Dimensional Characterization and Hybrid Manufacturing of Copper Parts Obtained by Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing, and CNC Machining.

The combination of Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing (ADAM) and traditional CNC machining allows manufacturers to leverage the advantages of both technologies in the production of functional metal parts. This study presents the methodological development of hybrid manufacturing for solid copper parts, initially produced using ADAM technology and subsequently machined using a 5-axis CNC system. The ADAM technology was dimensionally characterized by adapting and manufacturing the seven types of test artifacts standardized by ISO/ASTM 52902:2019. The results showed that slender geometries suffered warpage and detachment during sintering despite complying with the design guidelines. ADAM technology undersizes cylinders and oversizes circular holes and linear lengths. In terms of roughness, the lowest results were obtained for horizontal flat surfaces, while 15° inclined surfaces exhibited the highest roughness due to the stair-stepping effect. The dimensional deviation results for each type of geometry were used to determine the specific and global oversize factors necessary to compensate for major dimensional defects. This also involved generating appropriate over-thicknesses for subsequent CNC machining. The experimental validation of this process, conducted on a validation part, demonstrated final deviations lower than 0.5% with respect to the desired final part, affirming the feasibility of achieving copper parts with a high degree of dimensional accuracy through the hybridization of ADAM and CNC machining technologies.

Venturi Injector Optimization for Precise Powder Transport for Directed Energy Deposition Manufacturing Using the Discrete Element Method and Genetic Algorithms.

Additive manufacturing technologies such as directed energy deposition use powder as their raw material, and it must be deposited in a precise and controlled manner. Venturi injectors could be a solution for the highly precise transport of particulate material. They have been studied from different perspectives, but they are always under high-pressure conditions and mostly fed by gravity. In the present study, an optimization of the different dimensional parameters needed for the manufacturing of a Venturi injector in relation to a particle has been carried out to maximize the amount of powder capable of being sucked and transported for a specific flow in a low-pressure system with high precision in transport. For this optimization, simulations of Venturi usage were performed using the discrete element method, generating different variations proposed by a genetic algorithm based on a preliminary design of experiments. Statistical analysis was also performed to determine the most influential design variables on the objective, with these being the suction diameter (D3), the throat diameter (d2), and the nozzle diameter (d1). The optimal dimensional relationships were as follows: a D3 34 times the particle diameter, a d2 26.5 times the particle diameter, a d1 40% the d2, a contraction angle alpha of 18.73°, and an expansion angle beta of 8.28°. With these proportions, an 85% improvement in powder suction compared to the initial attempts was achieved, with a maximum 2% loss of load.

Calcium Carbonate Coating of 3D-Printed PLA Scaffolds Intended for Biomedical Applications.

The incorporation of ceramic additives is the most commonly used strategy to improve the biofunctionality of polymer-based scaffolds intended for bone regeneration. By embedding ceramic particles as a coating, the functionality improvement in the polymeric scaffolds can be concentrated on the cell-surface interface, thus creating a more favourable environment for the adhesion and proliferation of osteoblastic cells. In this work, a pressure-assisted and heat-induced method to coat polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) particles is presented for the first time. The coated scaffolds were evaluated by optical microscopy observations, a scanning electron microscopy analysis, water contact angle measurements, compression testing, and an enzymatic degradation study. The ceramic particles were evenly distributed, covered more than 60% of the surface, and represented around 7% of the coated scaffold weight. A strong bonding interface was achieved, and the thin layer of CaCO3 (~20 µm) provided a significant increase in the mechanical properties (with a compression modulus improvement up to 14%) while also enhancing the surface roughness and hydrophilicity. The results of the degradation study confirmed that the coated scaffolds were able to maintain the pH of the media during the test (~7.6 ± 0.1), in contrast to the pure PLA scaffolds, for which a value of 5.07 ± 0.1 was obtained. The ceramic-coated scaffolds developed showed potential for further evaluations in bone tissue engineering applications.

Effects of ceramic additives and bioactive coatings on the degradation of polylactic acid-based bone scaffolds under hydrolytic conditions.

