A Review on Manufacturing of CompositeMaterials by Electromagnetic Stir Casting Method

Rohan Kumar'", Shyam lal', Sudhir Kumar'1M Tech Student, 'Assistant Professor; 'Professor

I·J Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noida, India'rohankumar14@gmail.com

Abstract - Composite materials are engineered from twoor more materials with significantly different physical orchemical properties. These properties remain separate anddistinct at the macroscopic or microscopic scale within thefinished structure. These are high density and high strengthmaterials which are used in almost all aspects of theindustrial and commercial fields in aircraft, ships, commonvehicles, etc. This paper presents a brief review of variousexplorations on manufacturing of metal matrix composites(MMC's) by stir casting methods.

Keywords: Composite materials, Metal MatrixComposites, Stir casting method.

I. INTRODUCTION

A composite material is a macroscopic combination oftwo or more distinct materials, having a recognizableinterface between them. Composite is a multiphasematerial that exhibits a significant proportion of theproperties of both constituent phases such that a bettercombination of properties is realized. This is termed as theprinciple of combined action [7].

Conventional monolithic materials have limitations inachieving good combination of strength, stiffness,toughness and density. To overcome these shortcomingsand to meet the ever increasing demand of moderntechnology, composites are most promising material ofrecent interest. The composite industry has begun torecognize that the commercial application of compositespromise to offer much larger business opportunities thanthe aerospace sector due to the sheer size of transportationindustry. Thus the shift of composite applications fromaircraft industry to other commercial uses has becomeprominent in recent years. Among the various classes ofcomposites, this paper deals with Metal Matrixcomposites and their manufacturing by stir castingmethod. The present paper discusses aboutelectromagnetic stir casting processes and the variousresearches conducted on it for the manufacturing ofMMC's.

II. MANUFACTURING OF MMC'S

The MMC's manufacturing can be broken into

various types such as solid and liquid. The solid statemethod involves powder blending and consolidation(powder metallurgy) method. Powdered metal anddiscontinuous reinforcement are mixed and then bondedthrough a process of compaction, degassing, and thermo-mechanical treatment. Another method called as FoilDiffusion Bonding Method utilized layers of metal foil.These layers are sandwiched between long fibers, andthen pressed through to form a matrix [4].

The Liquid state method has various processes such asElectroplating / Electroforming, Stir casting, Squeezecasting, Spray Deposition and Reactive Processing. TheElectroplating involves a solution containing metal ionsloaded with reinforcing particles; next sentence is co-deposited forming a composite material. The stir castingmethod involves discontinuous reinforcement beingstirred into molten metal, which is then allowed tosolidify. In the Squeeze casting method, molten metal isinjected into a mould with fibers preplaced inside it.While, in Spray deposition, molten metal is sprayed onto acontinuous fiber substrate and in reactive processing achemical reaction occurs, with one of the reactantsforming the matrix and the other the reinforcement [2].

III. STUDIES ON MMC'S

A few researchers such as H. K. Moffatt in 1990investigated that alternating magnetic field applied to aconductor, whether solid or fluid, will induce electriccurrent in the conductor, and hence a Lorentz forcedistribution. This Lorentz force is in general rotational,and if the conductor is fluid, it is set in motion. Thus themagnetic field acts as a nonintrusive stirring device and itcan, in principle, be engineered to provide any desiredpattern of stirring. Stirring may also be affected throughthe interaction of a steady current distribution driventhrough a fluid and the associated magnetic field. Whenthe field frequency is high, the Lorentz force is confined toa thin electromagnetic boundary layer, and the net effectof the magnetic field is to induce either a tangentialvelocity or a tangential stress just inside the boundarylayer. The distribution of velocity or stress is related to thestructure of the applied field. Symmetric configurationsmay lead to patterns of stirring in which the streamlines lie

NIET Journal of Engineering & Technology, Vol. 1, Issue 2, 2013 33

on toroidal surfaces; more generally, however, thestreamline pattern is chaotic. If electrically conductingparticles are suspended in a non - conducting fluid beingsubjected to same type of alternating magnetic field, someproblem in stirring arises. Current is now induced in theparticles, and each particle experiences a force and acouple. When several particles are in suspension, themovement of each is influenced by the presence of theothers, and a problem somewhat analogous to the problemof interacting point vortices arises. Figure I showsqualitative sketch of continuous casting process for steel.For a suspension of conducting particles, inhomogeneityof the field leads to inhomogeneity ofthe concentration ofparticles and a bulk flow is induced [1].

