To Örebro University

Additive manufacturing (AM) or industrial three-dimensional (3D) printing drives a new spectrum of design and production possibilities; pushing the boundaries both in the application by production of sophisticated products as well as the development of next-generation materials. AM technologies apply a diversity of feedstocks, including plastic, metallic, and ceramic particle powders with distinct size, shape, and surface chemistry. In addition, powders are often reused, which may change the particles' physicochemical properties and by that alter their toxic potential. The AM production technology commonly relies on a laser or electron beam to selectively melt or sinter particle powders. Large energy input on feedstock powders generates several byproducts, including varying amounts of virgin microparticles, nanoparticles, spatter, and volatile chemicals that are emitted in the working environment; throughout the production and processing phases. The micro and nanoscale size may enable particles to interact with and to cross biological barriers, which could, in turn, give rise to unexpected adverse outcomes, including inflammation, oxidative stress, activation of signaling pathways, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity. Another important aspect of AM-associated risks is emission/leakage of mono- and oligomers due to polymer breakdown and high temperature transformation of chemicals from polymeric particles, both during production, use, and in vivo, including in target cells. These chemicals are potential inducers of direct toxicity, genotoxicity, and endocrine disruption. Nevertheless, understanding whether AM particle powders and their byproducts may exert adverse effects in humans is largely lacking and urges comprehensive safety assessment across the entire AM lifecycle-spanning from virgin and reused to airborne particles. Therefore, this review will detail: 1) brief overview of the AM feedstock powders, impact of reuse on particle physicochemical properties, main exposure pathways and protective measures in AM industry, 2) role of particle biological identity and key toxicological endpoints in the particle safety assessment, and 3) next-generation toxicology approaches in nanosafety for safety assessment in AM. Altogether, the proposed testing approach will enable a deeper understanding of existing and emerging particle and chemical safety challenges and provide a strategy for the development of cutting-edge methodologies for hazard identification and risk assessment in the AM industry.

This paper summarizes the current position of 3D metal printing/additive manufacturing (henceforth called 3D metal printing) from an industrial perspective. The new possibilities to design the part differently simply because the new shape can be produced and which provides benefits with respect to improved material utilization degree, reduced weight, size etc. are addressed in this paper. Different types of generative design concepts such as form synthesis, topology optimization and lattice and surface optimization are exemplified. Low volume production by 3D metal printing is discussed. High volume production by 3D metal printing of manufacturing tools and dies is described.

Tool & die production is an important phase in the development of new components/product models. This phase determines both the lead time (Time-To-Production/-Market) and the size of the investments required to start the production. The lead time for the production of tools and dies for a new car body is currently about 12 months and needs to be reduced 40% by 2020. The lead time for injection molds for small and large series production must be reduced to 10 days and 4 weeks respectively. Lead time and cost-efficient metallic tools can be provided by 3D metal printing. This paper focuses on tools and dies for the manufacture of sheet metal & plastic components for the engineering, automotive and furniture industries. The paper includes Powder Bed Fusion (PBF). Digitalization through virtual tool & die design and optimization of the tool & die production combined with the PBF´s digital essence provides greater flexibility, better efficiency, tremendous speed, improved sustainability and increased global competitiveness.

3D metal printing is expected to result in several changes in the supplier chain and generate new business models. The present paper describes some of the changes 3D metal printing has led to and is expected to result in within the engineering and automotive industry in Europe during the coming years.

This paper summarizes the current position of 3D metal printing/additive manufacturing (henceforth called 3D metal printing) by the so-called Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) from an industrial perspective, particularly in Sweden.

The new possibilities to design the part differently simply because the new shape can be produced and which provides benefits with respect to improved material utilization degree, reduced weight, size etc. are addressed in this paper.

Tool & die production is an important phase in the development of new components/product models. This phase determines both the lead time (Time-To-Production/‐Market) and the size of the investments required to start the production. The lead time for the production of tools and dies for a new car body is currently about 12 months and needs to be reduced 40% by 2020. The lead time for injection molds for small and large series production must be reduced to 10 days and 4 weeks respectively. Lead time and cost-efficient metallic tools can be provided by 3D metal printing. This paper focuses on tools and dies for the manufacture of sheet metal & plastic components for the engineering and automotive industries.

