Resources

Project team:

back to top

Gender Equity in Mechanical Engineering:

Understanding the Landscape

Mechanical Engineering has long been a field dominated by men, with women historically underrepresented. This gender imbalance is rooted in a variety of factors, including societal norms, educational opportunities, and workplace cultures. Addressing these issues is crucial for fostering a more inclusive and innovative environment in the field.

Challenges Women Face

Women in Mechanical Engineering often encounter unique challenges, such as:

  • Stereotypes and Bias: Persistent stereotypes about gender roles in engineering can lead to biases that affect hiring, promotions, and everyday interactions.
  • Representation: The lack of female role models and mentors in the field can make it difficult for young women to see themselves in engineering careers.
  • Workplace Culture: A male-dominated culture can sometimes create environments that are less welcoming or supportive for women, leading to higher attrition rates.

Efforts to Promote Gender Equity

Numerous initiatives are being undertaken to address these challenges:

  • Educational Programs: Universities and organizations are developing programs aimed at encouraging young girls to pursue STEM fields, including Mechanical Engineering.
  • Mentorship and Networking: Professional associations are increasingly offering mentorship opportunities and networks that support women in their careers.
  • Policy and Advocacy: Advocacy for policies that promote work-life balance, equitable hiring practices, and anti-harassment measures is gaining momentum across the industry.

The Path Forward

Improving gender equity in Mechanical Engineering is not only a matter of fairness but also of enhancing the field itself. Diverse perspectives lead to more innovative solutions, and a balanced workforce better represents the society it serves. SEAMAC is committed to supporting initiatives that promote gender equity, providing resources, and fostering discussions that drive positive change.

back to top

Equipment:

  • UL
    • prototype system for LMD with adjustable laser head (UL)
    • SLM machine EOS M290 (UL)
    • DMG MORI LASERTEC 30 SLM metal 3D printing machine (UL)
    • Powder feeder Oerlikon Metco Twin-1 50-ARN216-OP (UL)
    • Fiber laser nLIGHT Alta 2.5 kW (UL)
  • TECHNION
    • metal printer EOS M290M with online monitoring (
    • ATO plasma atomizer
    • Camsizer
    • macroscopic testing facilities including servo-hydraulic machines of various loading capacities
    • Split
    • Hopkinson Pressure Bars
    • gas guns
    • high-speed camera
    • High-Resolution Tescan-MIRA3 SEM with an Oxford EBSD
    • K&W loading stage capable of tension/compression/3 point/4 points bending with heated grips up to 500 °C
    • EBSD adapter and loading rates up to 150 micron/sec
    • Electron Backscatter Diffraction instrument
    • Transmission electron microscope
    • several workstations including a 160 computation cores cluster
    • licenses of commercial
    • computational codes like ABAQUS
    • several FE codes written in-house
    • .
  • TUBAF
    • tactile probes.
    • optical microscopy,
    • confocal microscopy,
    • SEM/EDX,
    • micro CT,
    • coordinate measurement systems,
    • high-speed and thermal imaging
    • particle analysis

List of equipment UL – LAT

back to top

Relevant references:

Powder LMD (Laser Metal Deposition) and FGM (Functional Graded Materials)

