Finite element (FE) modeling is a powerful tool for the virtual testing of components, especially for high-value manufacturing like additive manufacturing (AM). AM often involves lattice structures in parts, imparting unique mechanical properties. Numerical models allow for cost-effective virtual testing, but computational limitations hinder comprehensive investigations on lattice structures, and idealized models may not fully represent actual manufactured behavior. This study proposes a simplified numerical model for analyzing lattice structure compression behavior before failure, incorporating X-ray microcomputed tomography (CT) scan data. The model includes real manufacturing defects, such as geometrical inaccuracies, internal porosity, and surface roughness. It closely fits compression test results from samples with varied defects, with a maximum error of 17% for stiffness, 13% for yield stress, and 7% for peak stress. The model offers promise for developing manufacturing defect-incorporated lattice representative volume elements (RVEs) to design AM parts with lattice regions. Replacing complex lattice structures with solid-infilled RVEs in simulations reduces computational costs significantly. This approach allows efficient exploration of lattice AM components’ mechanical behavior, accounting for manufacturing defects and offering insights for design optimization and material selection.

Minsol Park

Martin Philip Venter

Anton Du Plessis

Simulation of the Compression Testing of Additively Manufactured Lattice Structures Using Inputs from Microcomputed Tomography

In the experiment, strain gauges and dynamic signal acquisition instruments are used to collect and record data, and the stochastic subspace algorithm is used to extract the first three strain modal parameters of each case. The damage amount identified by the second natural frequency based on the modified Timoshenko beam theory is more in line with the actual situation. The damage depth of case 2 and case 4 is 2 mm, and the identified damage amount is 10% and 9%, respectively. The damage depth of case 3 and case 5 is 4 mm, and the identified damage amount is 16% and 23%, respectively. The damage location information of case 6 is well identified by using the normalized strain modal shape difference index and the enhanced strain modal shape difference index. Taking the strain response signal of case 6 as an example, it is proved that the stochastic subspace strain modal parameter identification algorithm has strong anti-interference ability under the action of 1.5 times, 4 times, and 9 times noise. In addition, the method is verified by theoretical calculation and numerical simulation, and the damage law has a high degree of coincidence with the test. The experimental results show that this method expands the theoretical basis of foam metal damage degree information identification and improves the accuracy of damage location information identification and the anti-interference of parameter identification.

Xinyu He

Dongsheng Ge

Yi An

Experimental Investigations of Damage Identification for Aluminum Foam Sandwich Beams Using Two-Step Method

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most popular biodegradable thermoplastics in the market of 3D printing filaments used in the material extrusion (ME) technique. This is because it can be printed easily at low temperatures. However, its inherent brittleness limits its use in many applications. In this work, the toughness of PLA filament was improved by blending with various types of rubbers including natural rubber (NR), acrylic core–shell rubber (CSR), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) in the amount of 15% by weight. PLA/TPU filament was found to have the smoothest surface with the best shape and dimension stability, while PLA/NR filament rendered the highest tensile toughness. In term of the effect of printing temperature, the highest printing temperature in this study (210°C) provided the highest smoothness with the best shape stability and dimension accuracy. Interestingly, the tensile toughness and elongation at break of 3D printed specimens were found to be higher than those of compression-molded specimens for all filament types. This could be explained by the ability of the 3D printing technique to produce specimens that aligned in the printing direction in a fiber-like pattern.

