Statistical models for the mechanical properties of 3D printed external medical aids

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Moreno ◽  
Diego Carou ◽  
Daniel Carazo-Álvarez ◽  
Munish Kumar Gupta

Purpose 3D printing is gaining attention in the medical sector for the development of customized solutions for a wide range of applications such as temporary external implants. The materials used for the manufacturing process are critical, as they must provide biocompatibility and adequate mechanical properties. This study aims to evaluate and model the influence of the printing parameters on the mechanical properties of two biocompatible materials. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the mechanical properties of 3D-printed specimens of two biocompatible materials (ABS medical and PLActive) were evaluated. The influence of several printing parameters (infill density, raster angle and layer height) was studied and modelled on three response variables: ultimate tensile strength, deformation at the ultimate tensile strength and Young’s modulus. Therefore, statistical models were developed to predict the mechanical responses based on the selected printing parameters. Findings The used methodology allowed obtaining compact models that show good fit, particularly, for both the ultimate tensile strength and Young’s modulus. Regarding the deformation at ultimate tensile strength, this output was found to be influenced by more factors and interactions, resulting in a slightly less precise model. In addition, the influence of the printing parameters was discussed in the work. Originality/value The presented paper proposed the use of statistical models to select the printing parameters (infill density, raster angle and layer height) to optimize the mechanical response of external medical aids. The models will help users, researchers and firms to develop optimized solutions that can reduce material costs and printing time but guaranteeing the mechanical response of the parts.

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 831-836
Author(s):  
M. Vykunta Rao ◽  
Srinivasa Rao P. ◽  
B. Surendra Babu

Purpose Vibratory weld conditioning parameters have a great influence on the improvement of mechanical properties of weld connections. The purpose of this paper is to understand the influence of vibratory weld conditioning on the mechanical and microstructural characterization of aluminum 5052 alloy weldments. An attempt is made to understand the effect of the vibratory tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding process parameters on the hardness, ultimate tensile strength and microstructure of Al 5052-H32 alloy weldments. Design/methodology/approach Aluminum 5052 H32 specimens are welded at different combinations of vibromotor voltage inputs and time of vibrations. Voltage input is varied from 50 to 230 V at an interval of 10 V. At each voltage input to the vibromotor, there are three levels of time of vibration, i.e. 80, 90 and 100 s. The vibratory TIG-welded specimens are tested for their mechanical and microstructural properties. Findings The results indicate that the mechanical properties of aluminum alloy weld connections improved by increasing voltage input up to 160 V. Also, it has been observed that by increasing vibromotor voltage input beyond 160 V, mechanical properties were reduced significantly. It is also found that vibration time has less influence on the mechanical properties of weld connections. Improvement in hardness and ultimate tensile strength of vibratory welded joints is 16 and 14%, respectively, when compared without vibration, i.e. normal weld conditions. Average grain size is measured as per ASTM E 112–96. Average grain size is in the case of 0, 120, 160 and 230 is 20.709, 17.99, 16.57 and 20.8086 µm, respectively. Originality/value Novel vibratory TIG welded joints are prepared. Mechanical and micro-structural properties are tested.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
O. I. Sekunowo ◽  
G. I. Lawal ◽  
S. O. Adeosun

Samples of the 6063 (Al-1.09Mg2Si) alloy ingot were melted in a crucible furnace and cast in metal and sand moulds, respectively. Standard tensile, hardness, and microstructural test specimens were prepared from cast samples, solution treated at 520∘C, soaked for 6 hrs, and immediately quenched at ambient temperature in a trough containing water to assume a supersaturated structure. The quenched specimens were then thermally aged at 175∘C for 3–7 hrs. Results show that at different ageing time, varied fractions of precipitates and intermetallics evolved in the specimens’ matrices which affect the resulting mechanical properties. The metal mould specimens aged for four hours (MTA-4) exhibited superior ultimate tensile strength of 247.8 MPa; microhardness, 68.5 HV; elongation, 28.2% . It is concluded that the extent of improvement in mechanical properties depends on the fractions, coherence, and distribution of precipitates along with the type of intermetallics developed in the alloy during ageing process.


