Rapid Prototypable Biomimetic Peristalsis Bioreactor Capable of Concurrent Shear and Multi-axial Strain

Peristalsis is a nuanced mechanical stimulus comprised of multi-axial strain (radial and axial strain) and shear stress. Forces associated with peristalsis regulate diverse biological functions including digestion, reproductive function, and urine dynamics. Given the central role peristalsis plays in physiology and pathophysiology, we were motivated to design a bioreactor capable of holistically mimicking peristalsis. We engineered a novel rotating screw-drive based design combined with a peristaltic pump, in order to deliver multiaxial strain and concurrent shear stress to a biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane “wall”. Radial indentation and rotation of the screw drive against the wall demonstrated multi-axial strain evaluated via finite element modeling. Experimental measurements of strain using piezoelectric strain resistors were in close alignment of model-predicted values (15.9 ± 4.2% vs. 15.2% predicted). Modeling of shear stress on the ‘wall’ indicated a uniform velocity profile and a moderate shear stress of 0.4 Pa. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) seeded on the PDMS ‘wall’ and stimulated with peristalsis demonstrated dramatic changes in actin filament alignment, proliferation, and nuclear morphology compared to static controls, perfusion or strain, indicating that hMSCs sensed and responded to peristalsis uniquely. Lastly, significant differences were observed in gene expression patterns of Calponin, Caldesmon, Smooth Muscle Actin, and Transgelin, corroborating the propensity of hMSCs toward myogenic differentiation in response to peristalsis. Collectively, our data suggests that the peristalsis bioreactor is capable of generating concurrent multi-axial strain and shear stress on a ‘wall’. hMSCs experience peristalsis differently than perfusion or strain, resulting in changes in proliferation, actin fiber organization, smooth muscle actin expression, and genetic markers of differentiation. The peristalsis bioreactor device has broad utility in the study of development and disease in several organ systems.

Motion analysis of screw drive in-pipe cleaning robot

In-pipe cleaning robots often need to carry cleaning tools, and their tails are connected with cables such as water pipes and air pipes. Especially when cleaning vertical straight pipes and curved pipes, a greater traction is required. Therefore, a new type of screw drive in-pipe cleaning robot was designed in this paper. The robot solves the problems of small traction, complex structure, and unstable motion of the in-pipe cleaning robot. The kinematics modeling was carried out on the screw drive in-pipe cleaning robot’s screw module for generating traction, and the force analysis was performed on this basis. The function model of the torque, air pressure, and traction of the screw module was established, which was verified by the simulation and experiment. The results show that the screw in-pipe cleaning robot has a large traction, stable operation, and can be well adapted to the vertical straight pipes and curved pipes.

A Novel Screw Drive for Allogenic Headless Position Screws for Use in Osteosynthesis—A Finite-Element Analysis

Due to their osteoconductive properties, allogenic bone screws made of human cortical bone have advantages regarding rehabilitation compared to other materials such as stainless steel or titanium. Since conventional screw drives like hexagonal or hexalobular drives are difficult to manufacture in headless allogenic screws, an easy-to-manufacture screw drive is needed. In this paper, we present a simple drive for headless allogenic bone screws that allows the screw to be fully inserted. Since the screw drive is completely internal, no threads are removed. In order to prove the mechanical strength, we performed simulations of the new drive using the Finite-Element method (FEM), validated the simulations with a prototype screw, tested the novel screw drive experimentally and compared the simulations with conventional drives. The validation with the prototype showed that our simulations provided valid results. Furthermore, the simulations of the new screw drive showed good performance in terms of mechanical strength in allogenic screws compared to conventional screw drives. The presented screw drive is simple and easy to manufacture and is therefore suitable for headless allogenic bone screws where conventional drives are difficult to manufacture.

The influence of ball screw drive positioning errors on the accuracy of part manufacturing

The article considers the components of the total error of mechanical processing that occur when positioning the working units of the machine: ball screw drive elements. The reasons for the loss of positioning accuracy of the machine drives are described. The accuracy of the positioning of the machine spindle in determining the axes of the holes to be processed is analyzed. The numerical estimation of the values of the errors of the temperature deformations of the lead screw is carried out on the example of drilling holes in the workpiece. The causes of heating of the ball screw drive of the machine are identified. The dependence of the unit heating on the speed of movement of the operating elements of the machine is described. The optimal trajectory of the tool movement when processing holes in the workpiece is presented. The criterion of optimality of this trajectory is described. The values of the deviations of each hole in the workpiece from the specified accuracy of their location are obtained. The scheme of accumulation of errors of linear displacements resulting from the temperature deformation of the lead screw of the CNC machine drive is presented. The value of the accumulated total error of the temperature deformations of the ball screw pair is obtained. The error associated with the movement of the machine drive carriage is considered. The geometric characteristics of the carriage orientation are given. The schemes of occurrence of the error caused by the change of the roll angle and the carriage tilt angle are presented. The maximum axial load of the lead screw at translational acceleration is calculated. The scheme of possible carriage deflection under the action of the maximum translational force of a ball screw pair is presented. The numerical estimation of the maximum possible roll angle of the carriage, as well as the maximum deviation from the specified accuracy of the carriage, at the maximum load on the lead screw, is carried out. As a result, it is concluded that the total error of the machine drives positioning can go beyond the tolerances of the linear dimensions of the processed holes, which significantly affects the accuracy of the part manufacturing.

Dynamic Modeling of a Ball-Screw Drive and Identification of Its Installation Parameters

Parametric expressions of equivalent stiffnesses of a ball-screw shaft are obtained by derivation of its geometric parameters, the finite element method (FEM), and data fitting based on a modified probability density function of log-normal distribution. A dynamic model of a ball-screw drive that considers effects of bearing stiffnesses, the mass of the nut, and the axial pretension is established based on equivalent stiffnesses of its shaft. With the dynamic model and modal experimental results obtained by Bayesian operational modal analysis (BOMA), installation parameters of the ball-screw drive are identified by a genetic algorithm (GA) with a new comprehensive objective function that considers natural frequencies, mode shapes, and flexibility of the ball-screw drive. The effectiveness of the methodology is experimentally validated.

Online Chatter Detection for Milling Operations Using LSTM Neural Networks Assisted by Motor Current Signals of Ball Screw Drives

For certain combinations of cutter spinning speeds and cutting depths in milling operations, self-excited vibrations or chatter of the milling tool are generated. The chatter deteriorates the surface finish of the workpiece and reduces the useful working life of the tool. In the past, extensive work has been reported on chatter detections based on the tool deflection and sound generated during the milling process, which is costly due to the additional sensor and circuitry required. On the other hand, the manual intervention is necessary to interpret the result. In the present research, online chatter detection based on the current signal applied to the ball screw drive (of the CNC machine) has been proposed and evaluated. There is no additional sensor required. Dynamic equations of the process are improved to simulate vibration behaviors of the milling tool during chatter conditions. The sequence of applied control signals for a particular feed rate is decided based on known physical and control parameters of the ball screw drive. The sequence of the applied control signal to the ball screw drive for a particular feed rate can be easily calculated. Hence, costly experimental data are eliminated. Long short-term memory neural networks are trained to detect the chatter based on the simulated sequence of control currents. The trained networks are then used to detect chatter, which shows 98% of accuracy in experiments.