COIT20275: System Science and Engineering Report on Sintering Process

This report delves into the application of System Science and Engineering principles to the analysis of a sintering process. It begins with an introduction to the process, including its purpose, inputs, outputs, and staging. The report then explores various approaches and methods for functional analysis, specifically design for usability and design for maintenance, detailing the operational aspects and potential failure points within the system. The subsequent sections focus on functional allocation, particularly design for reliability, employing the Integrated Factor Method (IFM) to assess and allocate reliability parameters to different system components. The study uses Reliability Block Diagrams (RBD) and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to identify critical events and allocate unreliability. The conclusion summarizes the benefits of the IFM and its effectiveness in allocating reliability, emphasizing its adaptability and modular structure for optimizing the sintering process. The report includes references to relevant literature supporting the analysis.

SYSTEM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING COIT20275
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Contents
1.0 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................3
Preliminary Design...............................................................................................................................4
1.2 Purpose..............................................................................................................................................4
1.2.1 Sintering Products and production Process................................................................................4
1.3 Inputs.............................................................................................................................................5
1.5 Staging...........................................................................................................................................5
1.6 Output...........................................................................................................................................5
2.0 Approaches/methods for functional analysis....................................................................................6
2.1 Design for Usability........................................................................................................................6
2.2 Design for Maintenance.................................................................................................................8
3.0 Approaches/methods for functional allocation...............................................................................10
3.1 Design for Reliability....................................................................................................................10
4.0 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................................13
5.0 REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................15

R.A.M.S. Analysis in the plant of Sintering using the method of new Reliability Allocation
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The success of any company will always depend on its ability to satisfy its customers in terms of
pricing, quality and services. The fundamental part of these three aspects is affected by the two
characteristics of the products. These characteristics include the maintainability and reliability. In
the previous years, there have been developments of new techniques and methodologies which
guarantee high standards of maintenance and reliability (Qiang and Hai-Feng 2014).
This basically implies reduction in the stops of the machines as well as achieving lower costs of
the maintenance). Such kind of the techniques allows for the estimation of the beforehand the
parameters. The parameters constitutes reliability, availability, maintainability and safety
commonly refered to as (R.A.M.S. Analysis). When such methodologies are applied, it is
possible to point out the weak points during the phase of the planning as well as the managerial
phase. The system’s reliability is a representation of both starting and ending point of the
analysis of R.A.M.S (Li et al 2013).

Preliminary Design
This particular paper is however interested in the reliability of the single sub-system analysis so
that it is possible to achieve the reliability of the whole system. It is possible to properly fix the
reliability value of the system so that the performance of each and every component can be
estimated hence obtaining the most important sub-system as the result-reliability of the system
design. After this analysis, there is presentation of the allocation technique in regard to the
reliability .It is through this kind of the technique that assignment of the reliability parameters to
various system parts become possible. Through this kind of approach, the entire system reaches
the established target of the reliability. One of the primary benefits which emanates from the
employment of the technique of reliability allocation is that it is both cost and time saving. In
literature, there has never been a universal technique which is applicable to any system at any
planning stage or in the system management. This implies that R.A.M.S .Analysis will have to
look for a methodology which is more suitable for the whole system (Halog, Schultmann and
Rentz 2017).
1.2 Purpose
1.2.1 Sintering Products and production Process.
One of the suitable technologies for the production of the metal ceramics or finished metal is the
metallurgy of the powders. This starts from the powders mixed through operations of pressing
and sintering. This particular process generally takes place in an atmosphere which has been
controlled. It usually comprises activities of keeping powders at proper temperatures which can
result into conglomeration of all the mass. The temperature is regulated in such a manner that the
material fusion is prevented.

1.3 Inputs
The starting materials usually include metal carbide. This is cobalt powders and tungsten
carbide. The method of preparing powder of the metal is divided into two categories or groups.
1.4 Supporting Mechanism
They include:
 Chemical processes: this constitutes thermal reduction, decomposition, condensation,
replacement and precipitation.
 Mechanical Processes: It involves processing at the machine tools, grinding, crushing
and gritting.
1.5 Staging
The powders are mixed in the spherical mills before they are subjected to the compaction
process. This is then followed by the addition of the right quantities of the lubricants of solid
preferably paraffin and the isopropyl alcohol which is the solvent of lubricant. The addition of
alcohol is to assist in the uniform distribution of the powder’s mass hence leading to the
formation of the fluid mixture. After the solvent has been removed, the particles of the powder
are covered by the paraffin and assist in their compacting and union on the next phase of the
extrusion or pressing (Mishima et al 2014).
1.6 Output
The process of the extrusion enables the subsequent phase of the hydraulic pressing to obtain
box-shaped pieces which are very long. The obtained products are later delubricated beefier they
are presintered so that they can give suitable capacities of the mechanical resistances in the next
process of moulding. The obtained product through operations with tool machines is sent to the

phase of sintering. This particular cycle is performed in the resistance or induction furnaces and
the powder mixes are given out as the solid body (Kang et al 2016).
2.0 Approaches/methods for functional analysis
The methodology of the allocation which is refered to as (M.F.I.) has been applied to the section
of the powder drying considering that it represents a crucial in the cycle of the production. In
fact the partial retrieval of lubricant or lacking of the same would cause difficult deposit of
paraffin on the particles of powder. The consequent problem will include powder compacting in
the subsequent pressing phase. The isopropyl alcohol retrieval is affected through pump of the
piston in the section of the vacuum.
2.1 Design for Usability
The retrieval of the used solvent takes place through the process of drying mixture. The drying
process is achieved by heating the mixture while using warm water. This kind of the operation is
usually completed when carried out in a vacuum.

