CAREER: A Fundamental Study on Hard Turning - Prediction and Synthesis of Surface Integrity and Component Life

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This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award supports fundamental research on hard turning. The research objective of this CAREER award is to predict and synthesize surface integrity and component life by hard turning. The specific research approaches are: (a) create and verify meso/micro-scale finite element analysis models of hard turning to predict surface integrity through accurate modeling of dynamic mechanical behavior with loading history effects, materials damage, and microstructure effects of work materials and (b) identify the individual and compound effects of residual stress profile and white layer on fatigue life in rolling contact using novel experimental and simulation approaches. The education objective is to integrate the research results into education activities across academic disciplines and career paths in manufacturing engineering. The specific approach includes curriculum development and collaborative learning; a hard turning academy; outreach to local historically black colleges and universities, high schoolers, and professional societies; collaborations with industrial practitioners, leading academic groups, and national labs; and various assessment tools and broad dissemination.If successful, this CAREER plan will enable machining industry to make high quality bearings, gears, cams, shafts, pinions, dies, molds, tools, and other parts at high efficiency, flexibility and low cost, while lessening the environmental impact. This will result in cheaper and superior fatigue performance of machined components used in rolling contact, thereby benefiting the economy and society. The established hard turning paradigm can be an example for other manufacturing processes. The research accomplishments will significantly advance research and manufacturing capabilities of the hard turning consortium at The University of Alabama to stimulate economic growth in Alabama through high-impact research and creating well-trained manufacturing workforce. The educational initiatives will also facilitate students' learning processes and continuing education; broaden participation of underrepresented students in research; and transfer new research findings to a broad audience.