Design Printing Research Articles

Thermoforming for Small Feature Replication in Melt Electrowritten Membranes to Model Kidney Proximal Tubule

AbstractA novel approach merging melt electrowriting (MEW) with matched die thermoforming to achieve scaffolds with micron‐sized curvatures (200 – 800 µm versus 1000 µm of mandrel printing) for in vitro modeling of the kidney proximal tubule (PT) is proposed. Recent advances in this field emphasize the relevance of accurately replicating the intricate tissue microenvironment, particularly the curvature of the nephrons’ tubular segments. While MEW offers promising capabilities for fabricating highly and porous precise 3D structures mimicking the PT, challenges persist in approximating the diameter of tubular scaffolds to match the actual PT. The thermoformed MEW membranes retain the initial MEW printing design parameters (rhombus geometry, porosity > 45%) while accurately following the imprinted curvature (ratios between 0.67‐0.95). PT epithelial cells cultured on these membranes demonstrate the ability to fill in the large pores of the membrane by secreting their own collagen IV‐rich extracellular matrix and form an organized, functional, and tight monolayer expressing characteristic PT markers. Besides approximating PT architecture, this setup maximizes the usable surface area for cell culture and molecular readouts. By closely mimicking the structural intricacies of native tissue architecture, this approach enhances the biomimetic fidelity of engineered scaffolds, offering potential applications beyond kidney tissue engineering.

3D printing for sodium batteries: From material design to integrated devices

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, is an innovative technique for fabricating batteries with arbitrary architectures. Understanding the intricacies of 3D printing designs in sodium battery materials is crucial for optimizing their electrochemical properties and unlocking the full potential of 3D printed sodium batteries. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the key aspects involved in the fabrication of 3D printed sodium batteries, encompassing material selectivity criterion, design considerations, and optimization strategies. Challenges and prospects for the fabrication of high-performance 3D printed sodium batteries are outlined, aiming to provide valuable insights into new conception and theoretical guidance for the design and performance optimization of composites by 3D printing for the practical application of sodium batteries in the future.

Creativity in textile printing design: An integrative framework in design education

AbstractCreators, creation, and audience are the main pillars of the creative process. This study offers an integrative vision that includes the three main components of the creative process by proposing a seven-stage creativity framework in design education. To bridge the gap between theory and practice, the proposed framework was applied in a major textile design course at Damietta University in Egypt. The paper includes two questionnaire models for the recipients to evaluate the creative outputs and for the students to evaluate the applied framework in general. The study involves an analysis of the experiences and challenges encountered throughout the field application of the proposed framework. The results revealed new dimensions for evaluating creativity and fresh perspectives on the dynamics of the communication process between creators and recipients through their creations/designs. The study's findings could contribute to promoting creativity across the three pillars and advancing design thinking and design education.

3D Printed Microneedles for the Transdermal Delivery of NAD+ Precursor: Toward Personalization of Skin Delivery.

3D printing of microneedles (μNDs) for transdermal therapy has the potential to enable patient personalization based on the target disease, site of application, and dosage requirements. To convert this concept to reality, it is necessary that the 3D printing technology can deliver high resolution, an affordable cost, and large print volumes. With the introduction of benchtop 4K and 8K 3D printers, it is now possible to manufacture medical devices like μNDs at sufficient resolution and low cost. In this research, we systematically optimized the 3D printing design parameters such as resin viscosity, print angle, layer height, and curing time to generate customizable μNDs. We have also developed an innovative 3D coating microtank device to optimize the coating method. We have applied this to the development of novel μNDs to deliver an established NAD+ precursor molecule, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). A methacrylate-based polymer photoresin (eSun resin) was diluted with methanol to adjust the resin viscosity. The 3D print layer height of 25 μm yielded a smooth surface, thus reducing edge-ridge mismatches. Printing μNDs at 90° to the print platform yielded 84.28 ± 2.158% (n = 5) of the input height thus increasing the tip sharpness (48.52 ± 10.43 μm, n = 5). The formulation containing fluorescein (model molecule), sucrose (viscosity modifier), and Tween-20 (surface tension modifier) was coated on the μNDs using the custom designed microtank setup, and the amount deposited was determined fluorescently. The dye-coated μND arrays inserted into human skin (in vitro) showed a fluorescence signal at a depth of 150 μm (n = 3) into the skin. After optimization of the 3D printing parameters and coating protocol using fluorescein, NMN was coated onto the μNDs, and its diffusion was assessed in full-thickness human skin in vitro using a Franz diffusion setup. Approximately 189 ± 34.5 μg (5× dipped coated μNDs) of NMN permeated through the skin and 41.2 ± 7.53 μg was left in the skin after 24 h. Multiphoton microscopy imaging of NMN-coated μND treated mouse ear skin ex vivo demonstrated significantly (p < 0.05) increased free-unbound NADPH and reduced fluorescence lifetime of NADPH, both of which are indicative of cellular metabolic rates. Our study demonstrates that low-cost benchtop 3D printers can be used to print high-fidelity μNDs with the ability to rapidly coat and release NMN which consequently caused changes in intracellular NAD+ levels.

