Extracting features for manufacture of parts from existing components based on combining additive and subtractive technologies

The development of additive manufacturing (AM) technology provides the possibility of producing complex parts (including internal complex features) that are difficult to manufacture by machining. However, AM technologies also have some limitations, such as low-dimensional accuracy and long production times. Recently, combining additive manufacturing technology with CNC machining is gaining significant attention. This combination not only takes advantages of individual techniques, but also minimizes their disadvantages. In this paper, taking into account consolidated benefits of such technique combination, an alternative remanufacturing strategy is proposed. The strategy allows end-of-life parts (or existing parts) to be reused directly for manufacture of new parts (or final parts) without involving the material recycling stage. In addition, the final part is intended for another product, namely the existing part has a new life and new usage in its life cycle. To achieve the geometry and quality of final part, a sequence of additive, subtractive manufacturing and inspection operations will be generated. For this purpose, additive manufacturing features and machining features are first identified and extracted from the available information of the existing and final parts. This paper particularly focuses on a feature extraction approach, which is developed using the knowledge of additive manufacturing and CNC machining processes, technological requirements, and available resources. The major criteria and constraints have been defined and applied during the feature extraction process. The extracted features and their relationships will be used as the inputs for designing the process planning. Finally, a case study is used to illustrate the proposed approach.     

Novel Repair Procedure for CFRP Components Instead of EOL

Today, numerous carbon fiber (CF) reinforced plastic (CFRP) components are in continuous usage under harsh environmental conditions. New components often replace damaged structural parts in safety-critical applications. In addition to this, there is also no effective repair method to initially restore the mechanics of these structures using dry fiber material. The high costs of CFRP components are not in proportion to their lifetime. The research project IGF-19946 BR “CFRP-Repair” addresses this specific challenge. By using an oxide semiconductor that is activated by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, the thermoset matrix can be depolymerized and thus locally removed from the damaged CFRP component. Afterward, the harmed fibers can be physically removed from the laminate in this certain area. A load-adjusted tailored fiber reinforcement patch is subsequently applied and consolidated by local thermoset re-infiltrating. Using this procedure, the structure can be locally repaired with new CF. As a result, repaired CFRP structures can be obtained with reduced mechanics and an approximately original surface. This article gives an insight into the developed repair procedure of CFRP components in an innovative and more efficient way than the state-of-the-art.     

Technical and Environmental Viability of a Road Bicycle Pedal Part Made of a Fully Bio-Based Composite Material

Glass fibre is the most widely used material for reinforcing thermoplastic matrices presently and its use continues to grow. A significant disadvantage of glass fibre, however, is its impact on the environment, in particular, due to the fact that glass fibre-reinforced composite materials are difficult to recycle. Polyamide 6 is an engineering plastic frequently used as a matrix for high-mechanical performance composites. Producing polyamide monomer requires the use of a large amount of energy and can also pose harmful environmental impacts. Consequently, glass fibre-reinforced Polyamide 6 composites cannot be considered environmentally friendly. In this work, we assessed the performance of a road cycling pedal body consisting of a composite of natural Polyamide 11 reinforced with lignocellulosic fibres from stone-ground wood, as an alternative to the conventional glass fibre-reinforced Polyamide 6 composite (the most common material used for recreational purposes). We developed a 3D model of a pedal with a geometry based on a combination of two existing commercial choices and used it to perform three finite-element tests in order to assess its strength under highly demanding static and cyclic conditions. A supplementary life cycle analysis of the pedal was also performed to determine the ecological impact. Based on the results of the simulation tests, the pedal is considered to be mechanically viable and has a significantly lower environmental impact than fully synthetic composites.     

