The present study focuses on the influence of brake fluid on the efficiency of a braking system. Consecutive tests were conducted on the brake discs of a laboratory vehicle heated to approximately 400 °C, and the temperature of the brake fluid was measured. The boiling points of the brake fluid in the brake system of the test vehicle were also measured and compared with other brake fluids of different brands but identical specifications. The brake fluids tested were both new brake fluids stored in an unopened state and brake fluids that had been opened for more than a year. This was intended to determine which of the elements has the most critical effect on the braking properties of the brake system.

Very few experimental studies of full pinion engagement planetary gear trains have been published; therefore, their behavior under load is little known. In this paper, the results from the experimental studies of the above-mentioned gear trains are presented, whereby the bending stresses in the planet pins are displayed both in time and frequency domains by means of fast Fourier transform (FFT). The experiments are conducted on a mechanical closed-loop test rig, which was designed especially for the experiments. The bending stresses in the pins are measured by strain gauges, which are mounted in a double half-bridge configuration, thus showing the stresses in two perpendicular planes. The torque applied is 200 Nm. The radial run-out errors of the planets are measured and their relation to the pin loads are analyzed.

Shape-memory alloys have various applications in different fields including medicine, robotics, aeronautics, and micro-electromechanical systems. This paper discusses shrink-fit joints formed by shape-memory alloy elements and their application for the axial fixation of mechanical components. The use of shape-memory alloys gives the shrink-fits some specific features: ease of assembly, insensitivity to tooling and human error, chemical resistance, low cost, etc. The friction force created between the components is experimentally investigated as a function of two parameters—the substrate diameter and the surface roughness (Ra) of one of the joined elements. The results of the experiments are presented analytically and graphically. Conclusions are drawn regarding the behavior of the studied shrink-fits. They can be beneficial to any engineering project making it less sensitive to manufacturing variations.

The paper presents an experimental evaluation of the influence of infill direction (raster angle) on the tensile strength of 3D-printed ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) samples produced at high speed (200 mm/s infill), flat orientation, and 100% infill density via FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling). The printing material was dried before printing and then stored in a low-humidity environment with desiccant in order to minimize moisture absorption during the experiments. The testing and conditioning of the samples were performed in accordance with the EN ISO 527 standard. The results revealed that the highest mean tensile strength of 39.28 MPa is obtained with the aligned rectilinear pattern at 0° infill direction, while the lowest, 34.56 MPa, is obtained with the same pattern at 90° infill direction relative to the load direction. The tested material demonstrated moderate tensile strength anisotropy in the direction of the load based on the change in infill direction. Moreover, productivity when printing ABS can be significantly increased when the correct conditions are available, as the resulting mean tensile strength is comparable to or higher than that reported by the filament’s producer, which recommends printing at low to moderate speeds for optimal layer adhesion and structural integrity.

This paper deals with a slat chain conveyor for the transport of rock materials in very severe abrasive conditions. An actual case from practice is discussed and analysed. To clarify the fatigue damage of the chain link material, the finite element method (FEM) is applied. For the experimentally recorded cycle of chain loading, numerical analysis has been performed and data for the damage of the link material are presented. Fatigue analysis is performed by ANSYS nCode DesignLife under different loading cases. FEM results show, that the fatigue crack of the link starts from region with high values of the stresses, established by experiment.

This publication focuses on the additive technology PolyJet and more specifically the photopolymer Digital ABS Plus. After a thorough analysis, it was concluded that this technology is suitable for both rapid prototyping of parts and rapid small-scale production of various products. The resulting parts can be implemented in a production process with different operating conditions. That is why it is interesting to investigate the Digital ABS Plus material at elevated temperatures. The temperatures at which the tests were performed are consistent with the values for heat deflection temperature (HDT) of the Digital ABS Plus material, described in the manufacturer’s technical data sheet, as well as with the results of high-temperature tests of parts obtained using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology. The investigated test pieces are subjected to annealing in order to increase their tensile strength and temperature resistance. The process is carried out in an oven with digital temperature control with a thermal profile according to a procedure approved by the manufacturer Stratasys. The obtained data from the mechanical properties before and after annealing of the Digital ABS Plus material are compared and depicted in a diagram.