Sup 1)1'

lJ"""Iiduch:"I'I&pra ••••.•dan::Jo. U1l""G &~Ib"IIIII••••e ILng fI td1

Fig.1 Qualitative sketch of continuous casting process for steel [I]

Eiichi Takeuchi et al. in 1994 investigated thatcontinuous casting process is near perfection in terms ofproductivity and quality; for its further advancement fromthe viewpoint of both economy and technology so that itmay prove a truly viable production process towards thecoming century. Attention is now focused on the appliedMHD technology. A typical example of Nippon Steel'sapplied MHD technology is the control of molten steelflow in the mold by electromagnetic stirring and braking.Author featured in his research that these flow controltechniques are described from an MHD point of view. Inparticular, simulation experiment and numerical analysisclarify the interference between the steel flow asdischarged from the immersion nozzle and that as drivenby electromagnetic force, as well as the relationshipbetween the flow field and the electromagnetic field thatchanges with electric boundary conditions. Also

introduced are some of the characteristic metallurgicalbenefits of electromagnetic stirring and brakingconfirmed by plant tests. Further, description is made ofthe technique of controlling the initial solidification ofsteel in the mold by an alternating-current magnetic fieldthat has been attracting increasing attention in recentyears, as per to the results of simulation and steel castingtests. The oscillation mark depth decreased withincreasing magnetic flux density of electromagnetic forceapplied as shown in fig. 2 [2].

500 r------------------."""'e 400.;:,

'-s: ,.., .•..•Co 300 ,III "-0

...I<...<'CE 2001::.2•..«l 100=='0'"0

0.05 0.10 0.15Magnetic flux density (T)

0.20

Fig. 2 Reduction in oscillation mark depth with increasingmagnetic flux density [2]

N. Ei-Kaddah et al. in 1999 investigated forelectromagnetic stirring which is widely used incontinuous casting of steel as a means to improvehomogeneity of cast slabs. Industrial experiments haveshown that stirrer design and operating conditions have astrong influence on the metallurgical quality of the castslab. Author examined the effects of the stirrer current andfield frequency on the flow in horizontal electromagneticstirring of steel slab. The stirrer current and frequencywere found to affect the primary horizontal flow in thevertical section converted by the stirrer to have asignificant effect on the upward flow in the force freeregion above the edge ofthe stirrer. It was also found thatthe flow was quite turbulent in the region. Facing thestirrer and turbulence mixing diminishes rapidly beyondthe edges of the stirrer. It has also been demonstrated thatthrough the changes in the stirrer current and or fieldfrequency, it is possible to modify the magnitude anddistribution of turbulence characteristics of the inducedflow [3].

D. Brabazon et al. in 2002 carried out a comprehensivestudy to establish the effects of controlled stirring duringsolidification on the microstructure and mechanicalproperties of Aluminium alloys, in comparison toconventionally gravity chill cast materials. Anovel device