Additive Manufacturing of Tough Silicone Via Large-Scale, High-Viscosity Vat Photopolymerization

Abstract In this work, a large-scale, high-viscosity vat photopolymerization additive manufacturing system is designed and fabricated to print 3D structures as large as 370 × 300 × 370 mm3 out of high-viscosity, low-reactivity elastomeric resins. A detailed overview is presented of the printer's design and capabilities, including a resin processing sub-system that stores and spreads high-viscosity resin; a roll-to-roll variable tensioning system to mitigate the separation forces after printing each layer; and a light patterning system that generates high-intensity light patterns across an area of 370 × 300 mm2 with a resolution of 3840 × 4320 pixels. The ability to print with both high-viscosity and low-reactivity resins and resins that require high-intensity light enables additive manufacturing of new classes of materials that could not be printed previously using vat photopolymerization techniques. These materials include highly reinforced silica nanoparticle composites, high-molecular-weight polymers such as silicones and acrylate or methacrylate resins, and low-reactivity resins such as photocurable platinum-catalyzed liquid silicone rubber.

Virtual Reality Technology in Textile Printing Design

Virtual Reality Technology in Textile Printing Design

Iterative printing of bulk metal and polymer for additive manufacturing of multi-layer electronic circuits

In pursuing advancing additive manufacturing (AM) techniques for 3D objects, this study combines AM techniques for bulk metal and polymer on a single platform for one-stop printing of multilayer 3D electronic circuits with two novel aspects. The first innovation involves the embedded integration of electronic circuits by printing low-resistance electrical traces from bulk metal into polymer channels. Cross-section grinding results reveal (92 ± 5)% occupancy of electrically conductive traces in polymer channels despite the different thermal properties of the two materials. The second aspect encompasses the possibility of printing vertical bulk metal vias up to 10 mm in height with the potential for expansion, interconnecting electrically conductive traces embedded in different layers of the 3D object. The work provides comprehensive 3D printing design guidelines for successfully integrating fully embedded electrically conductive traces and the interconnecting vertical bulk metal vias. A smooth and continuous workflow is also introduced, enabling a single-run print of functional multilayer embedded 3D electronics. The design rules and the workflow facilitate the iterative printing of two distinct materials, each defined by unique printing temperatures and techniques. Observations indicate that conductive traces using molten metal microdroplets show a 12-fold reduction in resistance compared to nanoparticle ink-based methods, meaning this technique greatly complements multi-material additive manufacturing (MM-AM). The work presents insights into the behavior of molten metal microdroplets on a polymer substrate when printed through the MM-AM process. It explores their characteristics in two scenarios: When they are deposited side-by-side to form conductive traces and when they are deposited out-of-plane to create vertical bulk metal vias. The innovative application of MM-AM to produce multilayer embedded 3D electronics with bulk metal and polymer demonstrates significant potential for realizing the fabrication of free-form 3D electronics.

Testing the sequence of successional processes in miniature ecosystems.

Hypotheses regarding the underlying processes of ecological successions have primarily emerged from and have been tested in observational studies, lacking substantial support through controlled experiments. The design of such experiments should focus on testing contemporary ecological theories at the intersection of community assembly and successional research. To achieve this, we developed and employed 3D-printed "Ecosystems on a Plate" (EsoaP) within controlled laboratory settings. EsoaPs surmount several limitations of nanoscale instruments that had hindered their application in ecologically meaningful research. By sharing 3D printing designs, experimental protocols, and data openly, we facilitate reproducibility of our experiments by researchers across diverse ecological disciplines. Moreover, our approach facilitates cost-effective replication of experiments, democratizing access to tools for ecological research, and thus holds the potential to serve as a model for future studies and educational purposes.

