Cantilever Bending Research Articles

Fracture resistance of cantilevered full-arch implant-supported hybrid prostheses with carbon fiber frameworks after thermal cycling

ObjectivesThis in vitro study aimed to find the best combination of mesostructure and veneering materials for full-arch implant-supported hybrid prostheses (HPs) in terms of the fracture resistance (FR) of their cantilevers. MethodsThree groups (n = 5 each) of maxillary HPs were fabricated: Group-1 (CC-A, control): Co-Cr frameworks coated with acrylic resin; Group-2 (CF-A): carbon fiber veneered with acrylic resin; and Group-3 (CF-R): carbon fiber coated with composite resin. All specimens were submitted to 5,000 thermal cycles (5 °C – 55 °C, dwell time: 30 s), and subjected to a single cantilever bending test in a universal testing machine (crosshead speed: 0.5 mm/min) until failure. The fracture pattern was assessed using stereo microscope and SEM. The one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni tests were run (α= 0.05). ResultsThe FR yielded significant differences among the three groups (p< 0.001). CC-A samples reached the highest FR values (p ≤ 0.001), whereas both CF-A and CF-R HPs exhibited the comparably (p = 0.107) lowest FR. CC-A specimens failed cohesively (100%): mostly without chipping (80%). CF-A mesostructures were always broken at the connections of the distal implants. CF-R prostheses often failed adhesively (80%). ConclusionsThe HPs made of Co-Cr veneered with acrylic demonstrated the best mechanical behavior, being the only group whose 13-mm long cantilevers exceeded the clinically acceptable FR of 900 N. The HPs constructed with carbon fiber frameworks showed, additionally, more unfavorable fracture patterns. Clinical significanceFor HPs with cantilevers up to 13 mm, Co-Cr mesostructures coated with acrylic may represent the optimum combination of materials.

Biomechanical evaluation of magnesium plates for management of mandibular angle fracture

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of magnesium plates for the management of fractures of the mandibular angle. Fresh sheep hemimandibles were divided into 7 groups and a biomechanical cantilever bending test was used for the groups: Group 1 included fractured hemimandibles fixed at the angle with a single 1mm magnesium miniplate; Group 2 had fixation with a 1mm double magnesium miniplate; Group 3 used a 2mm thick single magnesium miniplate; Group 4 used double 2mm magnesium plates; Group 5 each had a single 1mm thick titanium plate; Group 6 used 1mm thick double titanium plates; and Group 7 comprised intact hemimandibles. Each group was tested using universal testing machine yield loads; yield displacements and stiffness were compared using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) Group 1 (1mm single magnesium plate) and Group 2 (1mm double magnesium plates) showed lower stability than other groups, while the 2mm magnesium plate showed stability similar to the corresponding 1mm titanium plate. Pure magnesium has good mechanical properties and when it is designed properly it can be used for the management of mandibular fracture.

Fatigue tests of superelastic NiTi wires: an analysis using factorial design in single cantilever bending

This paper investigates the fatigue behavior of superelastic NiTi shape memory alloy thin wires with circular and rectangular cross-sections under single cantilever bending mode. A dynamic mechanical analyzer operating in single cantilever mode is employed as a testing machine. The fatigue life of the wires was analyzed at different strain amplitudes and loading frequencies. The simultaneous influence of these parameters was assessed through a factorial design with replication. Circular wires have higher fatigue life compared to rectangular wires. Higher strain amplitudes decrease the fatigue life of both circular and rectangular cross-section wires. On the other hand, the loading frequency strongly affected the rectangular cross-section wire, while having a significantly weaker effect on the circular wire. The NiTi wires showed fatigue lives between 103 and 105 cycles in the evaluated range of strain amplitude, which falls within the fatigue life observed for shape memory alloy (SMA) wires under similar loading conditions. Furthermore, the factorial design proved to be a valuable tool in the study of fatigue life of NiTi SMA, especially for the visualization and interpretation of the effect of the chosen variables.