Additive Manufacturing of β-NiAl by Means of Laser Metal Deposition of Pre-Alloyed and Elemental Powders

The additive manufacturing (AM) technique, laser metal deposition (LMD), combines the advantages of near net shape manufacturing, tailored thermal process conditions and in situ alloy modification. This makes LMD a promising approach for the processing of advanced materials, such as intermetallics. Additionally, LMD allows the composition of a powder blend to be modified in situ. Hence, alloying and material build-up can be achieved simultaneously. Within this contribution, AM processing of the promising high-temperature material β-NiAl, by means of LMD, with elemental powder blends, as well as with pre-alloyed powders, was presented. The investigations showed that by applying a preheating temperature of 1100 °C, β-NiAl could be processed without cracking. Additionally, by using pre-alloyed, as well as elemental powders, a single phase β-NiAl microstructure can be achieved in multi-layer build-ups. Major differences between the approaches were found within substrate near regions. For in situ alloying of Ni and Al, these regions are characterized by an inhomogeneous elemental distribution in a layerwise manner. However, due to the remelting of preceding layers during deposition, a homogenization can be observed, leading to a single-phase structure. This shows the potential of high temperature preheating and in situ alloying to push the development of new high temperature materials for AM.     

Irreversible and Repeatable Shape Transformation of Additively Manufactured Annular Composite Structures

Four-dimensional (4D) printing is a unique application of additive manufacturing (AM) which enables additional shape transformations over time. Although 4D printing is an interesting and attractive phenomenon, it still faces several challenges before it can be used for practical applications: (i) the manufacturing cost should be competitive, and (ii) the shape transformations must have high dimensional accuracy and repeatability. In this study, an irreversible and repeatable thermoresponsive shape transformation method was developed using a material extrusion type AM process and a plain thermoplastic polymer (ABS) without a shape-memory function. Various types of annular discs were additively manufactured using printing paths programmed along a circular direction, and additional heat treatment was conducted as a thermal stimulus. The programmed circumferential anisotropy led to a unique 2D-to-3D shape transformation in response to the thermal stimulus. To obtain more predictable and repeatable shape transformation, the thermal stimulus was applied while using a geometric constraint. The relevant dimensional accuracy and repeatability of the constrained and unconstrained thermal deformations were compared. The proposed shape transformation method was further applied to AM and to the in situ assembly of a composite frame–membrane structure, where a functional membrane was integrated into a curved 3D frame without any additional assembly procedure.     

Effect of the Test Procedure and Thermoplastic Composite Resin Type on the Curved Beam Strength

The application of thermoplastic composites (TPCs) in aircraft construction is growing. This paper presents a study of the effect of an applied methodology (standards) on out-of-plane interlaminar strength characterization. Additionally, the mechanical behaviour of three carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites was compared using the curved beam strength test. Data evaluated using different standards gave statistically significantly different results. The study also showed that the relatively new polyaryletherketone (PAEK) composite had significantly better performance than the older and commonly used polyphenylensulfid (PPS) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Furthermore, considering the lower processing temperature of PAEK than PEEK, the former material has good potential to be used in serial aerospace production.     

Research Status and Prospect of Additive Manufactured Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloys

Nickel-titanium alloys have been widely used in biomedical, aerospace and other fields due to their shape memory effect, superelastic effect, as well as biocompatible and elasto-thermal properties. Additive manufacturing (AM) technology can form complex and fine structures, which greatly expands the application range of Ni-Ti alloy. In this study, the development trend of additive manufactured Ni-Ti alloy was analyzed. Subsequently, the most widely used selective laser melting (SLM) process for forming Ni-Ti alloy was summarized. Especially, the relationship between Ni-Ti alloy materials, SLM processing parameters, microstructure and properties of Ni-Ti alloy formed by SLM was revealed. The research status of Ni-Ti alloy formed by wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), electron beam melting (EBM), directional energy dedication (DED), selective laser sintering (SLS) and other AM processes was briefly described, and its mechanical properties were emphatically expounded. Finally, several suggestions concerning Ni-Ti alloy material preparation, structure design, forming technology and forming equipment in the future were put forward in order to accelerate the engineering application process of additive manufactured Ni-Ti alloy. This study provides a useful reference for scientific research and engineering application of additive manufactured Ni-Ti alloys.     