Embedded three-dimensional printing of thick pea-protein-enriched constructs for large, customized structured cell-based meat production

Recent 3D-printing research showed the potential of using plant-protein-enriched inks to fabricate cultivated meat (CM) via agar-based support baths. However, for fabricating large, customized, structured, thick cellular constructs and further cultivation, improved 3D-printing capabilities and diffusion limit circumvention are warranted. The presented study harnesses advanced printing and thick tissue engineering concepts for such purpose. By improving bath composition and altering printing design and execution, large-scale, marbled, 0.5-cm-thick rib-eye shaped constructs were obtained. The constructs featured stable fibrous architectures comparable to those of structured-meat products. Customized multi-cellular constructs with distinct regions were produced as well. Furthermore, sustainable 1-cm-thick cellular constructs were carefully designed and produced, which successfully maintained cell viability and activity for 3 weeks, through the combined effects of void-incorporation and dynamic culturing. As large, geometrically complex construct fabrication suitable for long-term cellular cultivation was demonstrated, these findings hold great promise for advancing structured CM research.

Recent Advances in Environment-Friendly Polyurethanes from Polyols Recovered from the Recycling and Renewable Resources: A Review.

Polyurethane (PU) is among the most universal polymers and has been extensively applied in many fields, such as construction, machinery, furniture, clothing, textile, packaging and biomedicine. Traditionally, as the main starting materials for PU, polyols deeply depend on petroleum stock. From the perspective of recycling and environmental friendliness, advanced PU synthesis, using diversified resources as feedstocks, aims to develop versatile products with excellent properties to achieve the transformation from a fossil fuel-driven energy economy to renewable and sustainable ones. This review focuses on the recent development in the synthesis and modification of PU by extracting value-added monomers for polyols from waste polymers and natural bio-based polymers, such as the recycled waste polymers: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PU and polycarbonate (PC); the biomaterials: vegetable oil, lignin, cashew nut shell liquid and plant straw; and biomacromolecules: polysaccharides and protein. To design these advanced polyurethane formulations, it is essential to understand the structure-property relationships of PU from recycling polyols. In a word, this bottom-up path provides a material recycling approach to PU design for printing and packaging, as well as biomedical, building and wearable electronics applications.

Fabrication of three‐dimensional micropatterned hydrophobic surfaces by fused filament fabrication printing technology

AbstractIn recent years, the interest in structured hydrophobic surfaces has considerably grown, finding applications in many industrial fields, including aerospace, automotive, and biomedical. Three‐dimensional (3D) printing technology is a simple, rapid, and economic process to fabricate structured surfaces based on neat polymers and composite materials, allowing working with a wide variety of plastic materials. The manufactured surfaces show a roughness depending on the printing design and the printing resolution: this characteristic is ideal to achieve superhydrophobic properties. Furthermore, patterned surface structures can be printed by fused filament fabrication (FFF), so increasing the hydrophobic character of the samples; indeed, micro‐ and nanosurface structures are required to make a hydrophobic surface. In this study, 3D micropatterned textures of pillars were printed by FFF using polylactide (PLA) and polypropylene (PP) as polymer filaments and PLA/carbon nanotubes (PLA/CNTs) and PP/carbon fibers (PP/CF) as composite filaments. Morphologies of printed specimens were analyzed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Good correspondence was found between pillar dimensions and edge‐edge pillars distance of computer aided design (CAD) and composites 3D‐printed samples. Their wettability was evaluated by static contact angle (CA) measurements. Results clearly show a significant increase of water CA values up to 50% in all micropatterned samples with respect to flat surfaces. This improvement was achieved by surface microstructuring without the use of nanoparticles and/or chemical treatment.