34 NIET Journal of Engineering & Technology, Vol. 1, Issue 2, 2013

comprising a grooved reaction bonded Silicon Nitride rodrotating in a tube-like crucible was used to processAluminium alloys in the mushy state. The stir castingdevice was specially designed to enable rheumatic studyof the alloys in this condition. A factorial design ofexperiments was used to determine the effect of theprocess variables such as shear rate, shear time (z.), andvolume fraction solid during shear (f.) on microstructureand the static and dynamic mechanical properties of thestir cast alloy. Investigation of the microstructureconsisted of computer-aided image analysis of theprimary phase morphology. A more globular primaryphase was achieved at low values of!" but this was not theoptimum morphology for mechanical properties. In allcases, improved mechanical properties and reducedporosity were obtained in the stir cast condition incomparison with conventional casting and in comparisonwith previous work on stir casting. Comparison with alloycommercially casted via electromagnetic stirring showedthat it had superior mechanical properties. It is proposedthat the mechanical stir casting process be considered asan alternative to gravity die casting in cases where verysimple and thick walled shapes are required. Temperatureversus fraction solid graphs, as determined for the twoalloys, may be seen in figure 3. Processing should occurbetween the coherency point and the eutectic point inorder for the dendritic structure to be modified by theshearing action. Using the coherency point determined bythe two thermocouple method, processing temperatureranges of 54°C and 37°C for Al - 4% Si and A356respectively were found [4].

Marcela B. Goldschmit, et al. in 2003 demonstrated in

6350- 625!a-~ 615.i3l.I! 6058.E 595Q)•...

585575

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8

Fraction solid<h)

610~ 600~ 590~ 580~ 5708. 560E~ 550

540530L----- ~----~----~

o

-_0_-- "'- .

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8{a) Fraction solid

Fig. 3 Temperature vs. fraction solid for (a) A356; and (b) AI- 4%Si, at a cooling rate, after solidification, of O.06°C s+ l (4)

their study how the numerical models contribute to theunderstanding of design and optimization of thecontinuous casting process. Three different physicalmechanisms used to move the liquid steel were analyzed:gravity force, electromagnetic forces and the stirring byinert gas injection.

The optimization of the mechanisms provides highquality castings. [5].

S. Milind et al. in 2004 presented about design andanalysis of a linear type Electromagnetic stirrer. ElectroMagnetic Stirring of metallic alloys is mainly used torefine the grain structure of casting. This technique resultsin increased homogeneity of the cast alloys. In his paper adesign oriented approach to a linear electromagneticstirrer is presented. A mathematical model of such a stirreris proposed to obtain electromagnetic field solution. Thefield solution is obtained from the finite element model.The influence of current and its frequency, axial force andits variation with radius have been investigated.Experimental results obtained from a prototype arepresented and concludes that the paper does not considerthe Magneto Hydro Dynamics aspect of the molten metal.The field solution obtained from analytical and simulationmodels are found to be matching quite well. Theyconcluded that lower excitation frequencies give rise touniform field (H) and linear currents (J). Hence with thislower employed frequency, gentle stirring of the charge(Molten Metal) in the stirrer is achieved. Also at lowerfrequencies, the current density is barely noticeable. Theuniform magnetic field and linear current density in themolten metal will result in axial and radial forces. Theseaxial and radial forces will be proportional to the radius.The radial forces have no average while the axial forcesaverage in the direction of phases sequences [6].

Z.Yang et al. in 2005 investigated the possibility ofreplacing mechanical stirring system withElectromagnetic Stirring system for Aluminium rheo die- casting. The electromagnetic stirring was carried outunder the different stirring cooling conditions. It wasfound that in the early period of solidification, the dendritebreakages led to a fine primary phase. When dendritesgrew coarsely, the effect of ripening on grain sizeoverwhelmed that of dendrite breakage. It was also foundthat the high cooling rate favored large nucleation rate,and led to a fine primary phase. But high cooling rate alsomade the growth rate of the dendrite arm, which preventedthe dendrite arm from being sheared off. Therefore therewere a suitable stirring time and suitable cooling rate toobtain rheo die-casting structure. Semisolid A356Aluminum alloy was successfully manufactured withshort time EMS. The static particle size and the shapefactor based on 2D microanalysis were plotted in fig. 4. Itwas found that the holding time that has an unidentifiedeffect on the grain size as well as on the shape factor [7].