“Slicing tool” or “Slicing Software” computes the intersection curves of models and slicing planes. They improve the quality of the model being printed when given in the form of STL file. Upon analyzing a specimen that has been printed using two different slicing tools, there was a drastic variation on account of the mechanical properties of the specimen. The ultimate tensile strength and the surface roughness of the material vary from one tool to another. This paper reports an investigation and analysis of the variation in the ultimate tensile strength and the surface roughness of the specimen, given that the 3D printer and the model being printed is the same, with a variation of usage of slicing software. This analysis includes ReplicatorG, Flashprint as the two different slicing tools that are used for slicing of the model. The variation in the ultimate tensile strength and the surface roughness are measured and represented statistically through graphs. An appropriate decisive conclusion was drawn on the basis of the observations and analysis of the experiment on relevance to the behavior and mechanical properties of the specimen.


Prosthesis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-320
Author(s):  
Abdullah Barazanchi ◽  
Kai Chun Li ◽  
Basil Al-Amleh ◽  
Karl Lyons ◽  
J. Neil Waddell

Purpose: To compare the mechanical properties and fracture behaviour of laser-sintered/3D-printed cobalt chromium (LS CoCr) with soft-milled cobalt chromium (SM CoCr) to assess their suitability for use in high-stress areas in the oral cavity. Material and Method: Two computer-aided manufacturing methods were used to fabricate dumbbell specimens in accordance with the ASTM standard E8. Specimens were fractured using tensile testing and elastic modulus, and proof stress and ultimate tensile strength were calculated. Fracture surfaces were examined using scanning electron microscopy. Plate specimens were also fabricated for the examination of hardness and elastic modulus using nanoindentation. Unpaired t-test was used to evaluate statistical significance. Results: LS CoCr specimens were found to have significantly higher ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and proof stress (PS) (p < 0.05) but not a significantly higher elastic modulus (p > 0.05). Examination of the dumbbell fracture surfaces showed uniform structure for the LS CoCr specimens whilst the SM CoCr specimens were perforated with porosities; neither showed an obvious point of fracture. Nanoindentation also showed that LS CoCr specimens possessed higher hardness compared with SM CoCr specimens. Conclusion: LS CoCr and SM CoCr specimens were both found to exhibit uniformly dense structure; although porosities were noted in the SM CoCr specimens. LS CoCr specimens were found to have superior tensile properties, likely due to lack of porosities, however both had mean values higher than those reported in the literature for cast CoCr. Uniformity of structure and high tensile strength indicates that LS CoCr and SM CoCr fabricated alloys are suitable for long-span metallic frameworks for use in the field of prosthodontics.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samir Kasmi ◽  
Geoffrey Ginoux ◽  
Eric Labbé ◽  
Sébastien Alix

Purpose The purpose of this study is to test a flexible polymer with different characteristics compared to other classical polymers mostly used in the additive manufacturing process, and to improve its mechanical properties and microstructure, by modifying different printing parameters, to make it more suitable for various industrial applications. Design/methodology/approach Seven parameters were tested, namely, nozzle temperature, bed temperature, layer thickness, printing speed, flow rate, printing time gap between two successive printed layers and raster orientation. Rheological characterizations were conducted to evaluate the influence of nozzle temperature on the melt viscosity of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The effect of thermal printing parameters on the crystallinity behavior was explored. Tomographic characterizations were realized to measure the porosity and evaluate the internal structure quality of printed specimens. Findings Increases of the nozzle temperature, bed temperature, layer thickness and flow rate had a positive influence on the tensile strength properties of TPU with a reduction of porosity. Higher printing speeds created defects and negatively influenced the strength properties of TPU. An increase in the printing time gap between layers led to poor interlayer adhesion and decreased the tensile strength. Specimens with layers all oriented parallel to the loading direction exhibited superior mechanical properties compared to other raster orientations. Originality/value Thermoplastic elastomers are a unique class of polymers characterized by the combined thermal, chemical and mechanical properties of their elastomer and thermoplastic parts. TPU elastomer, as one of the elastomer families, has found an important position in the bioengineering and three-dimensional printing industry. This study reports a comprehensive study of the impact of additive manufacturing parameters on the properties of TPU.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 1733-1738
Author(s):  
André Luiz Alves Guimarães ◽  
Vicente Gerlin Neto ◽  
Cesar Renato Foschini ◽  
Maximiliano dos Anjos Azambuja ◽  
Luiz Antonio Vasques Hellmeister

