Reconfigurable molds and a fabrication-aware design tool for manufacturing concrete grid structures

2021 ◽  
pp. 147807712110300
Author(s):  
Ali Baghi ◽  
Saleh Kalantari ◽  
Aryan Baghi
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Casting Machine ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Digital Design ◽  
Architectural Geometry ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Design And Manufacturing ◽  
Concrete Joints ◽  
Concrete Casting ◽  
Concrete Elements

The design and manufacturing of concrete elements need to be reconsidered in light of current trends in architectural geometry. Today, there is a movement toward greater customization and adaptability of concrete elements using “reconfigurable formworks” and “additive manufacturing.” Our study approached the issue of fabricating non-standardized concrete elements from the perspective of a “reconfigurable fabrication platform.” Specifically, we developed a method of fabricating geometrically diverse concrete joints by combining flexible pressure-enduring tubes with a rigid mechanism, resulting in an adaptive concrete-casting machine. This platform, which we named “Flexi-node,” can be used in conjunction with a relevant fabrication-aware digital design tool. Users can computationally design and fabricate a great variety of concrete joints using just one mold, with a minimum of material waste and with no distortion from hydrostatic pressure as would typically occur in a fully flexible formwork.

scholarly journals Additive Manufacturing for Effective Smart Structures: The Idea of 6D Printing

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Stelios K. Georgantzinos ◽  
Georgios I. Giannopoulos ◽  
Panteleimon A. Bakalis
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Smart Structures ◽  
Interaction Mechanism ◽  
Modeling And Simulations ◽  
Environmental Stimulus ◽  
Material Component ◽  
Design And Manufacturing ◽  
First Time ◽  
Printing Techniques

This paper aims to establish six-dimensional (6D) printing as a new branch of additive manufacturing investigating its benefits, advantages as well as possible limitations concerning the design and manufacturing of effective smart structures. The concept of 6D printing, to the authors’ best knowledge, is introduced for the first time. The new method combines the four-dimensional (4D) and five-dimensional (5D) printing techniques. This means that the printing process is going to use five degrees of freedom for creating the final object while the final produced material component will be a smart/intelligent one (i.e., will be capable of changing its shape or properties due to its interaction with an environmental stimulus). A 6D printed structure can be stronger and more effective than a corresponding 4D printed structure, can be manufactured using less material, can perform movements by being exposed to an external stimulus through an interaction mechanism, and it may learn how to reconfigure itself suitably, based on predictions via mathematical modeling and simulations.

scholarly journals 3D Digitization and Additive Manufacturing Technologies in Medicine

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (42) ◽  
pp. 165-170
Author(s):  
Ivan Molnár ◽  
Ladislav Morovič
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Manufacturing Processes ◽  
Design And Manufacturing ◽  
Medical Aids ◽  
Manufacturing Methods ◽  
Manufacturing Technologies ◽  
Design And Manufacture ◽  
3D Digitization ◽  
The Given

Abstract The paper discusses the use of 3D digitization and additive manufacturing technologies in the field of medicine. In addition, applications of the use of 3D digitization and additive manufacturing methods are described, focusing on the design and manufacture of individual medical aids. Subsequently, the process of designing and manufacturing of orthopedic aids using these technologies is described and the advantages of introducing the given technologies into the design and manufacturing processes in the medicine sector are presented.

Design Innovation Incorporating Additive Manufacturing: Creation and Assessment of a Design Tool

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Menefee ◽  
Mahesh Pokharel ◽  
Brian Kaplun ◽  
Daniel Jensen ◽  
Christopher Yakacki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Space Applications ◽  
Design Assessment ◽  
Design Processes ◽  
Design Heuristics ◽  
Design Engineers ◽  
Design Innovation

Abstract Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers design engineers new and advanced manufacturing processes to consider when developing new products or redesigning and evolving current products. AM includes 3D printing processes to quickly produce complex parts and prototypes, that were previously uneconomical or impossible to fabricate. Engineers and organizations have an increasing need to incorporate AM as part of product development; however, design heuristics, design methodologies, and design tools to support AM are nascent and only recently emerging. To enhance Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), this research seeks to develop an accessible, computer-based design assistant that will aid designers in incorporating AM into their design processes. The design assistant implements a distinctive and user-centered Design Innovation (DI) process, set of methods, and set of principles based on a 4D design framework. This 4D framework encompasses the UK Design Council’s double diamond model and includes the phases of Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. The Discover phase entails user studies and a deep understanding and empathy for the user. The Define phase considers the reframing of design opportunities based on derived insights from the modeling users’ interactions. The Develop phase uses a variety of methods to create a large quantity of innovative ideas and concepts, and the Deliver phase implements a set of methods to prototype, test, pitch, and ultimately produce deliverables for a market or community. We demonstrate the design assistant tool for AM through the development of high-end bracket design for space applications. The design considers the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process for productions and incorporated topology optimization approaches. This demonstrative case study shows how the tool includes design heuristics and approaches for each of the 4-Ds that assist designers in implementing AM capabilities as part of repeatable design processes. Assessment of the tool is carried out through systematic assessments performed by practicing design engineers that have knowledge of AM. Initial results show that the design assessment tool is very helpful when designers consider using AM and also in helping them use AM in effective and efficient manners.