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Weimin MAO et al. in 2006 investigated the effects ofpouring temperature, short electromagnetic stirring withlow strength and then soaking treatment on themicrostructure of AISi7Mg alloy. The results show that ifAISi7Mg alloy is poured at 630°C or 650°C andmeanwhile stirred by an electromagnetic field at a lowpower for a short time, the pouring process can be easilycontrolled and most solidified primary a-AI grainsbecome spherical with only a few of them are rosette-like.Weak electromagnetic stirring makes the temperaturefield more homogeneous and makes the primary a-AIgrains disperse in a larger region, which leads to thespherical microstructure of primary a-AI grains. Whenthe AISi7Mg alloy is soaked or reheated at the semisolidstate, the primary a-AI grains ripen further and theybecome more spherical, which is favorable to the semi-solid forming ofA1Si7Mg alloy [8].

T~ Particlesize 12-.-Shape factor u,.. (f)

---~E 8 0:i 40 .•...

c--- ro.•..~ Q)

rJ)o,ro

Q) - 4 .I:U (f)

t 20ro rJ)0... -.....Q)30 E:;:;

20 0)c:

30 40 :050 60 70 80 90 10010 0Stirring time / S

I

Fig. 4 Plots of the particle size, shape factor of primary phase obtainedwith EMS casting as a function of stirring time and holding time. [7]

ZHANG, Zhifeng et al. in 2006 investigated the semi-solid Al alloy billet obtained with high quality byimposing a multiple magnetic field from the outside of acopper mold in the continuous casting. AISi6Mg2 alloydesigned for semi-solid metal processing wascontinuously cast through a submerged entry nozzleunder various conditions. Effects of multiple magneticfields on meniscus motion, temperature distribution andbillet quality were examined. The experimental resultsshowed that meniscus disturbance caused byelectromagnetic stirring could be controlled effectivelyand the surface quality of semi-solid Al alloy billet wasimproved greatly. A fine globular microstructure acrossthe transverse section of the billet was achieved byoptimizing the distribution of multiple magnetic fields.

Figure5 shows the comparison of cooling curves underthe conditions without and with MMF. It is noted thatwhen only the commercial frequency magnetic field isimposed, the temperature difference between the outerand central part across the transverse section of the billet islarge, and also the temperature near the billet surfacedecreases quickly and string time is very short [9].

e.G. Kang et al. in 2007 gave a setup for horizontalelectromagnetic stir casting for A356 Aluminium alloy.The core of electromagnetic stirrer can be fixed in theposition of coils. The selection of inner and outer diameterof the stirrer is important. The inner diameter ofelectromagnetic stirrer should be designed to fit thevolume of products and the outer diameter, which isrelated to the number of rolling up the coils to meet theelectromagnetic stirring force. Electromagnetic stirringcoil windings are subject to wear during operation. Wearcauses a progressive degradation of the insulationproperties of the coils causing loss of ground insulation. Inaddition, accidental events (like insufficient watercooling, steel overflows etc) can damage the materials,causing significance of electromagnetic stirringperformance. The cooling water inside the coil canprevent the damage to coil from the radiation of heat beingrapidly generated during electromagnetic stirring [10].

20

EE

15

10--1::0>'Q5..c:en;:)oen'cQ)

~

-5

.',=OA, ',=8A X1,=60A. 1,=8A .',=120A,I,=8A

.',=150A. 1,=8A.A',=200A, 1,=8A-15

-200 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Distance from the mold wall / mm

Fig. 5 Cooling curves under imposing multiple magnetic field [9]

T W Kim et al. in 2008 demonstrated the formingprocess of a semi-solid material with a solid fraction ofabout 45 per cent after the primary a-AI particle in thesemi-solid material. The particles are globularized duringsolidification by electromagnetically stirring the moltenmetal poured out into the sleeve. By rheological formingexperiments incorporating electromagnetic stirring onAl6061 alloy, the process parameters were optimized tobe of 0.3 rnIs of forming velocity, 45MPa of formingpressure, 10 s of stirring time, and 30 A of stirring currentto get the best quality. The product exhibited the highesttensile strength of 3I2.8MPa and elongation of 4.51 percent at positions where the pressure was directly appliedto the material and overlapping occurred [11].