The effects of 3D printing designs on PLA polymer flexural and fatigue strength

This study assessed the comprehensive assessment of flexural and fatigue strength of the three-dimensional (3D)-printed polylactic acid (PLA) samples across diverse printing designs and parameters. The experiment framework included a diverse array of printing parameters: layer heights, first layer thicknesses, infill densities, top/bottom infill patterns, extruder temperatures, perimeters, and types of solid layer top and bottom. Our findings suggest that there is an interplay between these parameters and the mechanical properties of PLA specimens. Notably, the fatigue strength of PLA printing specimens is more significantly influenced (0.44%) by an increase in the thickness of the first layer compared to flexural strength (87%). The rate of increase in bending strength is lower in cases of layer height (3.55%) and initial layer height (0.44%) in contrast with other factors. Specimens with an initial layer thickness of 0.4 mm reached the highest number of cycles until failure, recording 21 022 cycles. Furthermore, the study identifies the infill pattern’s impact on strength, highlighting that the line infill pattern type case has the highest bending strength of 75.97 MPa and surpasses the honeycomb pattern in bending strength. Compared to the Honeycomb pattern, the rectilinear design has 2.1% higher bending strength. The number of cycles to failure of the rectilinear pattern is greater than those of the honeycomb pattern. In comparison to other patterns, the Rectilinear Top/Bottom infill pattern has a higher interest rate of 27.5% for bending strength and 200.83% for fatigue strength. Additionally, greater bending and flexural strength are obtained by raising the solid layer top, bottom, and perimeter values, respectively. In comparison to the other temperatures, the bending strength and fatigue strength are highest at 200 °C. Therefore, the first layer height of 0.4 mm, the top/bottom rectilinear infill pattern, the extruder temperature of 200 °C, the perimeter value of 3, the solid layer/top value of 3, and the solid layer/bottom value of 3 are the optimal values for the part subjected to at the same time bending strength combined with fatigue strength. This comprehensive study may provide a broader and deeper understanding of individual and combined effects on an overview of the bending and fatigue strength in connection to printing design and printing parameters, as well as the ideal optimal parameters for 3D printing with the PLA material. Manufacturers and designers can use the recommended parameters to optimize the strength of their printed parts, considering both bending and fatigue performance.

Dynamic simulation of 3D-printed foods

Simulation environments for 3D-printed structures are crucial to assess failure modes prior to printing. Multi-ingredient additive manufacturing (AM) of food is particularly susceptible to failure due to differences in ingredient viscoelasticity. Current simulation software handles objects in their final fabricated form. Here, we present a simulation framework that digitally replicates the deposition process of disparate material pastes using a physics-based simulator. Our simulator takes a digital recipe file (G-code) as input and uses Bifrost—a plug-in for Autodesk Maya—to generate a digital replica of the 3D printing process. We ground truth our print simulator by successfully reproducing a custom designed seven-ingredient dessert. Designs that are dynamically simulated prior to being printed develops user intuition for stable structures, mitigates material waste, and enables faster proofing of printable designs to achieve structural and aesthetic creations.

Color Hearing: Creating a Body of Creative Design Scholarship Using Psychomimicry

This study examined the use of psychomimicry in the apparel design process by exploring a series of three garments entitled, Color Hearing. The designer delineates the iterative design process, explains the design challenges, and expands on what is known by implementing a new technique of coding music to create textile print designs. The designer used a four-stage design process for each of the three garments included in this study. The important contributions of this study include the novel approach of using psychomimicry as a design influence and the establishment of a coding process to generate textile print designs based on the neurological phenomena of synesthesia.

Direct Ink Writing of Low-Concentration MXene/Aramid Nanofiber Inks for Tunable Electromagnetic Shielding and Infrared Anticounterfeiting Applications.

MXene inks offer a promising avenue for the scalable production and customization of printing electronics. However, simultaneously achieving a low solid content and printability of MXene inks, as well as mechanical flexibility and environmental stability of printed objects, remains a challenge. In this study, we overcame these challenges by employing high-viscosity aramid nanofibers (ANFs) to optimize the rheology of low-concentration MXene inks. The abundant entangled networks and hydrogen bonds formed between MXene and ANF significantly increase the viscosity and yield stress up to 103 Pa·s and 200 Pa, respectively. This optimization allows the use of MXene/ANF (MA) inks at low concentrations in direct ink writing and other high-viscosity processing techniques. The printable MXene/ANF inks with a high conductivity of 883.5 S/cm were used to print shields with customized structures, achieving a tunable electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) in the 0.2-48.2 dB range. Furthermore, the MA inks exhibited adjustable infrared (IR) emissivity by changing the ANF ratio combined with printing design, demonstrating the application for infrared anticounterfeiting. Notably, the printed MXene/ANF objects possess outstanding mechanical flexibility and environmental stability, which are attributed to the reinforcement and protection of ANF. Therefore, these findings have significant practical implications as versatile MXene/ANF inks can be used for customizable, scalable, and cost-effective production of flexible printed electronics.

