This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Unclaimed
Vitor F. C. Sousa
ISEP—School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal

Basic Info

Basic Info is private.

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Journal article
Published: 23 August 2021 in Applied Sciences
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Copper-Beryllium alloys have excellent wear resistance and high mechanical properties, they also possess good electrical and thermal conductivity, making these alloys very popular in a wide variety of industries, such as aerospace, in the fabrication of tools for hazardous environments and to produce injection molds and mold inserts. However, there are some problems in the processing of these alloys, particularly when these are subject to machining processes, causing tools to deteriorate quite rapidly, due to material adhesion to the tool’s surface, caused by the material’s ductile nature. An assessment of tool-wear after machining Cu-Be alloy AMPCOLOY 83 using coated and uncoated tools was performed, offering a comparison of the machining performance and wear behavior of solid-carbide uncoated and DLC/CrN multilayered coated end-mills with the same geometry. Multiple machining tests were conducted, varying the values for feed and cutting length. In the initial tests, cutting force values were registered. The material’s surface roughness was also evaluated and the cutting tools’ edges were subsequently analyzed, identifying the main wear mechanisms and how these developed during machining. The coated tools exhibited a better performance for shorter cutting lengths, producing a lower degree of roughness on the surface on the machined material. The wear registered for these tools was less intense than that of uncoated tools, which suffered more adhesive and abrasive damage. However, it was observed that, for greater cutting lengths, the uncoated tool performed better in terms of surface roughness and sustained wear.

ACS Style

Vitor F. C. Sousa; João Castanheira; Francisco J. G. Silva; José S. Fecheira; Gustavo Pinto; Andresa Baptista. Wear Behavior of Uncoated and Coated Tools in Milling Operations of AMPCO (Cu-Be) Alloy. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 7762 .

AMA Style

Vitor F. C. Sousa, João Castanheira, Francisco J. G. Silva, José S. Fecheira, Gustavo Pinto, Andresa Baptista. Wear Behavior of Uncoated and Coated Tools in Milling Operations of AMPCO (Cu-Be) Alloy. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (16):7762.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vitor F. C. Sousa; João Castanheira; Francisco J. G. Silva; José S. Fecheira; Gustavo Pinto; Andresa Baptista. 2021. "Wear Behavior of Uncoated and Coated Tools in Milling Operations of AMPCO (Cu-Be) Alloy." Applied Sciences 11, no. 16: 7762.

Journal article
Published: 25 July 2021 in Machines
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The structure of car seats is becoming increasingly complex, with mixing of wire conformation and plastic injection. The plastic over-molding process implies some labor, which can be reduced if novel solutions are applied in this manufacturing area. The handling of the wires used in car seats is the main problem identified in the process, wasting time both in the feeding and in the extraction of the molds used in the wire over-molding process. However, these machines are usually extremely compact and the free space around them is too short. In classic molding injection machines, there are just two half-molds, the female, and the male. In the over-molding process of wires used in car seats, three half-molds are used in order to increase the cycle time. Thus, to solve this problem, the classic robotic solutions are not appliable due to lack of space and elevated cost. This work describes the development of an automated solution able to handle the wires in both the feeding and the extracting phases of the production cycle, avoiding the traditional labor costs associated with this type of machine. Departing from an industrial need, the developed novel solution is described in detail and can be successfully adapted to other situations of low added-value products where it is needed to increase the productivity and competitiveness of the product. The system developed uses mechanical and pneumatic solutions which, combined, can be used to solve the identified problem, occupying a restricted space and requiring a small budget. This solution can be translated into guidelines that will allow the analysis of situations where the same system can be applied.

ACS Style

F. Silva; M. Soares; L. Ferreira; A. Alves; M. Brito; R. Campilho; V. Sousa. A Novel Automated System for the Handling of Car Seat Wires on Plastic Over-Injection Molding Machines. Machines 2021, 9, 141 .

AMA Style

F. Silva, M. Soares, L. Ferreira, A. Alves, M. Brito, R. Campilho, V. Sousa. A Novel Automated System for the Handling of Car Seat Wires on Plastic Over-Injection Molding Machines. Machines. 2021; 9 (8):141.

Chicago/Turabian Style

F. Silva; M. Soares; L. Ferreira; A. Alves; M. Brito; R. Campilho; V. Sousa. 2021. "A Novel Automated System for the Handling of Car Seat Wires on Plastic Over-Injection Molding Machines." Machines 9, no. 8: 141.