Processing and mechanical behavior of rigid and flexible material composite systems formed via voxel digital design in polyjet additive manufacturing

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Furkan Ulu ◽  
Ravi Pratap Singh Tomar ◽  
Ram Mohan
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Composite Material ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Mechanical Behavior ◽  
Digital Design ◽  
Composite Part ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Composite Systems ◽  
Polyjet Printing ◽  
Material Composite

Purpose PolyJet technology allows printing complex multi-material composite configurations using Voxel digital designs' capability, thus allowing rapid prototyping of 3D printed structural parts. This paper aims to investigate the processing and mechanical characteristics of composite material configurations formed from soft and hard materials with different distributions and sizes via voxel digital print design. Design/methodology/approach Voxels are extruded representations of pixels and represent different material information similar to each pixel representing colors in digital images. Each geometric region of a digitally designed part represented by a voxel can be printed with a different material. Multi-material composite part configurations were formed and rapidly prototyped using a PolyJet printer Stratasys J750. A design of experiments composite part configuration of a soft material (Tango Plus) within a hard material matrix (Vero Black) was studied. Composite structures with different hard and soft material distributions, but at the same volume fractions of hard and soft materials, were rapidly prototyped via PolyJet printing through developed Voxel digital printing designs. The tensile behavior of these formed composite material configurations was studied. Findings Processing and mechanical behavior characteristics depend on materials in different regions and their distributions. Tensile characterization obtained the fracture energy, tensile strength, modulus and failure strength of different hard-soft composite systems. Mechanical properties and behavior of all different composite material systems are compared. Practical implications Tensile characteristics correlate to digital voxel designs that play a critical role in additive manufacturing, in addition to the formed material composition and distributions. Originality/value Results clearly indicate that multi-material composite systems with various tensile mechanical properties could be created using voxel printing by engineering the design of material distributions, and sizes. The important parameters such as inclusion size and distribution can easily be controlled within all slices via voxel digital designs in PolyJet printing. Therefore, engineers and designers can manipulate entire morphology and material at each voxel level, and different prototype morphologies can be created with the same voxel digital design. In addition, difficulties from AM process with voxel printing for such material designs is addressed, and effective digital solutions were used for successful prototypes. Some of these difficulties are extra support material or printing the part with different dimension than it designed to achieve the final part dimension fidelity. Present work addressed and resolved such issued and provided cyber based software solutions using CAD and voxel discretization. All these increase broad adaptability of PolyJet AM in industry for prototyping and end-use.

Web-Based Cad Tools for a Networked Manufacturing Service

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fu-Chung F. Wang ◽  
Paul K. Wright
Keyword(s):  
New Product Development ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
Machining Process ◽  
Global Network ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Distributed Design ◽  
Cad Tools ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Design And Manufacturing

Abstract New techniques in Information Technology are now changing not only our daily life, but also the professional practice of product design and manufacturing for new product development. Internet technology in particular opens up another domain for building future CAD/CAM environments. This environment will be a global, network-centric environment with various members providing different software tools, manufacturing facilities, and analysis services for distributed design and fabrication. In this paper, we first briefly describe a vision and current development in a distributed design and manufacturing environment. The paper then emphasizes how current CAD tools will evolve to facilitate the distributed design and fabrication process. In particular, the development of a set of Web-based design tools for fabricating parts using a machining process via the Internet is presented. Experiments on machining 2-1/2 D and freeform parts through this Java-based design tool have shown the feasibility for a networked machining service via the Internet.

Object Design in Virtual Immersive Environments

2011 ◽  
pp. 348-365
Author(s):  
Jan Baum
Keyword(s):  
Design Tool ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Digital Design ◽  
Network Effect ◽  
Immersive Environments ◽  
Emergent Technologies ◽  
Design Program ◽  
Goods Market ◽  
Virtual Presence ◽  
Studio Practice

The ubiquity of digital technology and the pervasiveness of the Web have led to a paradigm shift in life and work. Never before have so many tools for communication, contribution, and collaboration been so globally interconnected. The Object Design program at Towson University engages the network effect of emergent technologies developing pedagogy to keep pace with global developments. Students learn 21st century skills as they engage virtual immersive environments as a digital design tool, for iterative prototyping, as a virtual presence augmenting traditional studio practice, to engage new economic platforms, and as a virtual learning environment for global dialogue and collaboration. Steady growth in virtual immersive environments support a burgeoning virtual goods market and further exploration for learning, training, and innovation across social sectors: enterprise, education, and government in the evolution of society.

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