36 NIET Journal of Engineering & Technology, Vol. 1, Issue 2, 2013

Karel Stranskya et at. in 2009 investigated that ElectroMagnetic Stirring suppresses the growth of columnarcrystals of billets and reduces the tendency to crackingduring casting at low temperatures. A caster was used forthe testing of two induction stirrers. One on the actualmould and the other beneath the mould to determine theeffect of EMS on the formation of the structure of nonalloy steel. As part of these tests, certain parts of the billetshad been cast without the use of stirrers and other partsunderwent alternate switching on and off of the stirrers foras many as nine combinations of modes. Samples weretaken from the sections of these billets, fine-ground andetched in order to make the dendritic structure visible. Themode with the highest efficiency was when both stirrersran simultaneously. The growth ofthe columnar crystals,which pointed inward, was limited to one fourth to onethird of the length of the case when there was no stirring.Experimental research was also confronted with resultsacquired from the application of the models of thetemperature field and chemical heterogeneity and thephysical-similarity theory. Statistical monitoring of thequality of Concast billets has proven that stirringsignificantly reduces the occurrence of defects like cracksin this case [12].

Guanglei ZHU et al. in 2009 investigated a newmethod for producing semisolid slurry using annularelectromagnetic stirring (A-EMS) to refine andspheroidize the grains. Experimental work was under-taken to investigate the effects of cooling rate, stirringpower and stirring time on the solidification behavior ofA357 alloy using A-EMS. It was found that increasingthe cooling rate and stirring power gave rise tosubstantial grain refinement. It could be attributed to theincrease of effective nucleation rate caused by theextremely uniform temperature and composition fieldsin the bulk liquid during the initial stage ofsolidification. Results showed that a fully grain refinedspherical structure could be obtained using properprocessing conditions within 10 s [13].

Y. X. Jin et at. in 2009 investigated the microstructureand corrosion behavior of misch metal modified AZ91Dmagnesium alloy in the presence or absence of a rotatingelectromagnetic field. The study suggests that the size andvolume fraction of the p (Mg 17A112) phase in the alloydecreases as magnetic field intensity increases. Theimmersion test results show that the mass loss for the alloysolidified in the absence of a magnetic field is alwayslarger than that for the alloy solidified under magneticfield. The electrochemical corrosion experiments indicatethat the corrosion potential of the alloys increases from-1.56 to -1.51 V, while the corrosion current densitydecreases from 6.31 to 1.58 mA and the charge transferresistance increases from 3.17 to 11.32 kQ as theexcitation voltage increases from 0 to 120 V. The

enhancement of the corrosion resistance is attributed tothe grain refinement, and to the volume fraction reductionof the P (Mg 17A112) phase under a rotatingelectromagnetic field [14].

G.B. Veerish Kumar et al. in 2010 investigated that theAluminium based composites are increasingly being usedin the transport, aerospace, marine, automobile andmineral processing industries, owing to their improvedstrength, stiffness and wear resistance properties. Thewidely used reinforcing materials for these compositesare silicon carbide, Aluminium oxide and graphite in theform of particles or whiskers. The ceramic particlesreinforced Aluminium composites are termed as newgeneration material. Particle reinforced composites havea better plastic forming capability than that ofthe whiskeror fiber reinforced ones. They are also known for excellentheat and wear resistance applications. The author aimed topresent the experimental results of the studies conductedregarding hardness, tensile strength and wear resistanceproperties of A16061-SiC and A17075-A1203 composites.The composites are prepared using the liquid metallurgytechnique, in which 2-6 wt. % age of particulates wasdispersed in the base matrix. The obtained castcomposites of A16061-SiC and A17075-A1203 and thecastings of the base alloys were carefully machined toprepare the test specimens for density, hardness,mechanical, tribological tests and as well as for microstructural studies as per ASTM standards. The SiC andAl203 resulted in improving the hardness and density ofthe respective composites. Further, the increasedpercentage of these reinforcements contributed inincreased hardness ofthe composites as shown in figure 6.The microphotographs of the composites studied revealedthe uniform distribution of the particles in the matrixsystem. The dispersed SiC in Al6061 alloy and Al203 inAl7075 alloy contributed in enhancing the tensile strengthofthe composites as shown in figure 7. [15].