Journal article
Published: 08 May 2021 in Coatings
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The automotive industry is a pioneer in solutions that meet market expectations. However, in the automotive industry, some less environmentally friendly technologies are still used, such as electroplating. Due to legislative restrictions in several countries, thin coatings made in a vacuum have been replacing coatings traditionally made by electroplating, mainly in decorative terms. This work is more focused on the use of these coatings made in vacuum for optical applications, namely on headlights and exterior backlit components. Although these components are protected during the period of use, there may be situations of contact during the assembly of the components or their repair, necessary to safeguard and to ensure that these coatings have the scratch and wear resistance needed to withstand any treatment deficiency during the operations referred to above. Therefore, this work is essentially focused on the study of the wear resistance of Cr coatings made by PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) on polymeric substrates. To this end, the coatings previously studied have now been subjected to micro-abrasion tests, with a view to assessing their wear resistance. For this purpose, alumina abrasive has been used, and the wear mechanisms observed in the coatings were studied. The abrasion and scratch tests showed that the most stable film has the one provided with 10-layers, showing greater wear resistance as well, greater adhesion to the substrate and less cohesive failures in the performed tests. Given the nature of the substrate and the coating, the results obtained are very promising, showing that these 10-layer Cr thin coatings can overcome any careless operation during manufacturing, assembly and repair processes, when applied in lightning or backlit components in motor vehicles.

ACS Style

Andresa Baptista; Gustavo Pinto; Francisco Silva; Andreia Ferreira; Arnaldo Pinto; Vitor Sousa. Wear Characterization of Chromium PVD Coatings on Polymeric Substrate for Automotive Optical Components. Coatings 2021, 11, 555 .

AMA Style

Andresa Baptista, Gustavo Pinto, Francisco Silva, Andreia Ferreira, Arnaldo Pinto, Vitor Sousa. Wear Characterization of Chromium PVD Coatings on Polymeric Substrate for Automotive Optical Components. Coatings. 2021; 11 (5):555.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andresa Baptista; Gustavo Pinto; Francisco Silva; Andreia Ferreira; Arnaldo Pinto; Vitor Sousa. 2021. "Wear Characterization of Chromium PVD Coatings on Polymeric Substrate for Automotive Optical Components." Coatings 11, no. 5: 555.

Journal article
Published: 17 March 2021 in Metals
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Grade P91 is a relatively new class of steel, which has received special attention from designers because it presents extremely interesting characteristics for specific applications. This steel exhibits ideal properties for demanding applications, especially involving high temperature and pressure, being employed in facilities such as power plants and other equipment, such as heat exchangers. P91 welds usually need heat treatments, which are already parameterized in the codes. However, standardized treatments are time-consuming and harmful to the environment, as they massively consume energy. Some attempts have been made in the past to reduce the time and energy spent on these treatments. This work aims to extend this study, now presenting better solutions than those obtained previously. This work presents four new conditions for the heat treatment of joints carried out on P91 steel, with a view to reducing processing time, reducing energy consumption, and an even better balance between mechanical strength and elongation after failure. Heat treatment conditions were established in which there was a loss of about 14% in Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS), but in which a gain of about 50% in elongation was obtained, compared to welding without any treatment, but also with 10% losses in the UTS and 30% gains in elongation when compared to the solution recommended as more correct in the codes, saving a lot of time and energy in the treatment process. Thus, these solutions may be adopted in the future with gains in terms of productivity and economic and environmental sustainability.

ACS Style

Vitor Sousa; Francisco Silva; António Pinho; António Pereira; Olga Paiva. Enhancing Heat Treatment Conditions of Joints in Grade P91 Steel: Looking for More Sustainable Solutions. Metals 2021, 11, 495 .

AMA Style

Vitor Sousa, Francisco Silva, António Pinho, António Pereira, Olga Paiva. Enhancing Heat Treatment Conditions of Joints in Grade P91 Steel: Looking for More Sustainable Solutions. Metals. 2021; 11 (3):495.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vitor Sousa; Francisco Silva; António Pinho; António Pereira; Olga Paiva. 2021. "Enhancing Heat Treatment Conditions of Joints in Grade P91 Steel: Looking for More Sustainable Solutions." Metals 11, no. 3: 495.