  • Yan, L., Chen, Y. and Liou, F., 2020. Additive manufacturing of functionally graded metallic materials using laser metal deposition. Additive Manufacturing, 31, p.100901.
  • Zhang, S., Song, Z., Hu, Y., Yan, Z., Di, R. and Lei, J., 2023. 18Ni300/Inconel 625 alloy gradient materials fabricated by directed energy deposition. Materials Today Communications, 37, p.107185.
  • Liu, Z., Nie, M., Yue, T., Jiang, P., Li, X. and Zhang, Z., 2024. Directed energy deposition of functional gradient material to enhance mechanical properties of heterogeneous stainless steels. Optics & Laser Technology, 179, p.111326.
  • Wei, S., Wang, G., Wang, L., & Rong, Y. (2018). Characteristics of microstructure and stresses and their effects on interfacial fracture behavior for laser-deposited maraging steel. Materials & Design, 137, 56-67.
  • Liu, Y., Weng, F., Bi, G., Chew, Y., Liu, S., Ma, G. and Moon, S.K., 2019. Characterization of wear properties of the functionally graded material deposited on cast iron by laser-aided additive manufacturing. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 105, pp.4097-4105.
  • Belitz, S., Scheider, D. and Zeidler, H., 2021. Hybrid-Additive Manufacturing Of Press Tools With Laser Direct Energy Deposition Using Buffer Layers To Reduce Cracking Issues. Euro PM.
  • Yu, J. H., Choi, Y. S., Shim, D. S., & Park, S. H. (2018). Repairing casting part using laser-assisted additive metal-layer deposition and its mechanical properties. Optics & Laser Technology, 106, 87-93.
  • Kanishka, K. and Acherjee, B., 2023. A systematic review of additive manufacturing-based remanufacturing techniques for component repair and restoration. Journal of Manufacturing Processes, 89, pp.220-283.
  • Tian, X., Zhao, Z., Wang, H., Liu, X. and Song, X., 2023. Progresses on the additive manufacturing of functionally graded metallic materials. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 960, p.170687.
  • Polajnar, M., Kalin, M., Thorbjornsson, I., Thorgrimsson, J.T., Valle, N. and Botor-Probierz, A., 2017. Friction and wear performance of functionally graded ductile iron for brake pads. Wear, 382, pp.85-94.
  • Melzer, D., Džugan, J., Koukolíková, M., Rzepa, S. and Vavřík, J., 2021. Structural integrity and mechanical properties of the functionally graded material based on 316L/IN718 processed by DED technology. Materials Science and Engineering: A, 811, p.141038.

PeP (Plasma electro Polishing)

  • Kellogg, H.H. Anode Effect in Aqueous Electrolysis. J. Electrochem. Soc. 1950, 97, 133.
  • Duradji, V.; Bryantsev, I.; Tovarkov, A. Investigation of erosion of the anode under the action of an electrolytic plasma (Issledovanie rozii anoda pri vozde stvii na nego lektrolitno plazmy). Elektron. Obrab. Mater. 1979, 13–17.
  • Yerokhin, A.L.; Nie, X.; Leyland, A.; Matthews, A.; Dowey, S.J. Plasma electrolysis for surface engineering. Surf. Coatings Technol. 1999, 122, 73–93.
  • Nestler K, Böttger-Hiller F, Adamitzki W, et al. Plasma electrolytic polishing – an overview of applied technol­ogies and current challenges to extend the polishable material range. Proc CIRP. 2016; 42:503–507. doi:10.1016/j.procir.2016.02.240
  • Kashapov LN, Kashapov NF, Kashapov RN, et al. Plasma electrolytic treatment of products after selective lasermmelting. J Phys Conf Ser. 2016;669:12029. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/669/1/012029
  • Parfenov EV, Mukaeva VR, Farrakhov RG, et al. Plasma electrolytic treatments for advanced surface finishing technol­mogies Электролитно-плазменные технологии дляm перспективной финишной обработки материалов, 2019.
  • Zhirov, A.V.; Belkin, P.N.; Kusmanov, S.A.; Shadrin, S.Y. Distinctive features of electric current passing through vapour gaseous envelope in anodic plasma electrolytic processes. J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 2020, 1713, 012049.
  • Stepputat VN, Zeidler H, Safranchik D, et al. Investigation of springs with plasma-electrolytic polishing. Materials (Basel). 2021;14:4093. doi:10.3390/ma14154093
  • Belkin PN, Kusmanov SA, Parfenov EV. Mechanism and technological opportunity of plasma electrolytic polish­ing of metals and alloys surfaces. Appl Surf Sci Adv. 2020;1. doi:10.1016/j.apsadv.2020.100016
  • Zeidler H, Aliyev R, Gindorf F. Efficient finishing of laser beam melting additive manufactured parts. J Manuf Mater Process. 2021;5:106. doi:10.3390/jmmp5040106
  • Navickaitė K, Roßmann K, Nestler K, et al. Plasma electro­lytic polishing of porous nitinol structures. Plasma. 2022; 5:555–568. doi:10.3390/plasma5040039
  • Zeidler H, Böttger-Hiller F. Plasma-electrolytic polishing as a post-processing technology for additively manufac­tured parts. Chem Ing Tech. 2022;94:1024–1029. doi:10.1002/cite.202200043.

back to top