Siriwan Pongsathit

Jutamas Kamaisoom

Atikarn Rungteerabandit

Pakorn Opaprakasit

Krit Jiamjiroch

Cattaleeya Pattamaprom

Toughness Enhancement of PLA-Based Filaments for Material Extrusion 3D Printing

The friction stir welding (FSW) tool is a critical component to the success of the welding process. The aim of the paper is to investigate the effect of tool temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the aluminium alloy during the friction stir welding process. The welding experiment was conducted at a tool rotational speed of 550 rpm, and tool temperature was measured with the increment of a 60 mm distance. Three different tool temperatures were obtained, and samples were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The ASTM E384 standard was followed when conducting the Vickers hardness test, and material wear behaviour was tested using the ASTM G99 tribology testing standard. The results show that the tool temperature increases with distance during the FSW process (40.5, 46, and 54°C). A high tool temperature produces the weld butt with high mechanical properties (87.5 HV). The wear rate is low at a high tool temperature (<svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-0.3499308pt" id="M1" height="8.98583pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 68.4271 8.98583" width="68.4271pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path id="g113-50" d="M384 0V27C293 34 287 42 287 114V635C232 613 172 594 109 583V559L157 557C201 555 205 550 205 499V114C205 42 199 34 109 27V0H384Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,6.24,0)"><path id="g113-47" d="M113 -12C146 -12 170 11 170 46C170 78 146 103 114 103S58 78 58 46C58 11 82 -12 113 -12Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,9.204,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-50"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,15.444,0)"><path id="g113-55" d="M137 343C167 482 260 545 321 574C357 591 397 603 429 609L423 641C382 634 335 622 295 608C189 570 37 457 37 238C37 84 125 -12 242 -12C362 -12 447 89 447 209C447 311 374 393 267 393C247 393 226 386 204 376L137 343ZM227 337C318 337 361 256 361 173C361 105 336 22 258 22C176 22 126 120 126 240C126 266 127 291 132 310C155 323 189 337 227 337Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,21.684,0)"><path id="g113-58" d="M244 635C114 635 38 519 38 422C38 317 111 240 217 240C236 240 255 244 277 256L345 292C311 140 203 39 59 15L64 -15C89 -15 150 -5 204 17C339 72 440 202 440 386C440 521 368 635 244 635ZM228 602C326 602 352 479 352 390C352 370 351 347 348 324C327 308 293 296 258 296C174 296 124 369 124 458C124 517 152 602 228 602Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,27.926,0)"><path id="g113-70" d="M593 650H142L136 622C219 616 224 611 209 531L130 120C114 39 108 34 23 28L17 0H501C518 32 557 130 568 158L540 169C519 132 495 93 469 70C439 43 409 35 332 35C272 35 241 37 225 50C211 61 211 89 222 149L253 320H350C441 320 443 312 441 239H471L510 434H481C455 366 448 358 360 358H260L303 572C311 613 312 615 348 615H431C509 615 522 603 532 581C544 555 546 531 545 491L574 493C583 555 592 631 593 650Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,38.839,0)"><path id="g117-33" d="M535 230V280H52V230H535Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,49.376,0)"><path id="g113-49" d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,55.616,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-49"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,61.856,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-55"/></g></svg> mm3/N/m).

Mothibeli Pita

Investigation of the Effect of Tool Temperature on Microstructure, Hardness, and Wear Behaviour of Aluminium 6061-T6 Alloy Welded by the Friction Stir Welding Process

Gelatin crosslinking using conventional methods is usually associated with some toxic side effects. In this research, therefore, the vacuum heating method at 10 Pascal and 140°C under different times of 8, 16, and 32 h was used to cross-link strontium-loaded gelatin microparticles with varying degrees obtained by the oil/water mixing method on titanium scaffolds by the dip-coating method to avoid toxicity and also to control the strontium release rate to the surrounding tissue. The possible phases formed on the surface of the porous titanium scaffolds, the gelatin microparticle distribution, gelatin strontium loading, and strontium release were characterized using thin film X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) machines, respectively. The results indicated that at 600°C, the rutile phase was formed on the surface of the heat-treated titanium scaffolds. Furthermore, strontium was successfully loaded in the spherical gelatin microparticles, and the strontium-loaded gelatin microparticles were distributed uniformly on the surface of the titanium scaffolds, while the rate of the in vitro strontium release decreased by increasing the time of the gelatin microparticle vacuum-heat crosslinking, whereas at the burst release step, the in vitro strontium release rates were around 5, 4.4, and 2.5 ppm/h, for the 8, 16, and 32 h vacuum-heat cross-linked gelatin microparticles, respectively.

Sima Sadeghzade

Reza Amini Najafabadi

Mohammad Meysami

Amirhossein Meysami

Mohammad Khodaei

Taghi Isfahani

Porous Titanium Scaffold: A New Design for Controlled Drug Delivery

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Material Design &amp; Processing Communications seeks to spread and promote materials research advancing the understanding and applicability of novel design methodologies, production technologies, and failure prediction models technologies.

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Chief Editor, Dr Andrea Tridello, is based at Politecnico di Torino, Italy. His research interests include additive manufacturing, composite materials and fatigue behavior.

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Material Design & Processing Communications - Table of contents 2023

Material Design & Processing Communications | Hindawi

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Material Design & Processing Communications seeks to spread and promote materials research advancing the understanding and applicability of novel design methodologies, production technologies, and failure prediction models technologies.

Material Design & Processing Communications