Inconel 706 is a newly developed aeronautical material that has corrosion resistance along with high mechanical strength. Conventional machining of Inconel 706 results in a poor surface finish and a low-dimensional accuracy. Hence, micro-EDM (electrical discharge machining) is utilized to machine Inconel 706. This work proposes a comparison of micro-EDM characteristics of Inconel 706 between EDM oil and an Al powder mixture. The effects of input parameters on the surface roughness, material removal rate, tool removal rate, and microstructures of the machined surfaces between EDM oil and EDM oil mixed with Al were investigated. It was clarified that micro-EDM with a certain amount of Al powder added to the EDM oil can attain a high MRR and better surface integrity. However, the TWR discharge gap was larger than that in the EDM oil. Furthermore, it was observed that more attachment of the workpiece was adhered to the top surface of the electrode in the EDM oil due to its unstable machining. It was explained that the MRR increases with an increase in the Al concentration and then tends to decline.

In this article, a new type of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) preform removal machine and its auxiliary device are designed. The structure design of rotating module, traverse module, vertical module and crosswise module of the new type of preform removal machine, and the safety check and feasibility simulation analysis of the core components of each module are described. Among them, the speed multiplication mechanism is adopted in the traverse module, which greatly reduces the traverse time and improves the working efficiency of the preform removal machine; the counterweight balance device is used in the vertical module, which effectively balances the moment difference caused by the vertical motion of the rotating and traverse modules, makes the vertical motion more stable and saves the cost; and the design of slope track makes the unloading and placement of PET preforms proceed in an orderly manner, which can effectively avoid the collision between PET preforms and ensure the quality of products. Communicated by Joerg Fehr.

As an important method to measure the reliability of electronic products, thermal simulation is widely used in product life prediction and reliability optimization. In this paper, the relationship between the working temperature and working performance of power components and the importance of thermal simulation analysis are discussed. The basic theory of thermal analysis software Flotherm is expounded. The functional characteristics and application range of Flotherm software are introduced. The chassis power device is designed. The boundary condition setting, grid setting, and result processing of the simulation model are introduced in detail. The results illustrate that the maximum temperature of the power components can be guaranteed within the specified temperature range, which satisfies the temperature requirements for reliable operation.