Fibre-Reinforced Composite for Protection against Shark Bites

The number of shark attacks resulting in fatalities and severe injuries has increased steadily over recent years. This is mainly attributed to a growing population participating in ocean sports such as swimming, diving, and surfing. To mitigate the severity of shark attacks, the current study presents a novel fibre-reinforced composite for bite protection. This material is intended for integration into neoprene wetsuits, e.g., in the form of protective pads. A suitable material must be able to withstand significant bite forces, which are concentrated within a small contact area at the tips of the shark teeth. At the same time, the material should not hinder the complex motion sequences of aquatic sports. To this end, a novel fibre-reinforced composite was created by integrating Kevlar fibres into an elastic matrix. Uni-axial testing using shark teeth replicas was conducted on a specially designed test rig to quantify the effectiveness of the novel protective material.     

Investigation by Digital Image Correlation of Mixed-Mode I and II Fracture Behavior of Polymeric IASCB Specimens with Additive Manufactured Crack-Like Notch

In this work, the fracture mechanics properties of polyamide (PA) specimens manufactured by the selective laser sintering (SLS) technology are investigated, in which an embedded crack-like notch was inserted in the design and produced during the additive manufacturing (AM) phase. To cover a wide variety of mode I/II mixity levels, the inclined asymmetrical semicircular specimen subjected to three points loading (IASCB) was employed. The investigation was carried out by analyzing the full displacement field in the proximity of the crack tip by means of the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. To characterize the material, which exhibits a marked elastic-plastic behavior, the quantity J-integral was evaluated by two different methods: the first one exploits the full fields measured by the DIC, whereas the second one exploits the experimental load–displacement curves along with FEM analysis. The DIC methodology was experimentally validated and proposed as an alternative method to evaluate the J-integral. It is especially suited for conditions in which it is not possible to use the conventional LDC method due to complex and possibly unknown loading conditions. Furthermore, results showed that the AM technique could be used effectively to induce cracks in this type of material. These two aspects together can lead to both a simplification of the fracture characterization process and to the possibility of dealing with a wider number of practical, real-world scenarios. Indeed, because of the nature of the additive manufacturing process, AM crack-like notches can be sintered even having complex geometry, being three-dimensional and/or inside the tested structure.     

Development of a System for Additive Manufacturing of Ceramic Matrix Composite Structures Using Laser Technology

Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are refractory ceramic materials with damage-tolerant behavior. Coming from the space industry, this class of materials is increasingly being used in other applications, such as automotive construction for high-performance brake discs, furnace technology, heat coatings for pipe systems and landing flaps on reusable rocket sections. In order to produce CMC faster and more cost-efficiently for the increasing demand, a new additive manufacturing process is being tested, which in the future should also be able to realize material joints and higher component wall thicknesses than conventional processes. The main features of the process are as follows. A ceramic fiber bundle is de-sized and infiltrated with ceramic suspension. The bundle infiltrated with matrix material is dried and then applied to a body form. During application, the matrix material is melted by laser radiation without damaging the fiber material. For the initial validation of the material system, samples are pressed and analyzed for their absorption properties using integrating sphere measurement. With the results, a suitable processing laser is selected, and initial melting tests of the matrix system are carried out. After the first validation of the process, a test system is set up, and the first test specimens are produced to determine the material parameters.     