Mechanical response and strength characteristics of aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels for infrastructure engineering

The use of aluminium sandwich panels has been increased in a certain number of engineering applications from infrastructure systems and transportation to aircraft and naval engineering. Due to their structural efficiency these materials are ideal for applications where ratio of strength to weight is of crucial importance. In the current study the investigation of the strength characteristics of aluminium sandwich panels with aluminium honeycomb core and different types of skins is performed using both analytical models and experimental procedures. A series of strength tests such as tension, shear, three point bending and double cantilever beam were conducted on aluminium honeycomb-cored sandwich panel specimens with five different skins in order to examine the mode of failure and the mechanical behaviour of the structural elements. The experimental findings are compared to theoretical values while an attempt for the explanation of the mechanisms leading to failure such as buckling, delamination or debonding between core and skins is performed. The results occurring from the study are very useful for the enhancement of the mechanical behaviour of sandwich constructions, thus more intensive work must be carried out in order to understand the physical mechanisms leading to strength characteristics of sandwich panels.

Wafer-Scale Electroactive Nanoporous Silicon: Large and Fully Reversible Electrochemo-Mechanical Actuation in Aqueous Electrolytes.

Nanoporosity in silicon results in interface-dominated mechanics, fluidics, and photonics that are often superior to the ones of the bulk material. However, their active control, for example, by electronic stimuli, is challenging due to the absence of intrinsic piezoelectricity in the base material. Here, for large-scale nanoporous silicon cantilevers wetted by aqueous electrolytes, electrosorption-induced mechanical stress generation of up to 600 kPa that is reversible and adjustable at will by potential variations of ≈1 V is shown. Laser cantilever bending experiments in combination with in operando voltammetry and step coulombmetry allow this large electro-actuation to be traced to the concerted action of 100 billions of parallel nanopores per square centimeter cross-section and determination of the capacitive charge-stress coupling parameter upon ion adsorption and desorption as well as the intimately related stress actuation dynamics for perchloric and isotonic saline solutions. A comparison with planar silicon surfaces reveals mechanistic insights on the observed electrocapillarity (Hellmann-Feynman interactions) with respect to the importance of oxide formation and wall roughness on the single-nanopore scale. The observation of robust electrochemo-mechanical actuation in a mainstream semiconductor with wafer-scale, self-organized nanoporosity opens up novel opportunities for on-chip integrated stress generation and actuorics at exceptionally low operationvoltages.

Standoff Detection of Plastics

Rapid identification of different plastics for recycling is very important in overcoming the plastic waste challenge our society is facing today. An ideal plastic detector should be able to discern different plastics at the molecular level in a standoff fashion where the detector does not come in contact with the target plastic. We have demonstrated a standoff technique for the rapid identification of plastics based on their mid-IR absorption spectra. Since mid-IR region is free of overtones, this region is known as molecular finger print regime This technique is based on a variation of photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS), where the light from a tunable infrared source, a quantum cascade laser (QCL), is scattered/reflected off the target plastic object. The returning scattered light is collected and made to create acoustic waves on a microfabricated cantilever sensor. Our experimental results show that the cantilever response, resonance frequency, amplitude, and bending, changes with infrared absorption characteristics of the target. A plot of cantilever response as a function of illuminating wavelength mimic the infrared absorption peaks of the plastics material producing a mechanical spectrum. The generated spectrum obtained for different plastics is then compared with that conventional spectrum for polymer identification.

Influence of carbon nanotubes, resin matrix and technology of mixture homogenization on ablative and dynamic mechanical properties of epoxy nanocomposites

The present work investigates the thermo-protective ablative and dynamic mechanical properties of two kinds of epoxy resins modified with carbon nanotubes (1 vol% or 5 vol% of CNT) and homogenized mechanically or ultrasonically. The samples have been subjected to combustion gases at a temperature above 1900 °C during 120 s. The best thermal protective properties were exhibited by the composites made by epoxy resin called Epidian 52 (cross-linked by TFF - triethylenetetramine) and containing 5 vol% of CNT. Dynamic mechanical tests were performed by using a compression deformation mode and also a double-cantilever bending mode. In the compression mode, the highest value of the complex modulus M* = 1030 MPa and a very low value of the damping factor tan δ = 0.02 were shown by the composite mechanically homogenized (Epidian 601 + TFF + 5% CNT). In the double cantilever bending mode, the highest value of the modulus M* (i.e. 1250 MPa) was shown by the composite (Epidian 601 + TFF + 1% CNT) with tan δ = 0.05 and which was homogenized by ultrasounds.