Journal article
Published: 12 February 2021 in Coatings
Reads 0
Downloads 0

PVD (physical vapor deposition) and CVD (chemical vapor deposition) have gained greater significance in the last two decades with the mandatory shift from electrodeposition processes to clean deposition processes due to environmental, public safety, and health concerns. Due to the frequent use of coatings in several industrial sectors, the importance of studying the chromium coating processes through PVD–sputtering can be realized, investing in a real alternative to electroplated hexavalent chromium, usually denominated by chromium 6, regularly applied in electrodeposition processes of optical products in the automotive industry. At an early stage, experimental tests were carried out to understand which parameters are most suitable for obtaining chromium coatings with optical properties. To study the coating in a broad way, thickness and roughness analysis of the coatings obtained using SEM and AFM, adhesion analyzes with the scratch-test and transmittance by spectrophotometry were carried out. It was possible to determine that the roughness and transmittance decreased with the increase in the number of layers, the thickness of the coating increased linearly, and the adhesion and resistance to climatic tests remained positive throughout the study. Thus, this study allows for the understanding that thin multilayered Cr coatings can be applied successfully to polymeric substrates regarding optical applications in the automotive industry.

ACS Style

Andreia A. Ferreira; Francisco J. G. Silva; Arnaldo G. Pinto; Vitor F. C. Sousa. Characterization of Thin Chromium Coatings Produced by PVD Sputtering for Optical Applications. Coatings 2021, 11, 215 .

AMA Style

Andreia A. Ferreira, Francisco J. G. Silva, Arnaldo G. Pinto, Vitor F. C. Sousa. Characterization of Thin Chromium Coatings Produced by PVD Sputtering for Optical Applications. Coatings. 2021; 11 (2):215.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andreia A. Ferreira; Francisco J. G. Silva; Arnaldo G. Pinto; Vitor F. C. Sousa. 2021. "Characterization of Thin Chromium Coatings Produced by PVD Sputtering for Optical Applications." Coatings 11, no. 2: 215.

Review
Published: 04 February 2021 in Metals
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The machining process is still a very relevant process in today’s industry, being used to produce high quality parts for multiple industry sectors. The machining processes are heavily researched, with the focus on the improvement of these processes. One of these process improvements was the creation and implementation of tool coatings in various machining operations. These coatings improved overall process productivity and tool-life, with new coatings being developed for various machining applications. TiAlN coatings are still very present in today’s industry, being used due to its incredible wear behavior at high machining speeds, high mechanical properties, having a high-thermal stability and high corrosion resistance even at high machining temperatures. Novel TiAlN-based coatings doped with Ru, Mo and Ta are currently under investigation, as they show tremendous potential in terms of mechanical properties and wear behavior improvement. With the improvement of deposition technology, recent research seems to focus primarily on the study of nanolayered and nanocomposite TiAlN-based coatings, as the thinner layers improve drastically these coating’s beneficial properties for machining applications. In this review, the recent developments of TiAlN-based coatings are going to be presented, analyzed and their mechanical properties and cutting behavior for the turning and milling processes are compared.

ACS Style

Vitor Sousa; Francisco Da Silva; Gustavo Pinto; Andresa Baptista; Ricardo Alexandre. Characteristics and Wear Mechanisms of TiAlN-Based Coatings for Machining Applications: A Comprehensive Review. Metals 2021, 11, 260 .

AMA Style

Vitor Sousa, Francisco Da Silva, Gustavo Pinto, Andresa Baptista, Ricardo Alexandre. Characteristics and Wear Mechanisms of TiAlN-Based Coatings for Machining Applications: A Comprehensive Review. Metals. 2021; 11 (2):260.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vitor Sousa; Francisco Da Silva; Gustavo Pinto; Andresa Baptista; Ricardo Alexandre. 2021. "Characteristics and Wear Mechanisms of TiAlN-Based Coatings for Machining Applications: A Comprehensive Review." Metals 11, no. 2: 260.

Review
Published: 13 August 2020 in Sensors
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Machining processes remain an unavoidable technique in the production of high-precision parts. Tool behavior is of the utmost importance in machining productivity and costs. Tool performance can be assessed by the roughness left on the machined surfaces, as well as of the forces developed during the process. There are various techniques to determine these cutting forces, such as cutting force prediction or measurement, using dynamometers and other sensor systems. This technique has often been used by numerous researchers in this area. This paper aims to give a review of the different techniques and devices for measuring the forces developed for machining processes, allowing a quick perception of the advantages and limitations of each technique, through the literature research carried out, using recently published works.