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate and discuss the influence of printing parameters on the mechanical properties of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) print by fused deposition modelling (FDM). The mechanical properties of ABS are highly influenced by printing parameters, and they determine the final product quality of printed pieces. Design/methodology/approach For the paper’s purpose, five main parameters (extrusion temperature, infill pattern, air gap, printing speed and layer thickness) were selected and varied during ABS printing on an open-source and self-replicable FDM printer. Three different colors of commercially available ABS were also used to investigate color and printing parameter’s influence on the tensile strength. Findings The research results suggest that two parameters (infill pattern and layer thickness) were most influential on the mechanical properties of print ABS, being able to enhance its tensile strength. Another key influential factor was material color selected prior to printing, which influenced the tensile strength of the print specimen. Originality/value This study provides information on print parameters’ influence on the tensile strength of ABS print on replicable open-source three-dimensional (3D) printers. It also suggests the influence of materials’ color on print pieces’ tensile strength, indicating a new parameter for materials selection for 3D printing.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 127-130
Author(s):  
Nassim Markiz ◽  
Eszter Horváth ◽  
Péter Ficzere

AbstractIn the recent years, additive manufacturing became an interesting topic in many fields due to the ease of manufacturing complex objects. However, it is impossible to determine the mechanical properties of any additive manufacturing parts without testing them. In this work, the mechanical properties with focus on ultimate tensile strength and modulus of elasticity of 3D printed acrylonitrile butadi-ene styrene (ABS) specimens were investigated. The tensile tests were carried using Zwick Z005 loading machine with a capacity of 5KN according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D638 standard test methods for tensile properties of plastics. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of printing direction on the mechanical properties of the printed specimens. Thus, for each printing direction ( and ), five specimens were printed. Tensile testing of the 3D printed ABS specimens showed that the printing direction made the strongest specimen at an ultimate tensile strength of 22 MPa while at printing direction it showed 12 MPa. No influence on the modulus of elasticity was noticed. The experimental results are presented in the manuscript.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Budi Arifvianto ◽  
Yuris Bahadur Wirawan ◽  
Urip Agus Salim ◽  
Suyitno Suyitno ◽  
Muslim Mahardika

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of extruder temperatures and raster orientations on the mechanical properties of polylactic-acid (PLA) material processed by using fused filament fabrication (FFF). Design/methodology/approach In this research, the PLA specimens were first printed with nozzle or extruder temperatures of 205°C, 215°C and 225°C and then evaluated in terms of their physical, chemical and mechanical properties. An appropriate extruder temperature was then selected based on this experiment and used for the printing of the other PLA specimens having various raster orientations. A series of tensile tests were carried out again to investigate the influence of raster orientations on the tensile strength, tensile strain and elastic modulus of those FFF-processed PLA materials. In the end, the one-way ANOVA was applied for the statistical analysis and the Mohr’s circle was established to aid in the analysis of the data obtained in this experiment. Findings The result of this study shows that the chemistry, porosity, degree of crystallinity and mechanical properties (tensile strength, strain and elastic modulus) of the PLA material printed with a raster angle of 0° were all insensitive to the increasing extruder temperature from 205°C to 225°C. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties of such printed PLA material were obviously influenced by its raster orientation. In this case, a PLA material with a raster orientation parallel to its loading axis, i.e. those with a raster angle of θ = 0°, was found as the strongest material. Meanwhile, the raster configuration-oriented perpendicular to its loading axis or θ = 90° yielded the weakest PLA material. The results of the tensile tests for the PLA material printed with bidirectional raster orientations, i.e. θ = 0°/90° and 45°/−45° demonstrated their strengths with values falling between those of the materials having unidirectional raster θ = 0° and 90°. Furthermore, the result of the analysis by using a well-known Mohr’s circle confirmed the experimental tensile strengths and the failure mechanisms of the PLA material that had been printed with various raster orientations. Originality/value This study presented consistent results on the chemistry, physical, degree of crystallinity and mechanical properties of the FFF-processed PLA in responding to the increasing extruder temperature from 205°C to 225°C applied during the printing process. Unlike the results of the previous studies, all these properties were also found to be insensitive to the increase of extruder temperature. Also, the result of this research demonstrates the usability of Mohr’s circle in the analysis of stresses working on an FFF-processed PLA material in responding to the changes in raster orientation printed in this material.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nagendra Kumar Maurya ◽  
Vikas Rastogi ◽  
Pushpendra Singh