120

20

100 IIA16061·SiC[] A17075·A1203

80z:I: 60>

40

oo 2 % Filler 4 6

Fig. 6 Microhardness of A16061-SiC and A17075-A1203 composites. [15]

NIET Journal of Engineering & Technology, Vol. 1, Issue 2, 2013 37

300 UA16061-SiC I.!lA17075-A1203

~ 250(IIa.

~ 200sCl~ 150~~ 100'iijc~ 50

oo 2 % Filler 4 6

Fig. 7 Variation in Tensile Strength with increasing %'age particulate content.

IV. CONCLUSION

The conclusions on the basis of above literature revieware listed below:1. The phenomenon of electromagnetic field acts as a

non intrusive stirring mechanism.2. Liquid metallurgy technique (Electromagnetic

stirring) can be successfully adopted for thepreparation ofAl7075 -A1203 composite.

3. The refined microstructures with uniform distributionof particles are obtained for the composite developedthrough electromagnetic stir casting method.

4. The Mechanical properties like (Tensile strength,Hardness, Impact strength and wear resistance)enhances for the composite developed throughelectromagnetic stir casting method.

5. XRD & DTA analysis can also be included on thesamples of above developed composite.

REFERENCES

[I] H.K. Moffatt, "Electro Magnetic Stirring", Department of AppliedMathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge,Silver street, Cambridge CB3 9EW, England, 1990.

[2] Eiichi. Takeuchi, "Advances of Applied MHD Technology for

continuous casting process" Nippon Steel Technical ReportNo.61,UDC 669.14.621.74.047-837,1994.

[3] N.EI-Kaddah, TT Natarajan," Electromagnetic stirring of steel:Effect of stirrer design on mixing in horizontal electromagneticstirring of steel slabs". Second international conference on CFD inminerals & process Industries CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia,1999.

[4] D.Brabazon, DJ., Browne, A.J. Carr, "Mechanical stir casting ofAluminium Alloys from mushy states: process, microstructure andmechanical properties". International Journal of Material Science& Engineering :A, ELSEVIER, Vol. 326, PP.3 70- 381 (12),2002.

[5] MarcelaB. Goldschmit, Ferro, P.Sergio, Principe, RJavier.,Coppolaowen, A Herbert, "Nurnercial modeling of liquid steel

continuous casting process" International journal of heat &Technology, 2003, Vol.2 I ,PP.43-50.

[6] S.Milind" V. Ramanarayan, "Design & Analysis of a Linear Type

Electromagnetic Stirring". IAS Annual Meeting (IEEE IndustrialApplication society), DOl: 10.1109 (lAS.2004.1348470), ISBN: 0-

7803-8486-5,2004.

[7] Z.Yang, P.K.Seo, C.G.Kang, "Grain size control ofsemisolidA356Alloy manufactured by Electromagnetic Stirring". J.Mater . Sci.Technol., Vo1.21, 0.2,2005.

[8] Weimin. MAO, Yuelong. BAl, Guoxing. TANG, "Preparation forsemisolid Aluminium slurry under weak electromagneticconditions". J.Mater. Sci. Technol., Vol-22 No.4, 2006.

[9] Zniteng. ZHANG, Jun. XUN, Likai. SHI, "study of multipleelectromagnetic continuous casting of Aluminium alloy," J. Matersci. Technol." voI.22,No.4, 2006.

[10] C.G. KANG, J.W Bae, ,B.M. Kim, "The grain size control of A356Aluminium alloy by horizontal electromagnetic stirring for

rheology forging". Journals of materials processing Technology187-188, ELSEVIER, 344-348, 2007.

[II] TW KIM, ,H.H. KIM, J.W Bae, S.N. LEE, C.G. KANG,"Semisolid die forging of AI6061 wrought Aluminium alloy withElectromagnetic stirring". Production of the institution ofMechanical Engineers, Part B:Journal of Engineering Manufacture

2008222: 1083. Published By: SAGE, 2008.