Digitalization through virtual tool & die design and optimization of the tool & die production combined with the PBF´s digital essence provides greater flexibility, better efficiency, tremendous speed, improved sustainability and increased global competitiveness.

3D metal printing is expected to result in several changes in the supplier chain and generate new business models. The present paper describes some of the changes 3D metal printing has led to and is expected to result in within the engineering and automotive industry during the coming years.

3D metal printing is of great interest for manufacturing of tools and dies for high volume production. It is possible to accomplish lead time reduction, tool and die weight saving, improved cycle time etc. The presentation deals primarily with Powder Bed Fusion as 3D printing method and describes 3D metal printing of tools & dies both scientifically and from an industrialization perspective. The presentation shows how far we have come in industrialization of 3D metal printing of tools & dies and what needs to be done to include 3D metal printing in the existing industrial systems and infrastructure.

In this study, the methods used to harden trim dies were at the focus. Laser surface-hardening was compared to induction- and through-hardening for small and medium-size series production. The sheet materials used were 1.2 mm thick uncoated Docol 600DP and 1.95 mm thick uncoated Docol 600DL The die materials tested were Fermo, Canmo and Sleipner. This investigation showed that the optimum laser-hardening parameters must be established for each trim die material. The trim die in laser-hardened Sleipner exhibits the smallest wear, whilst the trim die in induction-hardened Fermo displays the largest wear in the semi-industrial phase of this study. The magnitude of this largest wear is, however, very small. The trim die in induction-hardened Fermo managed 100 000 strokes without any problem. The dimensional changes after laser hardening are very small. The burr height is very small, regardless of how the trim die is hardened. In this study, two sets of production trim dies were manufactured and set up. This production trim dies are used in the manufacture of V70 B-pillar Left and Right Laser hardening resulted in a lead time reduction by 5 labour days. However, the Tool & Die unit estimates that the lead time reduction obtained with laser hardening should be around 10 days under normal conditions. The cost analysis conducted by the Tool & Die unit shows that the manufacturing costs are reduced by 6%, if laser-hardening is selected. These production trim dies are and will be monitored continuously. As this paper is being written, these dies have been subject to 50 000 strokes.

This paper is focused on automotive stamping tools and dies and the impact of 3D metal printing and metals related 3D printing on design and production of such tools and dies. The purpose has been to find out the current industrial potential of 3D printing, as far lead time, costs, shapes, material usage, metal piece size, surface roughness, hardness, strength, and machinability are concerned. The business transformational impact of 3D printing is also addressed in this paper. The obtained results show that the lead time can be halved, the costs are somewhat higher, and the strength, hardness, surface roughness and machinability of the 3D printed metallic tools and dies are as good as those of the conventionally made. The maximum size of a metal piece that can be 3D printed today by Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) is in the best case 500 mm x 500 mm x 500 mm. 3D printing can also be used to make the pattern used to make the mold box in iron and steel casting. It is also possible to eliminate the casting pattern, since the mold box can be 3D printed directly. All this has started to have a large business impact and it is therefore of great significance to outline and execute an action plan almost immediately.

Tool wear in machining changes the geometry of the cutting edges, which affects the direction and amplitudes of the cutting force components and the dynamics in the machining process. These changes in the forces and dynamics are picked up by the internal encoders and thus can be used for monitoring of changes in process conditions. This paper presents an approach for the monitoring of amulti-toothmilling process. The method is based on the direct measurement of the output from the position encoders available in the machine tool and the application of advanced signal analysis methods. The paper investigates repeatability of the developed method and discusses how to implement this in a process monitoring and control system. The results of this work show that various signal features which are correlated with tool wear can be extracted from the first few oscillating components, representing the low-frequency components, of the machine axes velocity signatures. The responses from the position encoders exhibit good repeatability, especially short term repeatability while the long-term repeatability is more unreliable.