Experimental study and comparative numerical modeling of creep behavior of white oak wood with various distributions of earlywood vessel belt

Many researches have been conducted to investigate creep behavior of wood; however, the effects of structure on wood creep behavior remain unclear. Therefore, the effects of existence and distribution of earlywood vessel belt on creep behavior of white oak (Quercus alba L.) wood were investigated by dynamic thermal mechanical analyzer (DMA) with double cantilever bending in this study. Besides, a comparative numerical modeling simulation on strain curves of white oak specimens was completed using Burger and Five-parameter model. Results revealed that instantaneous strain and 45-min strain of specimens decreased with increase in the distance between earlywood vessel belt and stress acting surface obviously. Additionally, instantaneous strain and 45-min strain of specimens remarkably increased with increase in temperature from 20 to 80 °C. An obvious bending creep behavior was observed with increase in temperature from 20 to 80 °C. Both Burger and Five-parameter model can effectively simulate the creep behavior of white oak specimens with R2 values greater than 0.90. Furthermore, Five-parameter model illustrated a better fitting effect than Burger model in the final creep stage due to the introduction of a non-linear creep strain growth expression. It concluded that creep behavior of white oak wood strongly depends on the existence and distribution of earlywood vessel belt.

All-optical dynamic analysis of the photothermal and photoacoustic response of a microcantilever by laser Doppler vibrometry

Light absorption induced thermoelastic and photoacoustic excitation, combined with laser Doppler vibrometry, was utilized to analyze the dynamic mechanical behavior of a microcantilever. The measured frequency response, modal shapes, and acoustic coupling effects were interpreted in the framework of a simple Bernouilli-Euler model and quantitative 3D finite element method (FEM) analysis. Three opto-mechanical generation mechanisms, each initiated by modulated optical absorption and heating, were identified both by an analytical and finite element model. In decreasing order of importance, optically induced cantilever bending is found to be caused by: (i) differences in photoacoustically induced pressure oscillations in the air adjacent to the illuminated and dark side of the cantilever, resulting from heat transfer from the illuminated cantilever to the nearby air, acting as a volume velocity piston, and (ii) thermoelastic stresses accompanying temperature and thermal expansion gradients in the cantilever, (iii) photoacoustically induced pressure oscillations in the air adjacent to the illuminated cantilever holder and frame.

Mode dependent evaluation of fracture behaviour using cantilever bending

Fracture toughness measurement by cantilever bending has been widely used to study the fracture behaviour of different class of materials especially at the micro-scale. However, standard protocols of testing do not exist in these non-conventional geometries, leading to variable results. In this study we assess the geometric factors affecting the stress intensity factor solutions of a single edge notched cantilever bend specimen in different loading modes to propose suitable testing standards. Variation of stress intensity factor and mode mixity is analysed as a function of the relative position of the crack, beam cross-section, crack geometry, arm length of the cantilever and loading direction to discern the contributions of different loading states and boundary conditions on the same. During cantilever bending, state of mode I predominates for beams with length to width ratios above 4 whereas mode II and mode III predominates for shorter beams of length to width ratio of 0.5. Experimental validation is carried out both at the micro-scale and macro-scale using Barium Titanate and polymethyl methacrylate respectively.

Guided Lamb waves in reconfigurable phononic crystal waveguides

We demonstrate experimentally the manipulation of Lamb waves guided along reconfigurable phononic circuits created by defects composed of threaded rods held with nuts in a perforated solid phononic crystal slab. Adjusting the free length of the rod, the resonant frequency of the defect can be tuned, without any change in the supporting phononic crystal slab. Both straight and bent waveguides are fabricated and measured in an aluminum sample with a lattice constant of 20 mm and a complete bandgap extending from 50 to 70 kHz. Guidance of Lamb waves is clearly observed by a Doppler vibrometer, even after 90° bends. The eigenmodes of guided waves are obtained using finite element analysis to explain the tuning of resonances through a bending cantilever model. Numerical and experimental results are generally found to be in fair agreement. They also suggest that the guiding frequency is rather independent of the details of the waveguides. They are of significance for the design of reconfigurable phononic devices.

