Alison J. McMillan

Bio: Alison J. McMillan is an academic researcher from Glyndŵr University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Casing & Composite number. The author has an hindex of 18, co-authored 93 publications receiving 1101 citations. Previous affiliations of Alison J. McMillan include Rolls-Royce Holdings & University of Bristol.

Measurement of the fracture toughness associated with the longitudinal fibre compressive failure mode of laminated composites

Abstract: The fracture toughness associated with the fibre compressive failure was obtained from testing notched unidirectional carbon/epoxy four-point-bend specimens. Microscopy of failed specimens revealed that onset of damage was characterised by the formation of a single line of fibre breaks at approximately 45° to the plane of the initial notch. A micromechanical finite element model was used to investigate this failure scenario and it was concluded that the most probable cause of the damage morphology was compression-induced shear failure of the composite. An intrinsic material property in this case was deemed to be the mode II critical strain energy release rate associated with the initiation of the 45° crack. For IM7/8552, this was measured to be G IIc = 4.5 ± 0.8 kJ/m 2 .

Out of the Crisis

Abstract: According to W. Edwards Deming, American companies require nothing less than a transformation of management style and of governmental relations with industry. In Out of the Crisis, originally published in 1982, Deming offers a theory of management based on his famous 14 Points for Management. Management's failure to plan for the future, he claims, brings about loss of market, which brings about loss of jobs. Management must be judged not only by the quarterly dividend, but by innovative plans to stay in business, protect investment, ensure future dividends, and provide more jobs through improved product and service. In simple, direct language, he explains the principles of management transformation and how to apply them.

Voids in fiber-reinforced polymer composites: A review on their formation, characteristics, and effects on mechanical performance:

Abstract: Voids, the most studied type of manufacturing defects, form very often in processing of fiber-reinforced composites. Due to their considerable influence on physical and thermomechanical properties ...

Review and comparison of dry friction force models

Abstract: Friction force models play a fundamental role for simulation of mechanical systems. Their choice affects the matching of numerical results with physically observed behavior. Friction is a complex phenomenon depending on many physical parameters and working conditions, and none of the available models can claim general validity. This paper focuses the attention on well-known friction models and offers a review and comparison based on numerical efficiency. However, it should be acknowledged that each model has its own distinctive pros and cons. Suitability of the model depends on physical and operating conditions. Features such as the capability to replicate stiction, Stribeck effect, and pre-sliding displacement are taken into account when selecting a friction formulation. For mechanical systems, the computational efficiency of the algorithm is a critical issue when a fast and responsive dynamic computation is required. This paper reports and compares eight widespread engineering friction force models. These are divided into two main categories: those based on the Coulomb approach and those established on the bristle analogy. The numerical performances and differences of each model have been monitored and compared. Three test cases are discussed: the Rabinowicz test and other two test problems casted for this occurrence.

A survey and comparison of several friction force models for dynamic analysis of multibody mechanical systems

Abstract: This study is aimed at examining and comparing several friction force models dealing with different friction phenomena in the context of multibody system dynamics. For this purpose, a comprehensive review of present literature in this field of investigation is first presented. In this process, the main aspects related to friction are discussed, with particular emphasis on the pure dry sliding friction, stick–slip effect, viscous friction and Stribeck effect. In a simple and general way, the friction force models can be classified into two main groups, namely the static friction approaches and the dynamic friction models. The former group mainly describes the steady-state behavior of friction force, while the latter allows capturing more properties by using extra state variables. In the present study, a total of 21 different friction force models are described and their fundamental physical and computational characteristics are discussed and compared in details. The application of those friction models in multibody system dynamic modeling and simulation is then investigated. Two multibody mechanical systems are utilized as demonstrative application examples with the purpose of illustrating the influence of the various frictional approaches on the dynamic response of the systems. From the results obtained, it can be stated that both the choice of the friction force model and friction parameters involved can significantly affect the simulated/modeled dynamic response of mechanical systems with friction.