I arbetslivet blir det mer och mer viktigt att företag och organisationer rekryterar rätt person. Den nyrekryterade måste ha rätt kompetens och samtidigt vara den person som passar in i företagets kultur. I det här arbetet har vi behandlat rekryteringsprocessen med inriktning mot anställningsintervjun. Uppsatsens syfte är att belysa rekryterares syn på anställningsintervjun och dess betydelse i rekryteringsprocessen. För att kunna besvara vårt syfte har vi valt att göra kvalitativa intervjuer med fem rekryterare. I vår studie beskrivs rekryteringsprocessen och anställningsintervjun ur rekryterarnas perspektiv. I intervjumanualen finns frågor om hela rekryteringsprocessen för att kunna sätta in anställningsintervjun i sitt sammanhang och ge en bild av dess betydelse. Frågeställningar som studien bygger på är: hur genomförs rekryteringsprocessen, hur genomförs anställningsintervjun för att få fram relevant information om den sökande samt vilken typ av information söker rekryteraren i anställningsintervjun och varför är den viktig. I vårt resultat har vi kommit fram till att rekryterarna har i stort sett samma syn på rekryteringsprocessen och anställningsintervjuerna. Samtliga rekryterare genomför alltid någon form av anställningsintervju och intervjun är en viktig del av rekryteringsprocessen. I vår studie har vi sett att rekryteringsprocessen följer i stort sett samma mönster: arbetsanalys, annonsering, urval, intervju, eventuellt olika tester och referenstagande. Anställningsintervjuerna genomförs ofta som panelintervjuer och den sökande får svara på nutids/dåtidsinriktade frågor. Rekryterarna söker information om den sökandes personliga egenskaper, sociala situation och i viss mån kompetens. Rekryterarna vill förvissa sig om att den potentiella medarbetaren ska passa in i arbetsgruppen och organisationen.

Volvo Powertrain, VPT, in Köping currently manufactures transmissions for heavy-duty vehicles. For medium-duty vehicles Volvo purchase transmissions from their parts supplier ZF. Volvo wants to investigate the scenario to develop AMT - gearboxes for medium-duty vehicles. The I-shift model AT2412, which is designed for a maximum load of 2400 Nm and adapted for heavy-duty vehicles, would be able to function even in the medium-duty vehicles, but would be oversized and excessively heavy.

In view of future development Volvo need to increase their knowledge in how the choices of manufacturing methods affect the mass and the manufacturing costs. They need to increase the understanding to make the optimal priorities with respect to mass and manufacturing costs. This study aimed to provide this understanding of how different processes affect a transmission design with respect to mass and measures from a given torque range. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the influence of the choice of production methods for individual items and how much it can affect the complete transmission's mass and manufacturing cost. The work was limited to analyzing the modified gears in the base unit.

The first part of the work consisted of designing new gears designed for a maximum load of 1600 Nm, based on the same list of operations as the existing gears, which are found in AT2412. The second part consisted of revealing the factors for the different processes affecting the design regarding to fatigue and structural strength. For eight combinations of manufacturing processes the mass and manufacturing cost was calculated for each gear. Finally, a summary was made to show which combination of manufacturing methods that would give the optimum transmission based on minimum mass and minimum manufacturing cost.

The results show that the choice of production methods leads to more or less reduction of mass of the gears. Generally, the calculations show that the gear that is ground, shootpeened and manganese phosphated get the lowest mass and become the most expensive to produce. On the other hand, lower manufacturing cost can be achieved by excluding certain manufacturing operations as shootpeening and manganese phosphate, but this must be compensated by increased facewidth of the gear, leading to increased mass.

If VPT decide to develop a new variant of the I-shift in which the gears are designed for 1600Nm then the gearbox can be 6-11 kg lighter and the manufacturing costs of the gears can be reduced by about 10 percent.