Biomechanical evaluation of an intramedullary clavicle screw in simple oblique and butterfly wedge fractures.

This biomechanical study evaluates the performance of a solid titanium-alloy intra-medullary (IM) clavicular screw in torsion and cantilever bending in cadaveric clavicle specimens with simulated simple oblique and butterfly wedge midshaft fractures. Thirty-two fresh-frozen male clavicles were sorted into six experimental groups: Torsion Control, Torsion Simple Oblique Fracture, Torsion Butterfly Wedge Fracture, Bending Control, Bending Simple Oblique Fracture, and Bending Butterfly Wedge Fracture. The experimental groups were controlled for density, length, diameter, and laterality. All other samples were osteotomy-induced and implanted with a single 90 mm × 3 mm clavicle screw. All groups were tested to physiologically relevant cutoff points in torsion or bending. There were no statistically significant differences in the performance of the oblique and butterfly wedge fracture models for any torsion or bend testing measures, including maximum torsional resistance (p = 0.66), torsional stiffness (p = 0.51), maximum bending moment (p = 0.43), or bending stiffness (p = 0.73). Torsional testing of samples in the direction of thread tightening tended to be stronger than samples tested in loosening, with all groups either approaching or achieving statistical significance. There were no significant differences between the simple oblique or the butterfly-wedge fracture groups for any of the tested parameters, suggesting that there is no difference in the gross biomechanical properties of the bone-implant construct when the IM clavicle screw is used in either a simple midshaft fracture pattern or a more complex butterfly wedge fracture pattern.

Examining the novel use of continuous compression implants in clavicle reconstruction: A biomechanical study

BackgroundCurrent implants for clavicle fractures are known to cause poor cosmesis and irritation, which may require implant removal. Low-profile shape-memory staples provide an attractive alternative, but their biomechanical utility in clavicle reconstruction is unknown. We hypothesized that shape-memory reconstructions would be more compliant compared to traditional constructs but would also outperform conventional plates during cyclic loading to failure. MethodsThis study was performed with 36 synthetic clavicles and 12 matched pairs of cadaveric specimens. The synthetic study tested four reconstructions: a single superiorly placed staple (n = 6), a single anteroinferiorly-placed staple (n = 6), a 3.5 mm reconstruction plate (n = 12), and two orthogonally placed staples (n = 12). The cadaveric study tested three constructs: reconstruction plate (n = 8), two orthogonal staples (n = 8), and a 2.7 mm reconstruction plate combined with a superior staple (n = 8). Non-destructive 4-point bending, compression, and torsion assays were performed prior to destructive cantilever bending and cyclic torsion tests. FindingsThe single staple and double staple groups demonstrated significantly decreased resistance to bending (p < 0.001) and torsion (p ≤ 0.027) when compared to reconstruction plate groups. The double staple group sustained significantly fewer cycles to failure than the reconstruction plate group in cyclic torsional tests (p = 0.012). The synthetic models produced higher stiffness and failure mechanisms that were completely different from cadaveric specimens. InterpretationShape memory alloy implants provided inadequate stiffness for clavicle fixation but may have utility in other orthopaedic applications when used as a supplementary compression device in conjunction with traditional plated constructs. Synthetic bones have limited capacity for modeling fragility fractures.

Investigation of a metrological atomic force microscope system with a combined cantilever position, bending and torsion detection system

Abstract. This article presents a new metrological atomic force microscope (MAFM) head with a new beam alignment and a combined one-beam detection of the cantilever deflection. An interferometric measurement system is used for the determination of the position of the cantilever, while a quadrant photodiode measures the bending and torsion of the cantilever. To improve the signal quality and reduce disturbing interferences, the optical design was revised in comparison to the systems of others (Dorozhovets et al., 2006; Balzer et al., 2011; Hausotte et al., 2012). The integration of the MAFM head in a nanomeasuring machine (NMM-1) offers the possibility of large-scale measurements over a range of 25mm×25mm×5 mm with sub-nanometre resolution. A large number of measurements have been performed by this MAFM head in combination with the NMM-1. This paper presents examples of the measurements for the determination of step height and pitch and areal measurement.

