Papers by Author: Chi Loong Chow

Abstract: This paper aims at presenting an experimental investigation to obtain the optimum formability of light-weight alloys under the multi-stage forming process. Titanium alloy sheets (Ti-6Al-4V) and aluminium alloy sheets (AA5052) are selected as forming specimens. The special fixture with heating device is applied in order to carry out the prestraining process. The swift forming test at warm-forming condition is performed for measuring the limit dome heights after the multi-stage formign process. The outcomes of this investigation are valuable for engineers to design and fabricate high-quality light-weight components efficiently.

Abstract: This paper aims to study the effect of stress relieving on Limit Dome Height (LDH) of Ti-TWBs at elevated temperatures. This is achieved by developing a newly constructed heating system. The elevated temperature of the system can be varied and monitored by a separately control panel. All Ti-TWBs were prepared and used to examine the LDHs under elevated temperatures. Selected specimens were heat-treated at 600°C within an hour before being formed by HILLE machine. Meanwhile, the temperature of tool heating system was also adjusted from room temperature to 550°C. Specified tests were carried out to examine the stress relieving effects of Ti-TWBs on the LDHs with the temperature control panel. In addition, investigations were carried out to ascertain whether the elevated temperatures of the critical tooling components, i.e. the die and the blank holder, could result in any significant effects on LDHs of Ti-TWBs. The findings show that LDHs of Ti-TWBs can be improved by stress relieving. The stress relieving condition can be obtained by nearly isothermal forming of specimens at a range of 550°C to 600°C.

Abstract: A three-dimensional finite element analysis was conducted to simulate the effects of the varying material parameters on the contraction behaviors of a muscle-tendon complex using an active finite element method. The material behavior of the skeletal muscle was assumed to be orthotropic and the muscle model consists of two parts: the active and the passive parts. An active finite element method was then used for accommodating both the active and passive behaviors of the muscle into the muscle model. In this active-passive muscle model, the active component is governed by an activation level, a time period, a muscle sensitivity parameter and a strain rate. The material property of the passive component was assumed to be viscoelastic and the tendon is assumed to be linear elastic. The effects of activation amplitude and viscoelastic material parameters on the active, passive and total force-length relationship of the cat muscle under isometric contraction were predicted. The predicted results were found to be close to the experimental data reported in the available literature. Hence, the active-passive muscle model was extended to simulate the stress distribution of the cat muscle subject to shortening contraction and different activation amplitude. By varying the magnitude of the material parameters, different muscle behaviors could be generated. The proposed active finite element method lays a good foundation for simulation of human musculoskeletal motion.