Additive manufacturing that creates three-dimensional objects by adding layer uponlayer of material is a new technique that has proven to be an excellent tool for themanufacturing of complex structures for a variety of industrial sectors. Today, knowl-edge regarding particle emissions and potential exposure-related health hazards forthe operators is limited. The current study has focused on particle numbers, masses,sizes, and identities present in the air during additive manufacturing of metals. Mea-surements were performed during manufacturing with metal powder consisting es-sentially of chromium, nickel, and cobalt. Instruments used were Nanotracer (10 to300 nanometers [nm]), Lighthouse (300 nm to 10 micrometers), and traditional filter-basedparticle mass estimation followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Resultsshowed that there is a risk of particle exposure at certain operations and that particle sizestended to be smaller in recycled metal powder compared to new. In summary, nanosizedparticles were present in the additive manufacturing environment and the operators wereexposed specifically while handling the metal powder. For the workers’ safety, improvedpowder handling systems and measurement techniques for nanosized particles will possiblyhave to be developed and then translated into work environment regulations. Until then,relevant protective equipment and regular metal analyses of urine is recommended.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate if an automation of the manual packaging process at Legosan AB is profitable. Legosan AB, located in Kumla, performs subcontract work of dietary supplements and medical products to companies within Europe. The chapter

portal robot is used in the other. As there are several options in the choice of packaging robot the suggestions of improvement are divided into two different designs. Other machines and equipment necessary for the different suggestions of improvement are showed and their measurements are presented. The chapter ends with a problem discussion.

Nulägesanalys describes how the manufacturing process and the packaging process operates today and aims to give a good understanding of the processes, layouts and material flows. This is showed through layout sketches, process mapping and a frequency study. The chapter ends with a specification of requirements. In the chapter Förbättringsförslag two different suggestions of improvement is presented in two different designs that is present by layout sketches and process descriptions. Also the investments and measures are described in the different suggestions. In the first suggestion a four-axis pallet robot is used while a kartesian iii The analysis of investments shows the costs that appear due to the implementation of the suggestions of improvement. In addition pay-off time is calculated and a capitalization calculation is shown. In the chapter Slutsatser och Rekommendationer pros and cons for the different suggestions are discussed. Finally a solution is recommended.

Uppsatsen är en kvalitativ fallstudie som syftar till att undersöka hur några högskoleingenjörer upplever och beskriver sitt lärande på sin arbetsplats med hjälp av teoretiska utgångspunkter som har sin grund i ett sociokulturellt och kontextuellt synsätt. Grunden i det sociokulturella och kontextuella synsättet är att lärande kan ses som en aspekt av all mänsklig verksamhet som alltid sker i olika typer av sociala sammanhang. Studien bygger på fem kvalitativa halvstrukturerade intervjuer som genomförts på företaget AerotechTelub AB i Arboga. Några av de teoretiska utgångspunkterna, som också legat till grund för intervjufrågorna, är livslångt, formellt, informellt och icke formellt lärande. Även begrepp som kommunikation, företagskultur och motivation har behandlats. Resultatet visar att informanterna resonerar i termer som överensstämmer med det livslånga lärandet. De talar om både formellt, informellt och icke formellt lärande. Det formella lärandet i form av högskoleutbildning utgör enligt informanterna grunden, dock är det formella och icke formella lärandet det som informanterna spontant talar om. De ger det informella lärandet störst betydelse, både vid den personliga utvecklingen och vid arbetsrelaterad kunskap. Informanterna söker vid problemlösning i arbetet information på egen hand och identifierar, formulerar och tolkar uppgifter självständigt.

Large-scale public buildings need to ensure an effective wayfinding performance for different user groups. Recent precedent based design approaches take spatial cognition into account by analysing the visuo-locomotive experience of users with the aim to interpret their behaviour and integrate it into a people-centred design. The paper focuses on the process from the analysis of precedents and the visuo-locomotive experience to the definition of design constraints that can be embedded into a parametric design for wayfinding. Primarily, we pursue a qualitative analysis of the visuo-locomotive experience of wayfinders in a healthcare built environment, with the use of cognitive-assistive and immersive/ virtual reality technologies. The outcome, presented through immersive reality, is correlated with the morphological analysis of the space and leads to precedents evaluation about design for wayfinding and the definition of new design constraints. The process is approached through an example, the environmental aspect of visual range. We conclude that this practice can overcome some of the experience based design practices of today but is not yet ingrained in the architectural and engineering design processes of public buildings.