Material Parameter Identification for Acoustic Simulation of Additively Manufactured Structures

One possibility in order to manufacture products with very few restrictions in design freedom is additive manufacturing. For advanced acoustic design measures like Acoustic Black Holes (ABH), the layer-wise material deposition allows the continuous alignment of the mechanical impedance by different filling patterns and degrees of filling. In order to explore the full design potential, mechanical models are indispensable. In dependency on process parameters, the resulting homogenized material parameters vary. In previous investigations, especially for ABH structures, a dependency of the material parameters on the structure’s thickness can be observed. In this contribution, beams of different thicknesses are investigated experimentally and numerically in order to identify the material parameters in dependency on the frequency and the thickness. The focused material is polyactic acid (PLA). A parameter fitting is conducted by use of a 3D finite element model and it’s reduced version in a Krylov subspace. The results yield homogenized material parameters for the PLA stack as a function of frequency and thickness. An increasing Young’s modulus with increasing frequency and increasing thickness is observed. This observed effect has considerable influence and has not been considered so far. With the received parameters, more reliable results can be obtained.     

Scalable Synthesis and Electrochemical Properties of Porous Si-CoSi2-C Composites as an Anode for Li-ion Batteries

Si-based anodes for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered to be an attractive alternative to graphite due to their higher capacity, but they have low electrical conductivity and degrade mechanically during cycling. In the current study, we report on a mass-producible porous Si-CoSi₂-C composite as a high-capacity anode material for LIBs. The composite was synthesized with two-step milling followed by a simple chemical etching process. The material conversion and porous structure were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. The electrochemical test results demonstrated that the Si-CoSi₂-C composite electrode exhibits greatly improved cycle and rate performance compared with conventional Si-C composite electrodes. These results can be ascribed to the role of CoSi₂ and inside pores. The CoSi₂ synthesized in situ during high-energy mechanical milling can be well attached to the Si; its conductive phase can increase electrical connection with the carbon matrix and the Cu current collectors; and it can accommodate Si volume changes during cycling. The proposed synthesis strategy can provide a facile and cost-effective method to produce Si-based materials for commercial LIB anodes.     

Influences of Increased Pressure Foaming on the Cellular Structure and Compressive Properties of In Situ Al-4.5%Cu-xTiB2 Composite Foams with Different Particle Fraction

Metallic foams have drawn increasing attention in applications ranging from lightweight structures to energy absorption devices. Mechanical properties of metallic foams depend on both their microstructure and cellular structure. In situ Al-4.5%Cu-xTiB₂ composites were used as start materials for fabrication of closed-cell foams through liquid route under atmosphere pressure and increased pressure, aiming at simultaneously strengthening the cell wall material and optimizing the cellular structure. Macro-structural features of the foams were determined by micro X-ray computed tomography (µCT); results exhibit that increasing weight ratio of in situ TiB₂ particles leads to coarsened cell structure for foams made under atmosphere pressure, due to the increase in critical thickness of cell wall rupture. Significant reduction of cell size and increase in cell circularity were observed for foams fabricated under increased pressure. Quasi static compression test results indicate that yield strength of foam samples increases with increasing particle fraction and refinement of cell structure. Microstructure observation shows that the continuous network at interdendritic regions consists of in situ TiB₂ particles and intermetallic compounds are responsible for the reduced ductility of cell wall materials and the reduction in energy absorption efficiency of foams with high particle fraction. The influences of cell structure on the normalized strength and specific energy absorption were also discussed, and it was found that the improvement of yield strength and energy absorption of composite foams attributes to both the reinforcement of in situ TiB₂ particles and the refinement of cellular structure.     

Micro-Structure Changes Caused by Thermal Evolution in Chalcogenide GexAsySe1−x−y Thin Films by In Situ Measurements

To understand the effects of thermal annealing on the structure of Ge_xAs_ySe_1−x−y thin films, the thermal evolution of these films was measured by the in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) at different temperature (773 K or 1073 K) in a vacuum (10⁻¹ Pa) environment. The entire process of crystallization can be observed by using in situ XRD, which is from the appearance of a crystal structure to melting liquid-state and ultimately to the disappearance of the amorphous structure. In the crystallized process, the corresponding state-transition temperatures T_x (the onset crystallization temperature), T_l (the transition temperature from glassy-state to liquid-state), T_p (peak crystallization temperature) are linear with MCN (Mean Coordination Number). In order to obtain information about changes in the amorphous structural origin of the anneal-induced material, the samples were analyzed by in situ Raman spectroscopy. Analysis of the results through decomposing the Raman spectra into different structural units showed that the Ge−Ge, As−As, or Se−Se homopolar bonds as the nonequilibrium minority carriers could be found in films. It suggests that the formation of these bonds cannot be completely suppressed in any case, as one falls and another rises.     