Bone plate fixation ability on the dorsal and lateral sides of a metacarpal shaft transverse fracture

BackgroundMetacarpal shaft fractures are a common hand trauma. The current surgical fixation options for such fractures include percutaneous Kirschner wire pinning and nonlocking and locking plate fixation. Although bone plate fixation, compared with Kirschner wire pinning, has superior fixation ability, a consensus has not been reached on whether the bone plate is better placed on the dorsal or lateral side.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the fixation of locking and regular bone plates on the dorsal and lateral sides of a metacarpal shaft fracture.Materials and methodsThirty-five artificial metacarpal bones were used in the experiment. Metacarpal shaft fractures were created using a saw blade, which were then treated with four types of fixation as follows: (1) a locking plate with four locking bicortical screws on the dorsal side (LP_D); (2) a locking plate with four locking bicortical screws on the lateral side (LP_L); (3) a regular plate with four regular bicortical screws on the dorsal side (RP_D); (4) a regular plate with four regular bicortical screws on the lateral side (RP_D); and (5) two K-wires (KWs). All specimens were tested through cantilever bending tests on a material testing system. The maximum fracture force and stiffness of the five fixation types were determined based on the force–displacement data. The maximum fracture force and stiffness of the specimens with metacarpal shaft fractures were first analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s test.ResultsThe maximum fracture force results of the five types of metacarpal shaft fracture were as follows: LP_D group (230.1 ± 22.8 N, mean ± SD) ≅ RP_D group (228.2 ± 13.4 N) > KW group (94.0 ± 17.4 N) > LP_L group (59.0 ± 7.9 N) ≅ RP_L group (44.5 ± 3.4 N). In addition, the stiffness results of the five types of metacarpal shaft fracture were as follows: LP_D group (68.7 ± 14.0 N/mm) > RP_D group (54.9 ± 3.2 N/mm) > KW group (20.7 ± 5.8 N/mm) ≅ LP_L group (10.6 ± 1.7 N/mm) ≅ RP_L group (9.4 ± 1.2 N/mm).ConclusionAccording to our results, the mechanical strength offered by lateral plate fixation of a metacarpal shaft fracture is so low that even KW fixation can offer relatively superior mechanical strength; this is regardless of whether a locking or nonlocking plate is used for lateral plate fixation. Such fixation can reduce the probability of extensor tendon adhesion. Nevertheless, our results indicated that when lateral plate fixation is used for fixating a metacarpal shaft fracture in a clinical setting, whether the mechanical strength offered by such fixation would be strong enough to support bone union remains questionable.

Comparison of Cantilever, Heart Loop and Circular Bending Test Methods in Determining the Bending Behaviours of Sewn Woven Polyester Fabrics

Fabrics are cut and sewn to form 3-dimensional end-products. Bending rigidity is one of the properties that should be interpreted for sewn fabrics as it can affect drape, appearance and sensorial comfort of a garment. In the literature, there are several methods to measure the bending behaviours of fabrics. Parallelly, a variety of tests were employed for bending rigidity of sewn samples but their comparability for sewn samples are not known. In this study, 3 simple and standard test methods were used to compare the bending behaviours of fabrics with plied edge seams. Statistical analysis showed that, circular bend method had no or low correlation with cantilever and heart loop methods. Also any difference between the different types of sewn samples could not be detected by this method. In contrast, results of cantilever and heart loop methods showed low to moderate positive correlations for the bending lentghs and bending rigidities of samples.

Smart Inlays for Simultaneous Crack Sensing and Arrest in Multifunctional Bondlines of Composites.

