO₃. The samples are then made into 1 and 4 cm pellets by compacting them at 100MPa and sintering them at 1400 °C for 4 h. The compound is analyzed using X-ray diffraction. Static immersion and wettability tests are carried out to evaluate corrosion resistance in contact with Al–Si. Corrosion tests are conducted by immersing the samples at 800, 900, and 1000 °C for 24, 50, and 100 h, while wettability is studied at 900, 1000, and 1100 °C for 2 h. Afterwards, the samples are subject to metallographic preparation. The samples are then analyzed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and image analysis. In general, reaction products consisting of alumina, spinel, oxides, and sulfates are found. The contact angles obtained are between 124° and 135°. It is concluded that the Sr₄Al₆O₁₂SO₄ ceramic substrate is resistant to corrosion by the Al–Si alloy because of the slight thickness of the reaction products found in the samples (73 μm), considering the severe conditions of the experiment: 1000 °C and 100 h of isothermal temperature. Furthermore, Sr₄Al₆O₁₂SO₄ is not wettable by Al–Si alloys. These results suggest that the ceramic substrate could be used in the refractory industry, possibly as an additive to commercial refractory ceramics. For future work, it is recommended to carry out the same study with the aluminum–magnesium alloy and as an additive in commercial refractory ceramics.

International competition in the electronic market requires that organisations use their resources not only to manufacture high quality components, but also to adopt or develop appropriate sales forecasting methods that could adapt to their needs and guarantee their economic development. From an industrial engineering perspective, keeping balanced orders and healthy safety stocks is required for such organisations. These two metrics play a significant role in their economic growth and development, because any disruption results in high costs throughout their manufacturing processes. Thus significant resources are spent by these organisations to develop information systems and logistics skills in order to implement more reliable and precise sales forecasting methods. Nevertheless, planners and forecasters constantly face different challenges such as sudden demand changes, seasonality, products with a short life cycle, a lack of historical data, and swings in the world economy. The objective of this research is to determine the most convenient demand forecasting method for the manufacturers of electronic devices that target a specific market. Twenty-seven months of sales data were analysed and different quantitative forecasting methods were tested and analysed using statistical tools. From the results obtained, the combined forecasting method appeared to be the most suitable since the least amount of forecasting error is obtained when this method is applied. The results of this research could be adopted by other companies to forecast the future sales of any items with a similar pattern to that used in our study. This has significant implications for their decision-making processes and inventory planning.

Sr4Al6O12SO4 samples were obtained from the compound mixture formed by a solid–state reaction of Al2O3, SrSO4, and SrCO3. Samples were compacted at 100MPa to form pellets of 1 and 4cm in diameter and were sintered at 1400°C for 4 hours. The compound was analyzed by X–ray diffraction. Static immersion and wettability tests were performed to evaluate corrosion resistance in contact with Al–Si. Corrosion tests were carried out by immersion at 800, 900, and 1000°C for 24, 50, and 100 hours, while wettability was carried out at 900, 1000, and 1100°C for 2 hours. Subsequently, the samples were prepared metallographically. Samples were analyzed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and image analysis. In general, reaction products consisting of alumina, spinel, oxides, and sulfates were found. The contact angles obtained were 124° to 135°. It is concluded that ceramic substrate Sr4Al6O12SO4 is resistant to corrosion by Al–Si alloy, since the slight thickness of the reaction products found in the samples (100μm) considering the severe conditions of the experiment: 1000°C and 100 hours of isothermal temperature. Furthermore, it can be said that Sr4Al6O12SO4 is not wettable by Al–Si alloys.