[12] Karel. Stransky, Frantisek. Kavicka, Bohemia. Sekanina, Joset.

Stetina, Jana. Dobrovska, Lubomir: Stransky, "Electromagneticstirring of the melt of con cast billets & its importance". Journals ofHradec nad Moravicoi, 2009.

[13] Guanglei. ZHU, Jun. XU, Zniteng. ZHANG, Yuclong. BAl,LlKAl. SHI, "Annular Electromagnetic Stirring: a new method for

the production of semi solid A357 Aluminium alloy slurry",Science Direct Journal, Acta Metall.Sin. (EngI.Lett.), Vol.22 No.6

PP408-414,2009.

[14] YX. Jin, L. HUA, X.XU, Q.PENG, "The effect of theelectromagnetic stirring on the microstructure and corrosion ofmisenrnetal modified AZ91D Aluminium alloy". International

journal of material science Poland, Vol-27, 0.1,2009.

[15] Kumar,G.B.Veeresh, C.S.P Rao, N.Selvarai, M.S. Bhalyashekhar,"Studies on A16061- SiC and AI7075 -A1203 Metal matrixcomposite". Journal of Minerals & Materials characterization &Engineering, Vol-9, NO.1 ,PP.43-55, 20 IO.

Rohan Kumar received his bachelor'sdegree in Mechanical Engineering fromUttar Pradesh Technical University,Lucknow, India in 2008. Currently he isa student ofM.Tech, final year in NIET,Greater Noida, India. He has pastexperience of Lecturer in Mechanical

Engineering Department at United college of Engineeringand Research. He has published one paper in Internationalconference at Manfex - 2012 in Amity University. Hiscurrent research interest includes fabrication and testing ofa metal matrix composite developed throughelectromagnetic stair casting technique.

38 NIET Journal of Engineering & Technology, Vol. 1, Issue 2, 2013

Shyam Lal received his graduationdegree, AMIE (M) from The Institutionof Engineers (India) in the year 1995and post graduation ME (Mechanical-production Engineering) from OsmaniaUniversity, Hyderabad (AP), India in

the year 2002. He has long experience of20 years servicein Indian Air Force (Technical Branch) and now serving asa faculty for B.Tech & M. Tech courses for the last 9 years.He has taught a number of courses in MechanicalEngineering. He has supervised many project works ofB.Tech students and currently two M.Tech students aredoing their project work under his guidance. He has beenpursuing his Ph.D programme from Jamia Millia Islamia(A Central University), New Delhi. His area of researchinterest is in fabrication of metal matrix compositematerials and their machining by Wire ElectricalDischarge Machine. He has recently published a researchpaper in International Conference (AFTMME-12),Punjab Technical University, Punjab (India).

Sudhir Kumar received his Bachelor ofEngineering degree in MechanicalEngineering in the year 1996 and Masterof Technology in Production Engineering

in 1999 from National Institute of Technology,Kurukshetra, Haryana. He received Ph.D. in ProductionEngineering from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee(UK) in 2006. He served as a faculty member in NationalInstitute of Technology Kurukshetra; J.I.E. T. Jind, both inHaryana, and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra inJammu. He has more than 13 years experience in teaching,research and industry. He had taught a wide spectrum ofcourses related to Industrial Engineering & ProductionEngineering. He has supervised 01 Ph.D. thesis(Awarded), and 08 Ph.D theses are in progress; 10M. Techdissertations, and various B.Tech projects. He haspublished more than 75 research papers in National andInternational Journals and the Conferences. His researchinterests include Metal Casting, Composites, AdvancedManufacturing Processes and Microwave Joining ofMetals. He is the reviewer of various reputed InternationalJournals like International Journal of AdvancedManufacturing Technology (Springer), Journal ofMaterial Processing Technology (Elsevier) and Materials& Design. Dr. Sudhir Kumar is presently serving NoidaInstitute of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noidaas Professor and Head, Mechanical EngineeringDepartment.

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