The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Brazil has grown rapidly since the first case was reported on 26 February 2020. As the pandemic has spread, the low availability of medical equipment has increased, especially mechanical ventilators. The Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) claimed to have only 40,508 mechanical ventilators, which would be insufficient to support the Brazilian population at the pandemic peak. This lack of ventilators, especially in public hospitals, required quick, assertive, and effective actions to minimize the health crisis. This work provides an overview of the rapid deployment of a network for maintaining disused mechanical ventilators in public and private healthcare units in some regions of Brazil during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Data referring to the processes of maintaining equipment, acquiring parts, and conducting national and international training were collected and analyzed. In total, 4047 ventilators were received by the maintenance sites, and 2516 ventilators were successfully repaired and returned to the healthcare units, which represents a success rate of 62.17%. The results show that the maintenance initiative directly impacted the availability and reliability of the equipment, allowing access to ventilators in the public and private health system and increasing the capacity of beds during the pandemic.

In this study, GMAW and CMT welding technologies were evaluated in terms of their technological lifecycles based on their patent datasets together with the S-curve concept, and the joints were evaluated in terms of their welding characteristics. To predict the future trends for both technologies, different models based on the time-series and growth-curve methods were tested. From a process point of view, the results showed better performance and stability for the CMT process based on the heat input to the base material and the frequency of the short circuits. The temperature distribution in the sample revealed that the GMAW process delivers higher values and, consequently, greater heat transfer. Regarding the technological lifecycle, the analyses revealed that the CMT welding process, despite being recent, is already in its mature phase. Moreover, the GMAW welding process is positioned in the growth phase on the S-curve, indicating a possibility of advancement. The main findings indicated that through mathematical modelling, it is possible to predict, in a precise way, the inflection points and the maturity phases of each technology and chart their trends with expert opinions. The new perspectives for analysing maturity levels and welding characteristics presented herein will be essential for a broaden decision-making market process.

In the current world scenario, which is experiencing the arrival of new technologies, Industry 4.0, increased mobility and a pandemic environment, the achievement of sustainability demands proactive solutions. One of these actions includes the design of sustainable products. Several authors have studied the scientific discipline of Life Cycle Engineering (LCE), which encompasses environmental, social and economic dimensions. However, current LCE models have gaps, such as the need to incorporate a more holistic view, uncertainty and integrated analysis. In this context, the aim of this paper is to present a model to evaluate the technology sustainability (TS) dimension. The methodology of the present work involves a literature review, the development of a model with qualitative and quantitative data, and application in a case study. A structure was developed to include market, technical, and technology-scaling perspectives. The computational model uses hybrid Bayesian networks, based on probabilistic theory, and incorporates uncertainty using sustainability indicators. The model includes quantitative and qualitative variables derived from experts’ opinions. The results of applying the model to a real research project on manhole covers indicate that this analytical tool can support decision-making, allowing a new dimension to be incorporated into LCE analysis. Finally, the model allows LCE analysis to be applied in a variety of circumstances, such as strategy development or the selection of more sustainable products, as well as the evaluation of competing products.

The use of ultra-high-strength steels (UHSS) has been growing in recent years, mainly in the automotive industry. Since these steels have high strength and hardness, more applied stresses are required to deform them, probably also impacting friction behaviour. In this article, a variation in the process parameters commonly observed in sheet-metal forming, such as contact pressure, sliding speed, lubrication and working temperature was performed. The material used was TRIP1000. These process parameters were varied, aiming to investigate the friction-coefficient behaviour; however, it was observed that there were no significant variations, indicating that the steel hardness may have contributed to this. Another finding is that, even if the lubricant did not change the average value of the friction coefficient, it contributed to a more stable process, favouring the absence of premature wear of the tools.

Aiming to decrease friction coefficient ( μ ) during the forming of magnesium alloy sheets, nine (9) tools with different hole geometries in their surface (flat, elliptical, and circular) were manufactured from steel Boehler W400 VMR (as known as DIN 1.2343). Tribological investigations were accomplished on a strip drawing machine at 288 °C without lubricants. When compared with a standard tool (surface flat), on average, tools with circular geometries in their surface showed the smallest friction coefficient, while tools with elliptical geometries shown higher. The friction coefficient also was confronted with the ratio between area occupied by holes in the surface of the tool and the total tool surface (i.e., factor f (%)), hole diameter (Ø), and the distance between circle centers (d(c,c)). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) complemented the experimental approach. In summary, both approaches (experimental and theoretical) indicated that the manufactured tool with circular geometries on its surface presented lower friction coefficient values on the forming processes of the magnesium AZ31 sheets.