Today many manufacturing plants are getting increasingly digitized to stay competitive. Data from the production machines can be transferred to a central storage/cloud for process/factory surveillance and for optimizing the processes. However, first data must be acquired. Wire drawing machines are seldom equipped with sensors that measure product quality, tool wear or the condition of the lubrication. This work presents concepts, experience and applications, of such sensors for wire drawing machines.

Objective: Examine deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children's phonological processing skills in relation to a reference group of children with normal hearing (NH) at two baselines pre intervention. Study the effects of computer-assisted phoneme-grapheme correspondence training in the children. Specifically analyze possible effects on DHH children's phonological processing skills.

Methods: The study included 48 children who participated in a computer-assisted intervention study, which focuses on phoneme-grapheme correspondence. Children were 5, 6, and 7 years of age. There were 32 DHH children using cochlear implants (CI) or hearing aids (HA), or both in combination, and 16 children with NH. The study had a quasi-experimental design with three test occasions separated in time by four weeks; baseline 1 and 2 pre intervention, and 3 post intervention. Children performed tasks measuring lexical access, phonological processing, and letter knowledge. All children were asked to practice ten minutes per day at home supported by their parents.

Results: NH children outperformed DHH children on the majority of tasks. All children improved their accuracy in phoneme-grapheme correspondence and output phonology as a function of the computer-assisted intervention. For the whole group of children, and specifically for children with CI, a lower initial phonological composite score was associated with a larger phonological change between baseline 2 and post intervention. Finally, 18 DHH children, whereof 11 children with CI, showed specific intervention effects on their phonological processing skills, and strong effect sizes for their improved accuracy of phoneme-grapheme correspondence.

Conclusion: For some DHH children phonological processing skills are boosted relatively more by phoneme-grapheme correspondence training. This reflects the reciprocal relationship between phonological change and exposure to and manipulations of letters.

In order to automate the operations involved in the industries, the implementation of sensors, actuators and logic controllers has become an utter necessity. In this paper, the stress has been laid on the safety of the working personnel by implementing the technique of automation using automated devices and Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). In Oil refineries, we have analyzed the specific zone of an oil collection station and found the necessity of implementing a safer working environment for the working personnel. An oil collecting station is an area in an oil refinery where oil in various forms after refining is stored in large oil tanks. It is from here that the stocks of oil are dispatched to various locations. The oil collecting stations contains large cylindrical tanks which are used to store oil. Oil in various form are sent from the digging zone after refining to the oil collecting station through long pipelines. Taking into account these aspects, safety system have been designed and developed in order to secure that area. In any industry the safety of the working personnel is of first priority. The productivity and efficiency of any organization depends on the efficiency of the working personnel. Hence it is very important to provide a better working environment for the working personnel. So, this project is a trend towards the better productivity and work output of any organization which has been made possible with the implementation of automation.

Involvement of automation in manufacturing technology plays an important role in enhancing the quality of process and products. An automated device which replaces manual involvement is an extraordinary contribution to the mankind. In this paper, stress is laid on the designing of an automated drilling system so to perform drilling operation automatically in efficient way. So for this purpose, initially the design of the drilling system setup is crafted using PRO-E software based on the design considerations. Then the actuation and control part is taken care with the help of actuating elements like DC motor, mechanical wheels and by programming it effectively using PLC. Finally the prototype model is developed in order to facilitate drilling operation with ease and accuracy. The drilling operation is performed by the combination of the movements of the drilling system and the base on which workpiece is kept for drill operations.In this paper innovative design and efficient programming have been merge to generate a device which will significantly contribute to the field of production.

Automating the detection of processing conditions that may lead to defects in the wire during the wire drawing process is of high interest to the industry. Current practise is based primarily on operator experience. Increasing demands on product quality and process robustness emphasises the need for development of robust in-process detection methods. This work is focusing on investigating the potential of using vibration monitoring to detect process deficiencies or variations that may lead to defects in the product. Wire drawing of a carbon steel in different lubricating situations was used to investigate vibration signal response together with force measurements and surface investigation of the wire product. The results show that vibration measurement is capable of detecting loss of lubrication that leads to poor surface quality of the wire.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: This paper reviews the current capacity of personnel in enabling access to assistive technology (AT) as well as the systems and processes within which they work, and was reviewed, discussed, and refined during and following the Global Research, Innovation, and Education in Assistive Technology (GREAT) Summit.

