scholarly journals Evaluation of the Circularity of Recycled PLA Filaments for 3D Printers

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (24) ◽  
pp. 8967
Author(s):  
Victor Gil Muñoz ◽  
Luisa M. Muneta ◽  
Ruth Carrasco-Gallego ◽  
Juan de Juanes Marquez ◽  
David Hidalgo-Carvajal
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
Circular Loop ◽  
Material Supply ◽  
3D Printers ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Circular Economics ◽  
High Level ◽  
Additional Value

The circular economy model offers great opportunities to companies, as it not only allows them to capture additional value from their products and materials, but also reduce the fluctuations of price-related risks and material supply. These risks are present in all kind of businesses not based on the circular economy. The circular economy also enables economic growth without the need for more resources. This is because each unit has a higher value as a result of recycling and reuse of products and materials after use. Following this circular economics framework, the Polytechnic University of Madrid (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, UPM) has adopted strategies aimed at improving the circularity of products. In particular, this article provides the result of obtaining recycled PLA filament from waste originating from university 3D FFF (fused filament fabrication) printers and waste generated by “Coronamakers” in the production of visors and parts for PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment) during the lockdown period of COVID-19 in Spain. This filament is used in the production of 3D printed parts that university students use in their classes, so the circular loop is closed. The obtained score of Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) of this material has been calculated, indicating its high level of circularity.

scholarly journals Consumer vs. High-End 3D Printers for Guided Implant Surgery—An In Vitro Accuracy Assessment Study of Different 3D Printing Technologies

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (21) ◽  
pp. 4894
Author(s):  
Lukas Wegmüller ◽  
Florian Halbeisen ◽  
Neha Sharma ◽  
Sebastian Kühl ◽  
Florian M. Thieringer
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Accuracy Assessment ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
Digital Light Processing ◽  
Implant Surgery ◽  
Surgical Guides ◽  
3D Printers ◽  
3D Printed

This study evaluates the accuracy of drill guides fabricated in medical-grade, biocompatible materials for static, computer-aided implant surgery (sCAIS). The virtually planned drill guides of ten completed patient cases were printed (n = 40) using professional (Material Jetting (MJ)) and consumer-level three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies, namely, Stereolithography (SLA), Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), and Digital Light Processing (DLP). After printing and post-processing, the drill guides were digitized using an optical scanner. Subsequently, the drill guide’s original (reference) data and the surface scans of the digitized 3D-printed drill guide were superimposed to evaluate their incongruencies. The accuracy of the 3D-printed drill guides was calculated by determining the root mean square (RMS) values. Additionally, cast models of the planned cases were used to check that the drill guides fitted manually. The RMS (mean ± SD) values for the accuracy of 3D-printed drill guides were—MJ (0.09 ± 0.01 mm), SLA (0.12 ± 0.02 mm), FFF (0.18 ± 0.04 mm), and DLP (0.25 ± 0.05 mm). Upon a subjective assessment, all drill guides could be mounted on the cast models without hindrance. The results revealed statistically significant differences (p < 0.01) in all except the MJ- and SLA-printed drill guides. Although the measured differences in accuracy were statistically significant, the deviations were negligible from a clinical point of view. Within the limits of this study, we conclude that consumer-level 3D printers can produce surgical guides with a similar accuracy to a high-end, professional 3D printer with reduced costs.

scholarly journals A quantitative analysis of 3D printed face shields and masks during COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
James I. Novak ◽  
Jennifer Loy
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
Community Groups ◽  
3D Print ◽  
The World ◽  
Regulatory Bodies ◽  
3D Printed