Disbond arrest features combined with a structural health monitoring system for permanent bondline surveillance have the potential to significantly increase the safety of adhesive bonds in composite structures. A core requirement is that the integration of such features is achieved without causing weakening of the bondline. We present the design of a smart inlay equipped with a micro strain sensor-system fabricated on a polyvinyliden fluorid (PVDF) foil material. This material has proven disbond arrest functionality, but has not before been used as a substrate in lithographic micro sensor fabrication. Only with special pretreatment can it meet the requirements of thin film sensor elements regarding surface roughness and adhesion. Moreover, the sensor integration into composite material using a standard manufacturing procedure reveals that the smart inlays endure this process even though subjected to high temperatures, curing reactions and plasma treatment. Most critical is the substrate melting during curing when sensory function is preserved with a covering caul plate that stabilizes the fragile measuring grids. The smart inlays are tested by static mechanical loading, showing that they can be stretched far beyond critical elongations of composites before failure. The health monitoring function is verified by testing the specimens with integrated sensors in a cantilever bending setup. The results prove the feasibility of micro sensors detecting strain gradients on a disbond arresting substrate to form a so-called multifunctional bondline.

Unraveling the mechanical origin of stable solid electrolyte interphase

Summary The capability of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) in accommodating deformation is critical to the electrode integrity. However, the nanoscale thickness and environmental sensitivity of SEI make it challenging to characterize multiple mechanical parameters and identify an appropriate predictor for such capability. Here, we develop a feasible atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based nanoindentation test that circumvents the interference of the anode substrate and allows accurate probing of Young's modulus and elastic strain limit of SEI. The "maximum elastic deformation energy" (U) that an SEI can absorb is proposed to predict the stability of the SEI, as successfully demonstrated in Li/K metal anodes. We show that another asset of U is to provide a rapid and effective means to screen proper electrolytes for the stabilization of Sn and Sb microparticle anodes through building high-U SEIs. Overall, this new indicator, U, offers future directions toward rational design of robust SEIs for advanced anodes.

Draping simulations of carbon/epoxy fabric prepregs using a non-orthogonal constitutive model considering bending behavior

In this study, a draping simulation technique that can reflect the mechanical behavior of uncured woven fabric prepregs, including bending characteristics, was implemented using non-orthogonal constitutive VUMAT code and a lay-up shell model. The basic mechanical properties of uncured woven fabric prepregs were accurately obtained through uniaxial tensile, picture frame shear, and cantilever bending tests for the draping simulation. The major moduli of the uncured fabric prepregs were derived from semi-empirical formulae, and the mechanical properties of the lay-up shell element were estimated by using the rule of mixture for all layers. Using the proposed simulation technique, the drapability and wrinkle generation qualities of a fabric composite structure with a complex geometry, i.e., an egg-box panel, were estimated according to the initial draping orientation (30° and 45°), and the simulation results were experimentally validated.

Study of the damage to 12Cr18Ni10Ti steel samples under low cycle fatigue using methods of nondestructive control

The possibility of determining the degree of damage to flat samples in the area of low-cycle fatigue at the stage of accumulation of scattered damage before the appearance of a macroscopic crack is demonstrated. Flat samples were tested for cantilever bending at room temperature with a constant loading amplitude until a fatigue crack appeared. Austenitic steel 12Cr18Ni10Ti was used as a test material. The velocity (propagation time) of elastic waves in the material and the coercive force were measured upon testing at intervals of 500 cycles. The zone of damage development was analyzed and value of hardening (based on microhardness measurements) was determined within 15 mm of the developed crack. The analysis of the images of the alloy microstructures in the zone of the most likely crack propagation was performed following different number of cycles at the same point on the sample surface. The structural changes (γ – α transition (formation of martensite deformation)) that occur during cyclic loading, as well as nucleation and development of damage, followed by the formation of fatigue cracks, inevitably lead to changes in the elastic and magnetic properties of the material. At the initial stages of loading, we observed changes in the initial (both acoustic and magnetic) characteristics of the material, which later became stable or changed slightly. When operating time exceeded 80 % of the number of cycles before failure, a significant change in the measured parameters occurred. The obtained dependences of the acoustic and magnetic characteristics of the material provide reliable information about the current damage and can be used in estimating the residual life of the structures made of 12Cr18Ni10Ti steel.