Polylactic acid (PLA) has been extensively used for the manufacturing of scaffolds in bone tissue engineering applications. Due to the low hydrophilicity and the acidic degradation process of this biomaterial, different strategies have been proposed to increase the biofunctionality of the support structure. The use of ceramic particles is a generally preferred option to increase the osteoconductivity of the base material, while acting as buffers to maintain the pH level of the surroundings tissues. Surface modification is another approach to overcome the limitations of PLA for tissue engineering applications. In this work, the degradation profile of 3D-printed PLA scaffolds containing beta-tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ) particles has been studied under hydrolytic conditions. Composite samples treated with plasma and coated with Aloe vera extracts were also studied to evaluate the effect of this surface modification method. The characterization of the 3D structures included its morphological, calorimetric and mechanical evaluation. According to the results obtained, the proposed composite scaffolds allowed an adequate maintenance of the pH level of the surrounding medium, with no effects observed on the morphology and mechanical properties of these structures. Hence, these samples showed potential to be further investigated as candidates for bone tissue regeneration.

Evaluation of the Performance of Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing Electrodes in Electrical Discharge Machining.

Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing (ADAM) is an innovative Additive Manufacturing process that allows the manufacture of complex parts in metallic material, such as copper among others, which provides new opportunities in Rapid Tooling. This work presents the development of a copper electrode manufactured with ADAM technology for Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) and its performance compared to a conventional electrolytic copper. Density, electrical conductivity and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were performed for an initial analysis of both ADAM and electrolytic electrodes. Previously designed EDM experiments and optimizations using genetic algorithms were carried out to establish a comparative framework for both electrodes. Subsequently, the final EDM tests were carried out to evaluate the electrode wear rate, the roughness of the workpiece and the rate of material removal for both electrodes. The EDM results show that ADAM technology enables the manufacturing of functional EDM electrodes with similar material removal rates and rough workpiece finishes to conventional electrodes, but with greater electrode wear, mainly due to internal porosity, voids and other defects observed with field emission scanning electron microscopy.

Translation through collaboration: practice applied in BAMOS project in in vivo testing of innovative osteochondral scaffolds.

Osteoarthritis is the most common chronic degenerative joint disease, recognized by the World Health Organization as a public health problem that affects millions of people worldwide. The project Biomaterials and Additive Manufacturing: Osteochondral Scaffold (BAMOS) innovation applied to osteoarthritis, funded under the frame of the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchanges (RISE) program, aims to delay or avoid the use of joint replacements by developing novel cost-effective osteochondral scaffold technology for early intervention of osteoarthritis. The multidisciplinary consortium of BAMOS, formed by international leading research centres, collaborates through research and innovation staff exchanges. The project covers all the stages of the development before the clinical trials: design of scaffolds, biomaterials development, processability under additive manufacturing, in vitro test, and in vivo test. This paper reports the translational practice adopted in the project in in vivo assessment of the osteochondral scaffolds developed.

In vivo evaluation of additively manufactured multi-layered scaffold for the repair of large osteochondral defects.

The repair of osteochondral defects is one of the major clinical challenges in orthopaedics. Well-established osteochondral tissue engineering methods have shown promising results for the early treatment of small defects. However, less success has been achieved for the regeneration of large defects, which is mainly due to the mechanical environment of the joint and the heterogeneous nature of the tissue. In this study, we developed a multi-layered osteochondral scaffold to match the heterogeneous nature of osteochondral tissue by harnessing additive manufacturing technologies and combining the established art laser sintering and material extrusion techniques. The developed scaffold is based on a titanium and polylactic acid matrix-reinforced collagen "sandwich" composite system. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the scaffold were examined, and its safety and efficacy in the repair of large osteochondral defects were tested in an ovine condyle model. The 12-week in vivo evaluation period revealed extensive and significantly higher bone in-growth in the multi-layered scaffold compared with the collagen-HAp scaffold, and the achieved stable mechanical fixation provided strong support to the healing of the overlying cartilage, as demonstrated by hyaline-like cartilage formation. The histological examination showed that the regenerated cartilage in the multi-layer scaffold group was superior to that formed in the control group. Chondrogenic genes such as aggrecan and collagen-II were upregulated in the scaffold and were higher than those in the control group. The findings showed the safety and efficacy of the cell-free "translation-ready" osteochondral scaffold, which has the potential to be used in a one-step surgical procedure for the treatment of large osteochondral defects. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42242-021-00177-w.

