International Journal of Manufacturing Research (6 papers in press)

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• Open Access

  Study of the crosslinking of phenol-formaldehyde resins using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy ( Free Full-text Access )

  by Bart?omiej Milewski, Piotr Jele?, Robert Antosz, Jadwiga Laska 
  Abstract: Comprehensive understanding of curing of phenolic resins in a complex system of abrasive materials is essential for improving quality and repeatability of high performance abrasive tools. In order to study crosslinking of phenol-formaldehyde resins, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT) was used. Measurements were conducted in a heated chamber in the temperature range of 20-300Comprehensive understanding of curing of phenolic resins in a complex system of abrasive materials is essential for improving quality and repeatability of high performance abrasive tools. In order to study crosslinking of phenol-formaldehyde resins, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT) was used. Measurements were conducted in a heated chamber in the temperature range of 20300C. The spectra made it possible to observe chemical changes occurring in the resin during the curing process. A detailed analysis of changes in the intensity of the bands related to the presence of the curing agent, active groups of resole resin and appearance of methylene bridges enabled the development of a method for monitoring the cross-linking process. Study showed that simultaneous crosslinking of resole and novolac occurs at significantly lower temperature, when compared to separate processes.
  Keywords: drifts; resin; phenolic; resole; novolac; ftir; spectroscopy; abrasive; manufacturing; curing; crosslinking.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMR.2026.10079647
   
  

• Open Access

  Operational efficiency of industrial hydraulic drive systems ( Free Full-text Access )

  by Oleh Levchenko, Olexander Gubarev, Kostjantyn Belikov, Yurii Tsybrii 
  Abstract: This article focuses on the hydraulic drive systems optimisation in terms of both energy efficiency and operational performance. The inconsistencies between schematics and system actions in an operating cycle as the main cause of energy losses was identified. To evaluate the overall efficiency, an integral efficiency coefficient was introduced, which is calculated over a complete cycle, considering the circuit configuration, the operating cycle, and the actuators characteristics. Since this coefficient alone does not take into account equipment cost and lifetime, the article proposes the operating efficiency coefficient, which integrates the energy equivalent equipment cost, lifetime, cycle parameters, and energy consumption. The comparison of the operating efficiency coefficient between different design options enables a quick selection of the optimal hydraulic schematic without detailed pre-calculations. This solution accelerates decision-making, helps engineers identify efficient configurations early, rationalizes hydraulic system design to balance energy efficiency, cost, and lifetime for high-performance, cost-effective hydraulic drives.
  Keywords: hydraulic drive system; operating efficiency coefficient; energy consumption; actuator; simplified simulation.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMR.2026.10079648
   
  
• Influence Mechanism of Process Parameters on AlSi10Mg Grains under Constant Energy Density based on Additive Manufacturing Simulation  
  by Dianwen Zhao, Enming Hu, Lin Liu, Xiuqun Cao, Jianxin Xu 
  Abstract: In selective laser melting (SLM) of AlSi10Mg, relying solely on volumetric energy density (VED) obscures individual process parameter effects. This study investigates the mechanisms of laser power and scanning speed on thermal history and 3D anisotropic microstructural evolution under a constant VED. Five combinations were simulated using an experimentally validated ANSYS Additive framework at 62.5 J/mm3. Results show non-monotonic thermal and microstructural evolutions. Initial strong preferred grain orientation is disrupted into random distributions under extreme parameters. The dominant mechanism shifts from thermal accumulation-controlled coarsening to significant grain refinement. Quantitatively, XY-plane fine grains (210 m) dropped to 27.59% befoYZ-plane remained stable. This study proves that power and speed dictate 3D spatial grain structures despite uniform VED. This provides a theoretical basis for precise customisation of microstructure anisotropy through simple optimisation of power velocity combinations.re rebounding to 42.88%, XZ-plane fine grains surged by 142%, while the YZ-plane remained stable. This study proves that power and speed dictate 3D spatial grain structures despite uniform VED. This provides a theoretical basis for precise customisation of microstructure anisotropy through simple optimisation of power velocity combinations.
  Keywords: AlSi10Mg; Energy density; SLM; Grain size; Grain orientation angle; Microstructure.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMR.2026.10078876
   