Purpose Nowadays, the PolyJet technique is used to fabricate low volume functional parts in engineering and biomedical applications. However, the mechanical properties of the components fabricated through this process are inferior in comparison to components fabricated through the traditional manufacturing process. This paper aims to attempt to investigate the influence of process parameters, i.e. raster angle, orientation and type of surface finish on mechanical properties of RGD840 material manufactured by the PolyJet process. Design/methodology/approach Initially, this study focuses on experimental evaluation of elastic modulus, ultimate tensile strength and percentage elongation of the material. Further detailed experimental study of true stress, true strain, and plastic strain are conducted. Computational analysis of plastic strain is performed by using finite element analysis (FEA) software ABAQUS. The value of strength coefficient (K) and strain hardening coefficient (n) is calculated by using the graphical method from the true stress-plastic strain curve. Findings It is observed that 90º raster angle, flat orientation and glossy surface are the best level of process parameters for the tensile strength, true stress and modules of elasticity of the RGD840 material and the obtained value are 27.88, 30.134 and 2891.5 MPa, respectively. The percentage elongation is maximum at 60º raster angle, flat orientation, and matte finish type and the obtained value is 23.38%. The optimum level of process parameters are 90° raster angle, Flat orientation, with Glossy surface finish. SEM analysis of the fracture surface of the tensile test specimen proves that the fracture surface is brittle in nature. Originality/value The novelty of this work lies in the fact that no attempts were made to investigate the computational investigation of mechanical properties of RGD840 material.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia von Windheim ◽  
David W. Collinson ◽  
Trent Lau ◽  
L. Catherine Brinson ◽  
Ken Gall

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand how printing parameters and subsequent annealing impacts porosity and crystallinity of 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) and how these structural characteristics impact the printed material’s tensile strength in various build directions. Design/methodology/approach Two experimental studies were used, and samples with a flat vs upright print orientation were compared. The first experiment investigates a scan of printing parameters and annealing times and temperatures above the cold crystallization temperature (Tcc) for PLA. The second experiment investigates annealing above and below Tcc at multiple points over 12 h. Findings Annealing above Tcc does not significantly impact the porosity but it does increase crystallinity. The increase in crystallinity does not contribute to an increase in strength, suggesting that co-crystallization across the weld does not occur. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images show that weld interfaces between printed fibers are still visible after annealing above Tcc, confirming the lack of co-crystallization. Annealing below Tcc does not significantly impact porosity or crystallinity. However, there is an increase in tensile strength. AFM images show that annealing below Tcc reduces thermal stresses that form at the interfaces during printing and slightly “heals” the as-printed interface resulting in an increase in tensile strength. Originality/value While annealing has been explored in the literature, it is unclear how it affects porosity, crystallinity and thermal stresses in fused filament fabrication PLA and how those factors contribute to mechanical properties. This study explains how co-crystallization across weld interfaces is necessary for crystallinity to increase strength and uses AFM as a technique to observe morphology at the weld.


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