Qualification Of Materials Research Articles

Dataset of tensile properties for sub-sized specimens of nuclear structural materials

Mechanical testing with sub-sized specimens plays an important role in the nuclear industry, facilitating tests in confined experimental spaces with lower irradiation levels and accelerating the qualification of new materials. The reduced size of specimens results in different material behavior at the microscale, mesoscale, and macroscale, in comparison to standard-sized specimens, which is referred to as the “specimen size effect.” Although analytical models have been proposed to correlate the properties of sub-sized specimens to standard-sized specimens, these models lack broad applicability across different materials and testing conditions. The objective of this study is to create the first large public dataset of tensile properties for sub-sized specimens used in nuclear structural materials. We performed an extensive literature review of relevant publications and extracted over 1,000 tensile testing records comprising 55 columns including material type and composition, manufacturing information, irradiation conditions, specimen dimensions, and tensile properties. The dataset can serve as a valuable resource to investigate the specimen size effect and develop computational methods to correlate the tensile properties of sub-sized specimens.

Enhancing puncture resistance in critical applications: A combined experimental and numerical approach

The qualification of materials for puncture resistance is essential for applications like pressure vessels and transport containers, particularly for the safe transport of radioactive materials. International regulations, set forth by organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission (AERB), mandate the design of transport packages capable of withstanding various accident scenarios, including puncture, fire, impact, and immersion, to ensure the safety and integrity of radioactive material transport. This paper establishes a correlation between puncture energy ( E) required to penetrate stainless steel and mild steel plates, both with and without lead backing, as a function of plate thickness ( t) and punch diameter ( d). The simulation of strain and damage caused by punch impact is carried out within the elastoplastic region of structural materials, with a focus on the kinetic strengthening of the material. Abaqus finite element software is employed for numerical simulations, with model parameters derived from experimental stress-strain flow curve data using a curve-fitting technique. Dynamic compression experiments were conducted at the Refueling Technology Division (RTD) in the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) across a range of strain rates from 600 [Formula: see text] to 1750 [Formula: see text] at room temperature, using a Split Hopkinson Pressure bar. Additionally, drop weight tower (DWT) experiments were performed at RTD in the BARC facility to calibrate numerical simulations. These experiments were carried out on both bare and leaded stainless steel (SS304L) and mild steel (SA516Gr70) plates.

Small punch test size reduction to enable high flux irradiation

Screening and qualification of new nuclear materials with superior irradiation resistance requires expensive irradiation exposure and post-irradiation examination before consideration into industrial nuclear structural components. The development of miniaturized test methods is needed for enhanced cost/time efficient testing, while enabling comparative and robust material property estimation in a timely and high throughput manner. The Small Punch Test (SPT) is drawing much interest, especially since the publication of an European standard. Motivated by this standard, a new SP test sample geometry is proposed in order to reduce the material volume to be tested, hences increasing the number of samples that can be introduced in an irradiation rig. The modified sample diameter has been reduced from 8 to 5.35 mm. The qualification of this new design is described here together with a detailed description of the SPT setup modification as compared to the reference setup of the EN standard. Finite element analyses and a series of experiments have been conducted using both standard and reduced size SP samples to demonstrate that the modified test gives estimates of the basic mechanical properties with the same magnitude of error and validates the modified sample geometry for usage in irradiated material testing.

Rapid assessment of the creep rupture life of metals: A model enabling experimental design