Figure 1: Productive Cycle functional diagram (Halog, Schultmann, and Rentz 2017)
The lack of the physical redundancies results into the possibilities of the malfunctions or
breakdowns of the analyzed sub-systems. In some cases it might involve inefficiencies of
considerable amount which will affect quality and cost. The mechanical characteristics of the
piston pump which is used for the vacuum section will need maximum reliability. Such
characteristics include the following:
 Turns per minute: 250
 Capacity: 100m3/h
 Power of the motor: 3kW
 Total weight: 380 kg
 Vacuum: 5,30 mbar
The rotation of the flywheel is started by the electric engine. Through the camshaft, the flywheel
will operate the connecting rod, piston, slide valve and the distributing rod. During this run, the
piston will be inhaling the gases of the cylinder from the slits while at the same time discharging
the gases which had been inhaled previously through the reverse run through its valves. The
operation of the pump will be intermittently for a period of 20 to 22 hours per day. In the period
of the remaining hours of inaction, the maintenance operations can be ordinarily performed
(Falcone et al 2015).
2.2 Design for Maintenance
The sub-systems’ lubrication is achieved through a pumping group which constitutes two pumps-
a gearing pump and a piston pump. The allocation of the criticalities which are reliable to the

sub-systems units required a preliminary study. The main steps of this study included the
following:
 Definition of the product tree
 Functional Analysis
 Reliability Block Diagram definition (R.B.D.)
 Preliminary analysis of the Hazards
 Functional – FMECA.
The division of the vacuum pump into six functional units has been allowed by the use of RBD
Figure 2: Reliability Block Diagram (Halog, Schultmann, and Rentz 2017).
The preliminary analysis of the hazards has allowed the determination of two probable events
which are undesirable. This calls for fixing some targets including:
 When the functionality of the system is lost (very critical event)
 When both human lives and functionality of the system are lost (catastrophic event)

FMEA refers to a support technique to the systems’ critical examination during the entire phases
of its life cycle. The supplied information allows for the determination of the priorities for the
control of the process and for the established inspections in the installation and construction
period. It is through functional module that the estimation of the of the characterization factors of
method of the M.F.I. This was necessary since it allows or the allocation of the criticalities
affecting reliability of the system (Melnyk 2014). As far as the document is concerned, it was
discovered that realizing FMEA while using the drawn up module was very beneficial especially
for the system which is being examined as well as being prepared according to the pursued
purpose, The information needed by the module is subdivided as per the details of the columns:
3.0 Approaches/methods for functional allocation
3.1 Design for Reliability
The Integrated Factor Method that is the first version has been used in the application of the
reliability allocation. The versatile as well as the modulate structure of FIM method is being
stretched. The technology index S together with electronics functionality index E allocation
parameters is not given any discrimination for the examined components. While all plunger
pump units are being electromechanical completely ( E = 0,1) and from the shell type ( S =0,5
components pf traditional).
To the every unit of RDB, the necessary indexes were estimated for the allocation using a
Functional Analysis (FMEA) as well as the judgment of the expert may help a lot.

Starting from the indexes evaluation.
K= complexity
C= critically
F=functionally
O=effectiveness
The calculations were
The Global Index value (IG) relative to the sub-system of every top event that is the even which
may be critical or catastrophic.
The Global Index percentage value (IG %) of the every unit.
The values of the unreliability allocated U i.
The value of consequent reliability allocated Ri.
The critical event results are shown in the table below
Table 1: The table showing the factors of allocation values that is allocated unreliability where
UI= 0.15

Table 1: Values of the allocation Factors (Halog, Schultmann, and Rentz 2017).
The allocation results of the I.F.M in terms of IG% are as given in the figures below.
This is then followed by the allocated target of unreliability which is Us=3,00·10-1 .

It is possible to obtain the allocated values of the reliability for every analyzed unit considering
that the values of the reliability are: Ri = (1 - Ui),.
From the analysis of the result obtained, it is evident that:
The method proposed is able to perform allocations which have been particularized hence
leading to the selection of the various units of the system.
This particular method is capable of allocating the greater values of Us to the units with the
highest complexity marked as K and higher values of Functionality marked as F indexes.
The method which was proposed had the following advantages
 It led to the reduction of the subject ability through an exact quality-quantity definition of
the indexes of KO.
 It was never necessary to know the data of the reliability of the same unit while using this
particular technique. This implies that this particular method can be applied to the
systems of the innovation too,
 The introduction or elimination of factors is possible hence making the adaption of the
entire method to the system and to the phase of the project
 The analytical treatment is fairly simple