In response to shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, makers, community groups and manufacturers around the world utilised 3D printing to fabricate items, including face shields and face masks for healthcare workers and the broader community. In reaction to both local and global needs, numerous designs emerged and were shared online. In this paper, 37 face shields and 31 face masks suitable for fused filament fabrication were analysed from a fabrication perspective, documenting factors such as filament use, time to print and geometric qualities. 3D print times for similar designs varied by several hours, meaning some designs could be produced in higher volumes. Overall, the results show that face shields were approximately twice as fast to 3D print compared to face masks and used approximately half as much filament. Additionally, a face shield typically required 1.5 parts to be 3D printed, whereas face masks required 5 3D printed parts. However, by quantifying the print times, filament use, 3D printing costs, part dimensions, number of parts and total volume of each design, the wide variations within each product category could be tracked and evaluated. This data and objective analysis will help makers, manufacturers, regulatory bodies and researchers consolidate the 3D printing response to COVID-19 and optimise the ongoing strategy to combat supply chain shortages now and in future healthcare crises.

scholarly journals Design of 3D Printing Thermo-Sensored Medical Gear in Detecting COVID-19 Symptoms

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 419
Author(s):  
Milena Djukanović ◽  
Ardijan Mavrić ◽  
Jovana Jovanović ◽  
Milovan Roganović ◽  
Velibor Bošković
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Medical Equipment ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Body Temperatures ◽  
Medical Facilities ◽  
The World ◽  
3D Printers ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Second Wave

Shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a need to provide protective equipment to the medical facilities whose supplies were threatened to be depleted. Just like many countries in Europe, Montenegro responded to the need for medical equipment by using the advantages of 3D printers while establishing a state network of production hubs, ensuring closed connectivity, communication, and the mutual fulfilment of personal protective equipment (PPE) demands whenever and wherever required. With the second wave of the pandemic, Montenegro rose to second place in the world with the number of coronavirus cases, which also led to an increasing number of infected medical staff. Since fever is a frequent symptom of SA+RS-CoV2 infection, a type of innovative 3D-printed thermo-sensored medical gear has been designed and tested in hospital conditions. This medical gear shaped like a bracelet, which changes color in the presence of high human body temperatures, proves to be efficient and easy to use for medical staff as well as patients.

scholarly journals Dielectric Properties of 3D Printed Polylactic Acid

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudius Dichtl ◽  
Pit Sippel ◽  
Stephan Krohns
Keyword(s):  
Dielectric Properties ◽  
Polylactic Acid ◽  
Electronic Devices ◽  
Electrical Measurement ◽  
Functional Material ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
Scanning Calorimetry ◽  
3D Printers ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Functional Components

3D printers constitute a fast-growing worldwide market. These printers are often employed in research and development fields related to engineering or architecture, especially for structural components or rapid prototyping. Recently, there is enormous progress in available materials for enhanced printing systems that allow additive manufacturing of complex functional products, like batteries or electronics. The polymer polylactic acid (PLA) plays an important role in fused filament fabrication, a technique used for commercially available low-budget 3D printers. This printing technology is an economical tool for the development of functional components or cases for electronics, for example, for lab purposes. Here we investigate if the material properties of “as-printed” PLA, which was fabricated by a commercially available 3D printer, are suitable to be used in electrical measurement setups or even as a functional material itself in electronic devices. For this reason, we conduct differential scanning calorimetry measurements and a thorough temperature and frequency-dependent analysis of its dielectric properties. These results are compared to partially crystalline and completely amorphous PLA, indicating that the dielectric properties of “as-printed” PLA are similar to the latter. Finally, we demonstrate that the conductivity of PLA can be enhanced by mixing it with the ionic liquid “trihexyl tetradecyl phosphonium decanoate.” This provides a route to tailor PLA for complex functional products produced by an economical fused filament fabrication.

scholarly journals An Overview on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Fabricated with Additive Manufacturing Technologies in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 2703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Szilard Rendeki ◽  
Balint Nagy ◽  
Matyas Bene ◽  
Attila Pentek ◽  
Luca Toth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
Small Series ◽  
Source Models ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Manufacturing Technologies