Prediction of the creep rupture life of engineering metals is critical for qualification and design of new materials. The use of long-term creep tests and the need to quantify the performance variability in a priori similar systems hinder the rapid creep assessment of a given material. Therefore, it is essential to develop methods that can extrapolate the long-term performance of alloys and the associated variability from short-term experiments. To this end, this study introduces a new model which enables the estimation of the rupture life of a material for a given stress and temperature. This model relies on two components. First, a new relation for the minimum creep rate (MCR) of materials is introduced. It includes a stress dependent stress exponent allowing the model to capture the variation of MCR across a wide range of temperatures and stresses. Second, employing the Monkman-Grant (MG) law, we establish a relation between stress, temperature and creep rupture life. Together, these two elements yield a new closed-form mathematical expression for the Larson Miller parameter as a function of stress and temperature. This expression captures the creep rupture time for many metals (Gr91, Copper, Gr122 and 347H) and compares favorably with alternate empirical approaches. The model is then used to assess the minimum duration of creep rates necessary to qualify the material up to 100000h. It is found that depending on the material system, creep tests as few as five limited to 5000 h for steels (Gr91, Gr122, 347H) and 100 h for copper are sufficient to model creep lifetimes. Finally, using a Bayesian inference-based approach to calibrate the model, we demonstrate that variability in rupture life can be captured via the quantification of the uncertainty in the model parameters and extrapolated from a limited number of short to moderately short creep tests; thereby paving the way for accelerated creep testing.

A critical review of composite filaments for fused deposition modeling: Material properties, applications, and future directions

This review paper provides a comprehensive analysis of recent advancements in the development and application of composite filaments for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing technology. Focusing on the integration of various materials such as nano-fillers, fibers, and bio-based polymers into polylactic acid (PLA) and other thermoplastics, this study delves into how these composites enhance mechanical, thermal and functional properties of the printed objects. We critically assess studies that investigate the impact of raster orientation, filler content, and material composition on tensile, bending, and impact strength, as well as on the thermal stability and degradation behavior of composite filaments. The review highlights key findings from the literature, including the optimization of filament formulations to achieve superior mechanical performance, improved thermal resistance, and specific functional characteristics suitable for a wide range of applications from biomedical to structural components. Moreover, this paper discusses the challenges associated with composite filament production, including material compatibility, dispersion of nano-fillers, and the need for printer hardware adjustments. Future directions for research in the field are identified, emphasizing the potential for new material combinations, sustainability considerations, and the development of filaments designed for specific industrial applications. An effective way to better meet designers’ expectations for qualified materials is composite filaments. This review focuses on how these elements can be applied to improve both product design and functionality. A guide is presented in choosing composite filaments that can meet the features expected from the designed product.

Tensile testing in high-pressure gaseous hydrogen using the hollow specimen method

Metallic materials, predominantly steels, are the most common structural materials in the various components along the hydrogen supply chain. Ensuring their sustainable and safe use in hydrogen technologies is a key factor in the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. This requires extensive materials qualification, however, most of the accepted; and standardized test methods for determining the influence of gaseous hydrogen on metallic materials describe complex and costly procedures that are only available to a very limited extent worldwide. The hollow specimen technique is a simple, rapid, and economical method designed to overcome the limitations of the current methods for the qualification of metallic materials under high-pressure hydrogen gas. However, this technique is not yet standardized. The TransHyDE-H2Hohlzug project is presented in this article, along with the main steps required to optimize the hollow specimen technique. This includes closing knowledge gaps related to the specimen geometry, surface quality, and gas purity in dedicated working packages, thus contributing to a comprehensive standardization of the technique for tests in high-pressure hydrogen gas.Impact statementThe hydrogen economy is considered a key solution for achieving climate neutrality in Europe, as it plays a crucial role in the decarbonization of sectors such as transport, industry, power, etc. Ensuring the safety and reliability of infrastructure is crucial for the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. Therefore, it is necessary to meticulously study the materials and components used for infrastructure under conditions that closely resemble in-service conditions. The currently standardized methods are limited as they do not precisely replicate in-service conditions, and when they do, they are often complex, costly, and not easily accessible. This article presents the hollow specimen technique, a simple, and economical method developed to address the limitations of current standardized methods. The results from this work will contribute to the standardization of this technique for tests in high-pressure hydrogen gas. This will enable a faster evaluation of materials for hydrogen applications by industry and academia, thereby contributing to the growth of the hydrogen economy.Graphical abstract

Outcomes and Conclusions from the 2022 AM Bench Measurements, Challenge Problems, Modeling Submissions, and Conference