Sheep condyle model evaluation of bone marrow cell concentrate combined with a scaffold for repair of large osteochondral defects.

AIMS: Minimally manipulated cells, such as autologous bone marrow concentrates (BMC), have been investigated in orthopaedics as both a primary therapeutic and augmentation to existing restoration procedures. However, the efficacy of BMC in combination with tissue engineering is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the addition of BMC to an osteochondral scaffold is safe and can improve the repair of large osteochondral defects when compared to the scaffold alone. METHODS: The ovine femoral condyle model was used. Bone marrow was aspirated, concentrated, and used intraoperatively with a collagen/hydroxyapatite scaffold to fill the osteochondral defects (n = 6). Tissue regeneration was then assessed versus the scaffold-only group (n = 6). Histological staining of cartilage with alcian blue and safranin-O, changes in chondrogenic gene expression, microCT, peripheral quantitative CT (pQCT), and force-plate gait analyses were performed. Lymph nodes and blood were analyzed for safety. RESULTS: The results six months postoperatively showed that there were no significant differences in bone regrowth and mineral density between BMC-treated animals and controls. A significant upregulation of messenger RNA (mRNA) for types I and II collagens in the BMC group was observed, but there were no differences in the formation of hyaline-like cartilage between the groups. A trend towards reduced sulphated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG) breakdown was detected in the BMC group but this was not statistically significant. Functional weightbearing was not affected by the inclusion of BMC. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that the addition of BMC to scaffold is safe and has some potentially beneficial effects on osteochondral-tissue regeneration, but not on the functional endpoint of orthopaedic interest. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2021;10(10):677-689.

Comparison of CAD and Voxel-Based Modelling Methodologies for the Mechanical Simulation of Extrusion-Based 3D Printed Scaffolds.

Porous structures are of great importance in tissue engineering. Most scaffolds are 3D printed, but there is no single methodology to model these printed parts and to apply finite element analysis to estimate their mechanical behaviour. In this work, voxel-based and geometry-based modelling methodologies are defined and compared in terms of computational efficiency, dimensional accuracy, and mechanical behaviour prediction of printed parts. After comparing the volumes and dimensions of the models with the theoretical and experimental ones, they are more similar to the theoretical values because they do not take into account dimensional variations due to the printing temperature. This also affects the prediction of the mechanical behaviour, which is not accurate compared to reality, but it makes it possible to determine which geometry is stiffer. In terms of comparison of modelling methodologies, based on process efficiency, geometry-based modelling performs better for simple or larger parts, while voxel-based modelling is more advantageous for small and complex geometries.

Experimental Analysis of the Enzymatic Degradation of Polycaprolactone: Microcrystalline Cellulose Composites and Numerical Method for the Prediction of the Degraded Geometry.

The degradation rate of polycaprolactone (PCL) is a key issue when using this material in Tissue Engineering or eco-friendly packaging sectors. Although different PCL-based composite materials have been suggested in the literature and extensively tested in terms of processability by material extrusion additive manufacturing, little attention has been paid to the influence of the fillers on the mechanical properties of the material during degradation. This work analyses the possibility of tuning the degradation rate of PCL-based filaments by the introduction of microcrystalline cellulose into the polymer matrix. The enzymatic degradation of the composite and pure PCL materials were compared in terms of mass loss, mechanical properties, morphology and infrared spectra. The results showed an increased degradation rate of the composite material due to the presence of the filler (enhanced interaction with the enzymes). Additionally, a new numerical method for the prediction of the degraded geometry was developed. The method, based on the Monte Carlo Method in an iterative process, adjusts the degradation probability according to the exposure of each discretized element to the degradation media. This probability is also amplified depending on the corresponding experimental mass loss, thus allowing a good fit to the experimental data in relatively few iterations.

On the Effectiveness of Oxygen Plasma and Alkali Surface Treatments to Modify the Properties of Polylactic Acid Scaffolds.