Different additive manufacturing technologies have proven effective and useful in remote medicine and emergency or disaster situations. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease, caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, has had a huge impact on our society, including in relation to the continuous supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). The aim of the study is to give a detailed overview of 3D-printed PPE devices and provide practical information regarding the manufacturing and further design process, as well as describing the potential risks of using them. Open-source models of a half-face mask, safety goggles, and a face-protecting shield are evaluated, considering production time, material usage, and cost. Estimations have been performed with fused filament fabrication (FFF) and selective laser sintering (SLS) technology, highlighting the material characteristics of polylactic acid (PLA), polyamide, and a two-compound silicone. Spectrophotometry measurements of transparent PMMA samples were performed to determine their functionality as goggles or face mask parts. All the tests were carried out before and after the tetra-acetyl-ethylene-diamine (TAED)-based disinfection process. The results show that the disinfection has no significant effect on the mechanical and structural stability of the used polymers; therefore, 3D-printed PPE is reusable. For each device, recommendations and possible means of development are explained. The files of the modified models are provided. SLS and FFF additive manufacturing technology can be useful tools in PPE development and small-series production, but open-source models must be used with special care.

scholarly journals A critical review of initial 3D printed products responding to COVID-19 health and supply chain challenges

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
James I. Novak ◽  
Jennifer Loy
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
3D Printing ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Flexible Manufacturing ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Current Response ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
3D Print ◽  
3D Printed

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased demand for medical and protective equipment by frontline health workers, as well as the general community, causing the supply chain to stretch beyond capacity, an issue further heightened by geographical and political lockdowns. Various 3D printing technologies were quickly utilised by businesses, institutions and individuals to manufacture a range of products on-demand, close to where they were needed. This study gathered data about 91 3D printed projects initiated prior to April 1, 2020, as the virus spread globally. It found that 60% of products were for personal protective equipment, of which 62% were 3D printed face shields. Fused filament fabrication was the most common 3D print technology used, and websites were the most popular means of centralising project information. The project data provides objective, quantitative insight balanced with qualitative critical review of the broad trends, opportunities and challenges that could be used by governments, health and medical bodies, manufacturing organisations and the 3D printing community to streamline the current response, as well as plan for future crises using a distributed, flexible manufacturing approach.

scholarly journals Surface modification of fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printed substrates by inkjet printing polyimide for printed electronics

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 101544
Author(s):  
Devin J. Roach ◽  
Christopher Roberts ◽  
Janet Wong ◽  
Xiao Kuang ◽  
Joshua Kovitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Modification ◽  
Inkjet Printing ◽  
Printed Electronics ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
3D Printed

scholarly journals Strategies for a Circular Economy in the Construction and Demolition Sector: Identifying the Factors Affecting the Recommendation of Recycled Concrete

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4113
Author(s):  
Valeria Superti ◽  
Cynthia Houmani ◽  
Ralph Hansmann ◽  
Ivo Baur ◽  
Claudia R. Binder
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Recycled Concrete ◽  
Recycled Aggregates ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Structural Applications ◽  
Adoption Of Innovation ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Behavioural Factors ◽  
High Level

With increasing urbanisation, new approaches such as the Circular Economy (CE) are needed to reduce resource consumption. In Switzerland, Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste accounts for the largest portion of waste (84%). Beyond limiting the depletion of primary resources, implementing recycling strategies for C&D waste (such as using recycled aggregates to produce recycled concrete (RC)), can also decrease the amount of landfilled C&D waste. The use of RC still faces adoption barriers. In this research, we examined the factors driving the adoption of recycled products for a CE in the C&D sector by focusing on RC for structural applications. We developed a behavioural framework to understand the determinants of architects’ decisions to recommend RC. We collected and analysed survey data from 727 respondents. The analyses focused on architects’ a priori beliefs about RC, behavioural factors affecting their recommendations of RC, and project-specific contextual factors that might play a role in the recommendation of RC. Our results show that the factors that mainly facilitate the recommendation of RC by architects are: a senior position, a high level of RC knowledge and of the Minergie label, beliefs about the reduced environmental impact of RC, as well as favourable prescriptive social norms expressed by clients and other architects. We emphasise the importance of a holistic theoretical framework in approaching decision-making processes related to the adoption of innovation, and the importance of the agency of each involved actor for a transition towards a circular construction sector.

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