  
• Sustainable Advancements in Micro and Green EDM: A Critical Review of Challenges and Opportunities  
  by Rashique Arif, Azhar Equbal, Manoj Kumar Poddar, Alok Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Firoz Akhtar, Devlina Parai, Smriti Raj, Asif Equbal 
  Abstract: Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a non-conventional process used for machining conductive materials with complex geometries and high hardness. Advances in micro-EDM (-EDM) have enabled precision microscale machining for biomedical, aerospace, and microelectronic applications. However, challenges such as tool wear, debris removal, and process instability still restrict wider industrial adoption. Growing emphasis on sustainable manufacturing has accelerated the development of green EDM technologies to reduce toxic emissions and reliance on non-biodegradable dielectrics. Eco-friendly approaches, including biodegradable dielectric fluids, powdermixed EDM, and hybrid-assisted EDM using ultrasonic, magnetic, or cryogenic techniques, have improved machining efficiency and surface quality. This review critically examines developments in -EDM and green EDM from 20202024 using studies indexed in Scopus and Web of Science. Emphasis is placed on process optimisation, hybrid machining strategies, novel dielectric systems, and sustainability, while highlighting opportunities and challenges in combining precision manufacturing with environmentally responsible machining practices.
  Keywords: Electrical discharge machining; Micro-EDM; Green manufacturing; Sustainable machining; Micro materials; Dielectric fluids.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMR.2026.10079215
   
  
• Dynamic response mechanism of SLM molding process parameters for high Solid Ratio AlSi10Mg alloys  
  by Dianwen Zhao, Jun Zhang, Fangyu Liu, Xingyan Li, Jianxin Xu 
  Abstract: Numerical simulations were conducted using Ansys Additive to investigate the variations in single-track melt pool dimensions and solid ratio of AlSi10Mg during SLM by controlling laser scanning speed. Results demonstrate that as the scanning speed decreases from 1,300 mm/s to 600 mm/s, the increased linear energy density induces significant melt pool expansion driven by heat accumulation effects predominantly under conduction-dominated mode. When the ratio of melt pool depth to powder layer thickness reaches 1.9, the solid ratio approaches unity. This condition ensures complete penetration through the current powder layer for high densification while eliminating underlying defects through remelting of the previous layer. By optimising the overlap ratio to 47.38%, appropriate inter-track bonding was achieved with reduced thermal stress and enhanced density. The study reveals that controlled energy input through velocity adjustment enables effective regulation of melt pool characteristics and defect mitigation in SLM-processed aluminium alloys.
  Keywords: SLM; Melt pool size; AlSi10Mg; Solid ratio; Powder thickness; Scanning speed; Melt pool depth; Melt pool width; Overlap length; Overlap ratio.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMR.2026.10079424
   
  
• Design Optimisation of an Agricultural Backhoe Using Soft Computing Approaches  
  by Afsaneh Soleimani, Jalal Baradaran 
  Abstract: Strength analysis is essential to ensure safe and lightweight design of agricultural backhoe components. This work presents the structural lightweighting of a custom agricultural digging implement using Finite Element Method (FEM), theoretical analysis, Artificial neural networks (ANNs) and machine learning (ML) methods. A FEM and theoretical analysis of the backhoe components was developed under critical conditions per ISO 6015:2006E. The comparison results showed that there is an absolute difference of less than 5% between the computed and analytical stress values of the arm of the farming backhoe. In addition, combination of FEM, ANNs and ML approaches were used to predict an optimised design to reduce the mass of large backhoe components (boom, arm and bucket). The use of Support Vector Machine (SVM) showed the highest accuracy in predicting the theoretical stresses with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.96. Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) technique also resulted in a 26.0% reduction in the base mass of the farming backhoe (from 436.8 kg to 323.4 kg).
  Keywords: Excavator; Mass reduction; Digging force; FEA; Machine learning.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMR.2026.10079556