The paper presents a method for checking the geometry of stamped car body parts using a 3D optical measurement system. The analysis focuses on the first forming operation due to the deformation and material flow associated with stall thresholds. An essential element of the analysis is determining the actual gap occurring between the forming surfaces based on the die and punch geometry used in the first stamping operation. The geometry of car body elements at individual production stages was analyzed using an optical laser scanner. The control carried out in this way allowed one to correctly position the tools (punch and die), thus introducing the correction of technological parameters, having a fundamental influence on the specific features of the final product. This type of approach has not been used before to calibrate the technological line and setting of shaping tools. The influence of the manufactured product geometry in intermediate operations on the final geometry features was not investigated.

The paper presents the impact of lighting type and direction on measurements of surface asperities using focus-variation microscopy. Particular attention was paid to the direction of lighting when using a light ring. It was pointed out that the lighting direction directly affects the values of the parameters Rt, Rz, and Rc. The article also presents the impact of a light polarizer on the surface topography parameters. It has been shown that the positioning of a sample with a regular and directed structure relative to the optical axis of the light polarizer affects the accuracy of mapping surface asperities. The largest differences were observed for Rz and Rt parameters. A method of using an external polarizer mounted on a focus variation microscope lens was also presented.

This paper presents the influence of thermal phenomena on areal measurements of surface topography using contact profilometers. The research concerned measurements under controlled and variable environmental conditions. The influence of internal heat sources from profilometer drives and their electronic components was analyzed. For this purpose, a thermal chamber was designed and built. Its task was to maintain and control environmental conditions and, at the same time, separate the profilometer from external disturbances. Heat sources and temperature values for elements and systems were determined. It further enabled for the calculation of the displacements in axes as a function of temperature. The largest displacement in the probe due to internal heat sources for the considered cases occurred in the X-axis direction. Its value reached 16.2 μm. However, the displacement in the probe in the Z-axis direction had the greatest impact on the measured surface topography. These displacements for a thermally unstable profilometer reached 7.9 μm in Z, causing results even 90% greater than in the case of a device without such problems. The time after which a proper topography measurement can be started was also determined basing on obtained data. This time for tested profilometers was between 6 and 12 h. It was found that performing thermal stabilization of the profilometer significantly reduced surface irregularity errors. The stabilization time should be determined individually for a specific type of device.

The performance of a heat sink is significantly influenced by the type of cooling used: passive or active (forced), the shape of the heat sink, and the material from which it is made. This paper presents a review of the literature on the influence of geometry and surface parameters on effective heat transfer in heat sinks. The results of simulation studies for three different heat sink fin geometries and cooling types are presented. Furthermore, the influence of the surface texture of the heat sink fins on the heat transfer efficiency was determined. It was shown that the best performance in terms of geometries was that of a wave fin heat sink. When the surface texture was analyzed, it was found that an increase in the amplitude values of the texture decreases the heat dissipation efficiency in the case of active cooling, while for passive cooling, an increase in these parameters has a beneficial effect and increases the effective heat transfer to the surroundings. The cooling method was found to be the most important factor affecting heat dissipation efficiency. Forced airflow results in more efficient heat transfer from the heat sink fins to the surroundings.

Contact stylus profilometry is the leading surface texture measuring method in many manufacturing industries. For years it has been unmatched in terms of accuracy and reliability. Advancements in technology have led to the improvements in profilometer design. A stylus can either have a built in...

In the article, the new concept of plasma-sprayed coatings for the cylinder liner was presented. The new type of powder containing WC-CrC-Ni with a 5 and 10 wt. % addition of nano-YSZ powder was plasma-sprayed on aluminum 2017 alloy samples. The selection of optimal plasma-spraying parameters was made taking into account the thickness, porosity, and hardness of the coatings. For the coatings obtained according to the developed parameters, the analysis of their microstructure, chemical, and phase composition was performed. At the next stage, the friction coefficient of the developed coatings was tested and compared with the properties of a classic cast-iron cylinder liner. The obtained results suggest that the developed type of coating might be used for cylinder liner applications after a deeper friction analysis.