Sustainable Additive Manufacturing: Mechanical Response of Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol over Multiple Recycling Processes

The continuous demand for thermoplastic polymers in a great variety of applications, combined with an urgent need to minimize the quantity of waste for a balanced energy-from-waste strategy, has led to increasing scientific interest in developing new recycling processes for plastic products. Glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) is known to have some enhanced properties as compared to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) homopolymer; this has recently attracted the interest from the fused filament fabrication (FFF) three-dimensional (3D) printing community. PET has shown a reduced ability for repeated recycling through traditional processes. Herein, we demonstrate the potential for using recycled PETG in consecutive 3D printing manufacturing processes. Distributed recycling additive manufacturing (DRAM)-oriented equipment was chosen in order to test the mechanical and thermal response of PETG material in continuous recycling processes. Tensile, flexure, impact strength, and Vickers micro-hardness tests were carried out for six (6) cycles of recycling. Finally, Raman spectroscopy as well as thermal and morphological analyses via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) fractography were carried out. In general, the results revealed a minor knockdown effect on the mechanical properties as well as the thermal properties of PETG following the process proposed herein, even after six rounds of recycling.     

Innovative Joint for Cable Dome Structure Based on Topology Optimization and Additive Manufacturing

Aiming at the problems of a low material utilization rate and uneven stress distribution of cast-steel support joints in cable dome structures, topology optimization and additive manufacturing methods are used for optimization design and integrated manufacturing. First, the basic principle and calculation process of topology optimization are briefly introduced. Then, the initial model of the support joint is calculated and analyzed by using the universal software ANSYS Workbench 2020R2 and Altair OptiStruct, and the optimized joint is imported into Discovery Live to smooth the surface. The static behaviors of three types of joints (topology-optimized joints, joints after the smoothing treatment, and joints from practical engineering) are compared and analyzed. Finally, the joints are printed by using fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology and laser-based powder bed fusion (LBPBF) technology in additive manufacturing. The results show that the new support joint in the cable dome structure obtained by the topology optimization method has the advantages of a novel shape, a high material utilization rate, and a uniform stress distribution. Additive manufacturing technology can allow the manufacture of complex shape components with high precision and high speed. The combination of topology optimization and additive manufacturing effectively realizes the advanced design and integrated manufacturing of support joints for cable dome structures.     

Regional Control and Optimization of Heat Input during CMT by Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing: Modeling and Microstructure Effects

Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) of aluminum-magnesium (Al–Mg) ER5356 alloy deposits is accomplished by cold metal transfer (CMT). During the process, the temperature change of the alloy deposits has a great influence on molding quality, and the microstructure and properties of alloy deposits are also affected by the complex thermal history of the additive manufacturing process. Here, we used an inter-layer cooling process and controlled the heat input process to attempt to reduce the influence of thermal history on alloy deposits during the additive process. The results showed that inter-layer cooling can optimize the molding quality of alloy deposits, but with the disadvantages of a long test time and slow deposition rate. A simple and uniform reduction of heat input makes the molding quality worse, but controlling the heat input by regions can optimize the molding quality of the alloy deposits. The thermophysical properties of Al-Mg alloy deposits were measured, and we found that the specific heat capacity and thermal diffusivity of alloy deposits were not obviously affected by the temperature. The microstructure and morphology of the deposited specimens were observed and analyzed by microscope and electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD). The process of controlled heat input results in a higher deposition rate, less side-wall roughness, minimum average grain size, and less coarse recrystallization. In addition, different thermal histories lead to different texture types in the inter-layer cooling process. Finally, a controlled heat input process yields the highest average microhardness of the deposited specimen, and the fluctuation range is small. We expect that the process of controlling heat input by model height region will be widely used in the WAAM field.     