Creative strategies and diversity of cultural influence to create printing designs for the brand with an Egyptian identity

Creative strategies and diversity of cultural influence to create printing designs for the brand with an Egyptian identity

Symbol Anthropology of Sufi Identity between Spiritual Meanings and Aesthetic Significance for Textile Printing Design

Symbol Anthropology of Sufi Identity between Spiritual Meanings and Aesthetic Significance for Textile Printing Design

Space Durable 3D Printed High‐Performance Polymers Based on Cyanate Ester/Extended‐Bismaleimide

AbstractTo accomplish the potential of the New‐Space emerging era and facilitate scientific and commercial space exploration, the development of versatile, customized, and affordable space technologies is essential. 3D printing is established as a disruptive technology, enabling the production of complex and lightweight structures with enhanced performance. However, the harsh conditions of the space environment, including atomic oxygen (AO), extreme temperatures, and ionizing radiation, pose significant challenges to the durability and longevity of additive manufacturing‐produced polymers. Until now, there are no additive‐manufacturing polymeric materials that are specifically developed and qualified to withstand space hazards. To address these challenges, novel materials for additive manufacturing, composed of cyanate ester and extended‐bismaleimide are engineered to withstand the extreme conditions in space. The developed materials demonstrate superior thermo‐mechanical properties (flexural stress of 72 MPa and Tg = 260 °C), enhanced durability to AO erosion, ionizing radiation (10 years in orbit), and thermal stability (Td5% = 360 °C). Moreover, it is found that printing orientation governs the AO erosion, thus guiding optimal printing designs for enhanced durability to AO. The materials show improved performance, endurance, and reliability, thus contributing to the development of space‐qualified components and enabling the advancement of additive manufacturing for future space missions.

129 LaparoscopiX: Expanding Minimally Invasive Surgery Training in Kenya

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Open surgery prevails in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to scarcity of laparoscopic equipment and poor access to training. LaparosopiX is a box trainer system designed for teaching hospitals in LMICs; it includes an open-source laser print design and an app to allow surgical trainees to receive feedback from laparoscopic experts. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This study aims to assess the usability of Laparoscopix for surgical trainees and mentors at five large teaching hospitals in Kenya. Surgical trainees and mentors who participate in this study will be observed while setting up and using the app to identify natural pain-points. A post-session survey will be conducted to assess immediate perceptions of the platform including ease of navigation and intuitive design. Over three months, aggregate data regarding platform usage at these hospital sites will be collected and analyzed to assess user retention rates, usage and traffic patterns, and skill progression over time. Surveys will be sent out to assess attitudes towards the platform and to elucidate any aspects of the system we can improve. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We hope to find overall positive impressions towards the LaparoscopiX system during this study. We expect there to be some pain-points that arise during navigation of the app, but we expect no large changes to the application architecture required. We anticipate an immediate increase and eventual plateau of users recruited. We hope to see that surgical trainees are advancing through the app while gaining practice and confidence. We will gather insightful data on which aspects of the app were helpful for trainees, and which can be improved. We also hope to learn what factors may play into trainee and mentor retention in the system. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Through this study, we hope to elucidate ways in which we can improve the LaparoscopiX platform, identify which features to prioritize, and determine the direction of future app development. We believe and hope that LaparoscopiX can expand access to laparoscopic surgical mentorship to improve surgical outcomes and health equity worldwide.

Comparative Analysis of Consumer Preferences for African Prints in Southwest Nigerian States

This research investigates the diverse perceptions and preferences of consumers towards African prints in Southwest Nigeria across various age groups. The study examined the interplay of cultural, social, and economic factors shaping consumer choices in of African print fabric usage. Survey research design was adopted for the study using questionnaire as the data gathering tool. Samples were selected across the six states in Southwest Nigeria. A total of three hundred and eighty-four (384) African print consumers were sampled using random sampling technique. The data was subjected descriptive analysis, using frequency distribution, percentage, and mean score. The study revealed that users of African print fabrics across age groups have their unique perceptions and preferences in African print fabrics. It was therefore recommended that African print designers should adopt user-centred design process and focus on consumer preferences during the design process of African print fabrics. Keywords: African prints, Preference, Southwest, Nigeria.