The Additive Manufacturing Benchmark Test Series (AM Bench) provides rigorous measurement data for validating additive manufacturing (AM) simulations for a broad range of AM technologies and material systems. AM Bench includes extensive in situ and ex situ measurements, simulation challenges for the AM modeling community, and a corresponding conference series. In 2022, the second round of AM Bench measurements, challenge problems, and conference were completed, focusing primarily upon laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processing of metals, and both material extrusion processing and vat photopolymerization of polymers. In all, more than 100 people from 10 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) divisions and 21 additional organizations were directly involved in the AM Bench 2022 measurements, data management, and conference organization. The international AM community submitted 138 sets of blind modeling simulations for comparison with the in situ and ex situ measurements, up from 46 submissions for the first round of AM Bench in 2018. Analysis of these submissions provides valuable insight into current AM modeling capabilities. The AM Bench data are permanently archived and freely accessible online. The AM Bench conference also hosted an embedded workshop on qualification and certification of AM materials and components.

The multifactorial nature of innovative process quality and the Public Contracts Code

The New Public Contracts Code (NPCC, Legislative Decree no. 36/2023) represents a significant intervention in the fourth systematisation of the planning-authorisation-execution process over the past thirty years, occurring during a phase of transition. This Code lays out the principles of “result” and “trust” and proposes a unified self-executing set of rules, with its objectives assessed in terms of incentives and guarantees for the quality and its outcomes. From a multifactorial perspective, this Code is connected to a variety of technical-administrative and requirement-performance scenarios. These encompass project conception, programme, qualification of the involved parties, environment and sustainability, technical advancement, qualification of building materials, construction execution and standards for the maintenance and facility management of buildings.

Validation activities at ENEA Brasimone in support of the IFMIF-DONES design

IFMIF-DONES is a powerful neutron source which is being designed with the main purpose of qualifying structural materials (EUROFER being the first candidate) to be used in DEMO and fusion power plants envisaged after it. This source relies on one high current (125 mA) deuterons beam accelerated to 40 MeV which impacts on a liquid lithium target to produce an intense neutron flux through Li(d,n) stripping reactions able to simulate the nuclear responses expected on the first wall of the reactor. The engineering design of IFMIF-DONES is presently being carried out mainly in the framework of the EUROfusion Work Package Early Neutron Source (WPENS). Since 2021, a new phase has started with the launch of the FP9 WPENS workplan whose objective is to continue advancing the engineering design of the facility, putting special effort on the experimental validation of those aspects which still need to be qualified to demonstrate the fulfillment of functional and safety requirements. The ENEA Brasimone Research Centre has been and still is strongly committed in several validation tasks concerned in particular with the lithium systems design and the Remote Handling (RH) maintenance.In this paper, an overview of the most relevant validation activities carried out in recent years or still in progress or planned at the ENEA Brasimone Research Centre in both of the aforementioned areas is presented, including the erosion/corrosion tests in the Lifus 6 loop; the nitrogen-gettering materials qualification in the ANGEL facility; and the RH and prototypes testing in the DRP laboratory for the validation of the High Flux Test Module electric connectors and the pre-heating of the Target Assembly.

HTML-Based Interactive Crossword Puzzles for Science Learning Content in Elementary School

The less-than-optimal use of technology in implementing learning impacts learning media becoming less interactive and less varied. This research aims to develop HTML-based interactive crossword media, especially science content theme 6 subtheme 1 class V. This research includes a type of development using the ADDIE model, and its implementation is limited to the development stage only. The subject of this research is interactive crossword puzzle learning media. The data collection method and instrument used was a questionnaire. Quantitative and qualitative descriptive analysis is used as a data analysis technique. The research results show that the validity of interactive crossword puzzles by qualified material experts is very good. The results of the practicality of crossword puzzle media by teachers obtained practical criteria, individual students obtained practical criteria, and small groups of students obtained practical criteria. Thus, the novel learning media in the form of HTML-based interactive crossword puzzles on science content theme 6 subtheme 1 class V is feasible and practical. This research implies that it can be used as an interactive learning media option that utilizes technology in schools to improve and determine students' understanding of the material provided.

Территориальные особенности оказания экстренной хирургической помощи сельскому населению (на примере Республики Северная Осетия-Алания).