Surface modification of 3D-printed PLA structures is a major issue in terms of increasing the biofunctionality and expanding the tissue engineering applications of these parts. In this paper, different exposure times were used for low-pressure oxygen plasma applied to PLA 3D-printed scaffolds. Alkali surface treatments were also evaluated, aiming to compare the modifications introduced on the surface properties by each strategy. Surface-treated samples were characterized through the quantification of carboxyl groups, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, water contact angle measurements, and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The change in the surface properties was studied over a two-week period. In addition, an enzymatic degradation analysis was carried out to evaluate the effect of the surface treatments on the degradation profile of the 3D structures. The physicochemical characterization results suggest different mechanism pathways for each type of treatment. Alkali-treated scaffolds showed a higher concentration of carboxyl groups on their surface, which enhanced the enzymatic degradation rate, but were also proven to be more aggressive towards 3D-printed structures. In contrast, the application of the plasma treatments led to an increased hydrophilicity of the PLA surface without affecting the bulk properties. However, the changes on the properties were less steady over time.

Thermal and Mechanical Characterization of Banana Fiber Reinforced Composites for Its Application in Injection Molding.

Several natural materials and vegetable waste have relevant mechanical properties, mainly in its fiber format. Particularly, banana fiber (BF) provides a close behavior to the widely spread glass fibers, which places it in an advantageous position for use as a reinforcing material in plastic composites. This work characterizes the behavior of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), high impact polystyrene (HIPS), and high density polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced with short fibers of bananas from the Canary Islands for its application in molding processes. Several thermal analyses (Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Melt Flow Index (MFI)) and mechanical tests (tensile, flexural, impact, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA)) were carried out in composites with different percentages of banana fiber. The thermal results show that the use of banana fiber is viable as a reinforcement in composites for injection molding processes and the mechanical tests indicate an increase in stiffness and an improvement in maximum flexural stress by increasing the fiber content in composites, so the banana fiber turns out to be a natural alternative for the reinforcement of injected plastic components.

Influence of Manufacturing Parameters and Post Processing on the Electrical Conductivity of Extrusion-Based 3D Printed Nanocomposite Parts.

The influence of manufacturing parameters of filament extrusion and extrusion-based Additive Manufacturing (AM), as well as different post processing techniques, on the electrical conductivity of 3D printed parts of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP)-reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) has been analyzed. The key role of the manufacturing parameters to obtain electrically conductive filaments and 3D printed parts has been demonstrated. Results have shown that an increase in extrusion speed, as well as lower land lengths, induces higher extrudate swelling, with the consequent reduction of the electrical conductivity. Additionally, filaments with lower diameter values, which result in a higher surface-to-cross-section ratio, have considerably lower electrical conductivities. These factors tune the values of the volume and surface electrical conductivity between 10-4-100 S/m and 10-8-10-3 S/sq, respectively. The volume and surface electrical conductivity considerably diminished after 3D printing. They increased when using higher printing layer thickness and width and were ranging between 10-7-10-4 S/m and 10-8-10-5 S/sq, respectively. This is attributed to the higher cross section area of the individual printed lines. The effect of different post processing (acetone vapor polishing, plasma and neosanding, which is a novel finishing process) on 3D printed parts in morphology and surface electrical conductivity was also analyzed.

Comparison between calcium carbonate and ß-tricalcium phosphate as additives of 3D printed scaffolds with polylactic acid matrix.

In this study, polylactic acid (PLA)-based composite scaffolds with calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ) and beta-tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP) were obtained by 3D printing. These structures were evaluated as potential 3D structures for bone tissue regeneration. Morphological, mechanical, and biological tests were carried out in order to compare the effect of each additive (added in a concentration of 5% w/w) and the combination of both (2.5% w/w of each one), on the PLA matrix. The scaffolds manufactured had a mean pore size between 400-425 µm and a porosity value in the range of 50-60%. According to the results, both additives promoted an increase of the porosity, hydrophilicity, and surface roughness of the scaffolds, leading to a significant improvement of the metabolic activity of human osteoblastic osteosarcoma cells. The best results in terms of cell attachment after 7 days were obtained for the samples containing CaCO3 and ß-TCP particles due to the synergistic effect of both additives, which results in an increase in osteoconductivity and in a microporosity that favours cell adhesion. These scaffolds (PLA:CaCO3 :ß-TCP 95:2.5:2.5) have suitable properties to be further evaluated for bone tissue engineering applications.