ACS Style

Vitor F. C. Sousa; Francisco J. G. Silva; José S. Fecheira; Hernâni M. Lopes; Rui Pedro Martinho; Rafaela B. Casais; Luís Pinto Ferreira. Cutting Forces Assessment in CNC Machining Processes: A Critical Review. Sensors 2020, 20, 4536 .

AMA Style

Vitor F. C. Sousa, Francisco J. G. Silva, José S. Fecheira, Hernâni M. Lopes, Rui Pedro Martinho, Rafaela B. Casais, Luís Pinto Ferreira. Cutting Forces Assessment in CNC Machining Processes: A Critical Review. Sensors. 2020; 20 (16):4536.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vitor F. C. Sousa; Francisco J. G. Silva; José S. Fecheira; Hernâni M. Lopes; Rui Pedro Martinho; Rafaela B. Casais; Luís Pinto Ferreira. 2020. "Cutting Forces Assessment in CNC Machining Processes: A Critical Review." Sensors 20, no. 16: 4536.

Review
Published: 04 March 2020 in Coatings
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The milling process is one of the most used processes in the manufacturing industry. Milling, as a process, as evolved, with new machines and methods being employed, in order to obtain the best results consistently. Milling tools have also seen quite an evolution, from the uncoated high-speed steel tool, to the now vastly used, coated tools. Information on the use of these coated tools in recent scientific researches was collected. The coatings that are currently being researched are going to be presented, highlighting some novel advances in the nanocomposite and diamond coatings area, as these coatings are seeing a growing use in the industry, with very satisfactory results, with performance and tool-life increase. Wear mechanism of various types of coatings are also a popular topic on recent research, as the cutting behavior of these coated tools provides valuable information on the tool’s-life. Furthermore, analysis of these mechanisms enables for the selection of the best coating type for the correct application. Recently, the employment of coated tools paired with sustainable lubrication methods as seen some use. As this presents the opportunity to enhance the coated tool’s and the process’s performance, obtaining better results, in terms of better tool-life and better surface finish quality, in a more sustainable fashion.

ACS Style

Vitor F. C. Sousa; Francisco J. G. Silva. Recent Advances on Coated Milling Tool Technology—A Comprehensive Review. Coatings 2020, 10, 235 .

AMA Style

Vitor F. C. Sousa, Francisco J. G. Silva. Recent Advances on Coated Milling Tool Technology—A Comprehensive Review. Coatings. 2020; 10 (3):235.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vitor F. C. Sousa; Francisco J. G. Silva. 2020. "Recent Advances on Coated Milling Tool Technology—A Comprehensive Review." Coatings 10, no. 3: 235.

Review
Published: 23 January 2020 in Metals
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Turning continues to be the largest segment of the machining industry, which highlights the continued demand for turned parts and the overall improvement of the process. The turning process has seen quite an evolution, from basic lathes using solid tools, to complex CNC (Computer Numerical Control) multi-process machines, using, for the most part, coated inserts and coated tools. These coatings have proven to be a significant step in the production of high-quality parts and a higher tool life that have captivated the industry. Continuous improvement to turning coated tools has been made, with many researches focusing on the optimization of turning processes that use coated tools. In the present paper, a presentation of various recently published papers on this subject is going to be made, mentioning the various types of coatings that have recently been used in the turning process, the turning of hard to machine materials, such as titanium alloys and Inconel, as well as the interaction of these coatings with the turned surfaces, the wear patterns that these coatings suffer during the turning of materials and relating these wear mechanisms to the coated tool’s life expectancy. Some lubrication conditions present a more sustainable alternative to current methods used in the turning process; the employment of coated tool inserts under these conditions is a current popular research topic, as there is a focus on opting for more eco-friendly machining options.

ACS Style

Vitor F. C. Sousa; Francisco J. G. Silva. Recent Advances in Turning Processes Using Coated Tools—A Comprehensive Review. Metals 2020, 10, 170 .

AMA Style

Vitor F. C. Sousa, Francisco J. G. Silva. Recent Advances in Turning Processes Using Coated Tools—A Comprehensive Review. Metals. 2020; 10 (2):170.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vitor F. C. Sousa; Francisco J. G. Silva. 2020. "Recent Advances in Turning Processes Using Coated Tools—A Comprehensive Review." Metals 10, no. 2: 170.