FINDINGS: Key concepts addressed include a person-centred team approach; sustainability indicators to monitor, measure, and respond to needs for service design and delivery; education, research, and training for competent practice, using the six rehab-workforce challenges framework; and credentialing frameworks. We propose development of a competence framework and associated education and training programs, and development and implementation of a certification framework for AT personnel.

CONCLUSIONS: There is a resolve to address the challenges faced by People globally to access assistive technology. Context specific needs assessment is required to understand the AT Personnel landscape, to shape and strengthen credentialing frameworks through competencies and certification, acknowledging both general and specific skill mix requirements.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Personnel in assistive technology (AT) provision should be trained using a person-centred team approach, which emphasizes appropriate skill-mix to address multiple needs within the community.
• Sustainability indicators should be used which allow personnel to monitor, measure and respond to needs for service design and delivery.
• A competence framework with associated education and training program, coupled with the development and implementation of a certification framework for AT personnel needs, will promote quality in AT personnel training globally.

This paper is based on work from the Global Research, Innovation, and Education on Assistive Technology (GREAT) Summit that was coordinated by WHO's Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE). The purpose of this paper is to describe the needs and opportunities embedded in the assistive product lifecycle as well as issues relating to the various stages of assistive product mobilization worldwide. The paper discusses assistive technology product terminology and the dangers of focusing on products outside the context and rolling out products without a plan. Additionally, the paper reviews concepts and issues around technology transfer, particularly in relation to meeting global needs and among countries with limited resources. Several opportunities are highlighted including technology advancement and the world nearing a state of readiness through a developing capacity of nations across the world to successfully adopt and support the assistive technology products and applications. The paper is optimistic about the future of assistive technology products reaching the people that can use it the most and the excitement across large and small nations in increasing their own capacities for implementing assistive technology. This is expressed as hope in future students as they innovate and in modern engineering that will enable assistive technology to pervade all corners of current and potential marketplaces. Importantly, the paper poses numerous topics where discussions are just superficially opened. The hope is that a set of sequels will follow to continue this critical dialog.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Successful assistive technology product interventions are complex and include much more than the simple selection of the right product.
• Assistive technology product use is highly context sensitive in terms of an individual user's environment.
• The development of assistive technology products is tricky as it must be contextually sensitive to the development environment and market as well.
• As a field we have much to study and develop around assistive technology product interventions from a global perspective.

With varying degrees of success, a number of firms in the capital goods sector are experimenting with different ‘integrated solutions’ initiatives. Integrated solutions include product innovations which enable increased process control that allows the optimisation of the customers’ processes, as well as business innovations which change the firms’ business models and customer approach. It is not always easy to develop and commercialise these new offerings, especially for firms that have traditionally focused on developing and selling products. Integrated solutions challenge these firms to shift the focus from physical products, spare parts and support services to emphasis on delivery of performance optimisation and productivity.

This thesis is a compilation of five papers and five supporting chapters that discuss and analyse the challenges with developing and commercialising integrated solutions in the capital goods sector. The research builds on case studies of firms experimenting with integrated-solution offerings. The firms produce complex, expensive industrial machinery to customers in the process and manufacturing industries. The main case is based on a five-year, in-depth longitudinal study of Alfa Laval, and more specifically of the developments within the wastewater industry. Other case studies include ITT Flygt and Atlas Copco.

The thesis shows that the development and commercialisation of integrated solutions represent a multifaceted, iterative and complex process for the firms under study, who need to combine product, service and business innovations, create new business structures, and create new relationships with customers and possible partners. Consequently, the development of integrated solutions is not confined to or explained by one theoretical field in this thesis, but is linked to innovation, service and network perspectives.

The thesis also shows that the three activities of innovating, organising and building relationships are dependent on changing market structures, customer demands and business cycles. Therefore it becomes important to manage the coexistence of different types of offerings, such as products, services and integrated solutions.