Optimization methodology for the material assignation in bioprinted scaffolds to achieve the desired stiffness over time.

The optimum scaffold for tissue engineering must guarantee the mechanical integrity in the damaged zone and ensure an appropriate stiffness to regulate the cellular function. For this to happen, scaffolds must be designed to match the stiffness of the native tissue. Moreover, the degradation rate in the case of bioresorbable materials must also be considered to fit the tissue regeneration rate. This paper presents a methodology based on design of experiments, finite element analysis, metamodels, and genetic algorithms to optimize the assignation of material in different sections of the scaffold to obtain the desired stiffness over time and comply with the constraints needed. The method applies an initial sampling focused on a modified Latin Hypercube strategy to obtain data from the simulations. These data are used in the next stages to generate the metamodels by using kriging. The predictions of the metamodels are used by the genetic algorithms to find the best estimated solutions. Different runs of the genetic algorithm drive the sampling, improving the accuracy of the surrogate models over the optimization process. Once the accuracy of the metamodels estimates is sufficient, a final genetic algorithm is applied to obtain the optimum design. This approach guarantees a low sampling effort and convergence to carry out the optimization process. The method allows the combination of discrete and continuous design variables in the optimization problem, and it can be applied both in solid and in hierarchical-based geometries.

Experimental Analysis and Simulation of Novel Technical Textile Reinforced Composite of Banana Fibre.

The use of natural fibres allows reducing environmental impact, due to their natural renewable origin and the lower energy needed for their production and processing. This work presents the mechanical characterization of a newly developed technical textile, with banana fibre treated by enzymes, comparing experimental results with numerical simulation based on the definition of the unit cell at micromechanical level. The experimental test shows that the composite with the fabric of banana fibre presents worse mechanical behaviour than the one with commercial flax fibre. The presence of wool, necessary for producing the yarn, reduces the mechanical properties of the banana textile. The numerical simulation had an acceptable error compared with the experimental results, with a global average error of 9%, showing that the predictive modelling based on the multiscale method is suitable for the design process of this kind of composite.

Anisotropy of Photopolymer Parts Made by Digital Light Processing.

Digital light processing (DLP) is an accurate additive manufacturing (AM) technology suitable for producing micro-parts by photopolymerization. As most AM technologies, anisotropy of parts made by DLP is a key issue to deal with, taking into account that several operational factors modify this characteristic. Design for this technology and photopolymers becomes a challenge because the manufacturing process and post-processing strongly influence the mechanical properties of the part. This paper shows experimental work to demonstrate the particular behavior of parts made using DLP. Being different to any other AM technology, rules for design need to be adapted. Influence of build direction and post-curing process on final mechanical properties and anisotropy are reported and justified based on experimental data and theoretical simulation of bi-material parts formed by fully-cured resin and partially-cured resin. Three photopolymers were tested under different working conditions, concluding that post-curing can, in some cases, correct the anisotropy, mainly depending on the nature of photopolymer.

Production of Banana Fiber Yarns for Technical Textile Reinforced Composites.

Natural fibers have been used as an alternative to synthetic ones for their greener character; banana fibers have the advantage of coming from an agricultural residue. Fibers have been extracted by mechanical means from banana tree pseudostems, as a strategy to valorize banana crops residues. To increase the mechanical properties of the composite, technical textiles can be used as reinforcement, instead of short fibers. To do so, fibers must be spun and woven. The aim of this paper is to show the viability of using banana fibers to obtain a yarn suitable to be woven, after an enzymatic treatment, which is more environmentally friendly. Extracted long fibers are cut to 50 mm length and then immersed into an enzymatic bath for their refining. Conditions of enzymatic treatment have been optimized to produce a textile grade of banana fibers, which have then been characterized. The optimum treating conditions were found with the use of Biopectinase K (100% related to fiber weight) at 45 °C, pH 4.5 for 6 h, with bath renewal after three hours. The first spinning trials show that these fibers are suitable to be used for the production of yarns. The next step is the weaving process to obtain a technical fabric for composites production.