Laboratory for Manufacturing and Sustainability

Control of surface contamination in the form of small particles is becoming a major priority in conventional manufacturing processes, due to the higher sensitivity of mechanical assemblies to contamination-related failures. At the same time, the complexity of workpieces is increasing, making the removal of contaminants more difficult. Thus there is a critical need to facilitate cleaning in order to reduce the high costs and expenditure of natural resources required for cleaning operations. The objective of this paper is to present strategies to reduce or prevent solid particle contamination by manufacturing by-products throughout the product development and manufacturing chain, via cleaning-conscious design feedback to product developers in the context of Design for Cleanability (DFC) and improved process planning for manufacturing. We also show preliminary results on the effect of cutting parameters on chip size and morphology when machining cast aluminium silicon alloy, in an attempt to control chips for easier removal.