Possibilities of Increasing Effectiveness of RC Structure Strengthening with FRP Materials

Modern composite materials based on non-metallic continuous fibres are increasingly used in civil engineering to strengthen building structures. In the strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) structures, the utilisation of externally bonded fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites is only up to 35% because of the pilling-off failure mechanism. This problem can be solved using pre-tensioned composite laminates. Due to more complex behaviour, the strengthening of structures by means of prestressing technology needs a careful design approach and a full understanding of the behaviour of both the materials and elements. The advantages and risks of the presented technology, which may determine the success of the entire project, will be highlighted in the paper. The possibility of using a flexible adhesive layer in carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) strengthening applications for flexural strengthening of RC elements, as an innovative solution in civil engineering, will also be presented. Parallel introduction of the flexible adhesive layer (made of polyurethane masses) and a traditional epoxy adhesive layer in one strengthening system was investigated in the laboratory tests. This solution was used for the repair and protection of a previously damaged RC beam against brittle failure.     

Changes in acral blood flux under local application of ropivacaine and lidocaine with and without an adrenaline additive: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study

Vascular effects of local anesthetics are especially important in dermatological surgery. In particular, adequate perfusion must be ensured in order to offset surgical manipulations during surgical interventions at the acra. However, the use of adrenaline additives appears fraught with problems when anesthesia affects the terminal vascular system, particularly during interventions at the fingers, toes, penis, outer ears, and tip of the nose. We studied skin blood flux at the fingerpads via laser Doppler flowmetry over the course of 24 hours in a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study with 20 vascularly healthy test persons following Oberst's-method anesthetic blocks. In each case, 6 ml ropivacaine (7.5 mg/ml) (A), lidocaine 1% without an additive (B), and lidocaine 1% with an adrenaline additive (1:200,000) (C) was used respectively as a verum. Isotonic saline solution was injected as a placebo (D). Measurements were carried out with the aid of a computer simultaneously at D II and D IV on both hands. Administration of (A) led to increased blood flux (+155.2%); of (B) initially to a decrease of 27%; of (C) to a reduction of 55% which was reversible after 40 minutes and of (D) to no change.(A) resulted in sustained vasodilatation which was still demonstrable after 24 h. (B) had notably less vasodilative effect, although comparison with (D) clearly showed that (B) is indeed vasodilative. (C) resulted in only a passing decrease in perfusion; this was no longer measurable when checked after 6 and 24 h. This transient inadequacy of blood flux also appeared after administration of (D). These tests show that adrenaline additive in local anesthesia does not decrease blood flow more than 55% for a period of 16 min. Following these results an adrenaline additive can be safely used for anesthetic blocks at the acra in healthy persons.     

Analysis of the Temperature Distribution on the Surface of Saddle-Shaped Briquettes Consolidated in the Roller Press

The unit pressure in the fine-grained material consolidation process in the roller press can reach over hundred MPa and is a parameter which results, among other things, from the properties of the consolidated material and the compaction unit geometry. Its value changes depending on the place on the molding surface. Generating different pressure on the surface of briquettes makes their compaction different. One’s own and other researchers’ experience shows that, in the case of exerting high pressure on the merged fine-grained material, the higher unit pressure exerted on the material, the higher temperature of the consolidated material is. The temperature distribution on the surface of the briquettes can testify the locally exerted pressure on the briquette. The stress distribution in the briquetting material is still a subject of research. The article includes thermography studies of the briquetting process of four material mixtures. Thermal images of briquettes were taken immediately after they left the compaction zone as well as forming rollers. The obtained thermograms and temperature variability at characteristic points of the surface of briquettes were analyzed. The correlation between the temperature distribution and the stress distribution in the briquettes was determined.