The need to modernize healthcare dictates the study of healthcare organization at all levels. Special attention is paid to the territorial accessibility of medical care, including to the rural population, which differs in many specific features. The purpose of the study: to study the territorial features of providing emergency surgical care to the rural population, taking into account the number, density of population settlement, road infrastructure, and transport security in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. Research methods. Analytical and statistical research methods were used. The performance indicators of surgical departments of rural district hospitals for 2019–2022 have been studied. The analysis of the obtained data was carried out by the method of their structural description according to the selected main characteristics affecting territorial accessibility. Results. The Republic of Ossetia-Alania is characterized by high density and compactness of population settlement in rural areas. The creation of a modern transport infrastructure ensures the territorial accessibility of medical care. The republic has a fairly high level of provision with surgeons (2,53 per 10 thousand population) and a surgical bed fund (4,7 per 10 thousand population). However, there is a need to increase the efficiency of using the bed stock of rural surgical hospitals. The organization of surgical care in the republic in 2020–2021 was extremely negatively affected by the pandemic of coronavirus infection COVID‑19. The reduction of surgical and anesthesiological teams, beds and the volume of planned care due to the opening of additional infectious diseases hospitals has reduced the availability and quality of emergency surgical care. In rural district surgical departments, the bed function decreased from 283 days in 2019 to 243 days in 2020, and surgical activity up to 38,8%. In 2020–2021, planned medical care in the «surgery» profile has significantly decreased. The share of emergency hospitalizations increased to 79,7%. Negative trends in the growth of emergency hospitalization for surgical beds led to an increase in the hospital mortality rate compared to 2019 from 0,6% to 3,1% in 2021. The postoperative mortality rate has increased by more than 5 times. Our data correlate with similar trends of 33% increase in hospital mortality in the Russian Federation during the pandemic. Due to the creation of modern road transport infrastructure in the republic, high availability of surgical beds and surgeons, there is a potential to improve the quality indicators of rural surgical hospitals by improving the material and technical equipment and qualifications of surgical personnel.

Porosity prediction in laser-based powder bed fusion of polyamide 12 using infrared thermography and machine learning

Achieving precise control in laser-based powder bed fusion of polymers is crucial for ensuring the structural integrity of aerospace and automotive components. Closed-loop feedback control systems using process monitoring techniques, such as infrared thermography, have the potential to provide reliable production by controlling the temperature of the melt. However, challenges arise from complex interactions among variables, such as part geometry, scan strategy, and laser parameters, affecting the melted polymer's temperatures and subsequent particle fusion. Thus, the correlation between thermal signals and resulting part density still needs to be clarified. In this work, a machine learning algorithm is trained to predict local porosity or, rather, solidity based on thermal and temporal features extracted from the melt's temperature-time profile. This enables statistical techniques to assess the contribution of the melt's thermal and temporal features in the decision-making process for evaluating porosity, along with the influence of voxel size and configuration. The in-situ process signature is measured using infrared thermography, and the porosity is analyzed by X-ray micro-computed tomography. The 2D thermal data is first converted into voxel information and then stitched with the 3D mircoCT data in a second step. The resulting 3D thermal features and porosity matrices are downsampled and utilized to train a machine learning algorithm (lightGBM). Models with high prediction accuracy are achieved using a small voxel size to avoid over-homogenizing features and by utilizing thermal signals from adjacent voxels to determine porosity in a volume element. The highest predictor for resulting porosity is the peak temperature of the melt during laser exposure. Interlayer effects, such as sufficient reheating of subsurface layers, are the second-highest indicator for dense parts. Furthermore, the model's performance is also affected by intra-layer effects, including the peak temperature of adjacent voxels and the cooling behavior after laser exposure. This research has several implications for industry, as it enables the detection of process defects based on in-situ process monitoring data without post-process material testing. Moreover, identifying thermal signal ranges that lead to the highest porosity can reduce the number of experiments needed for material qualification processes.

A ternary dissolvable Mg-Ni-Cu alloy possessing super-high corrosion rate for the fabrication of fracturing plugging tools

Dissolvable magnesium alloys are receiving widespread attention recently, which are often designed by impurity elements alloying such as Ni and Cu. Herein, a ternary Mg-8Ni-4.2Cu (wt.%) alloy is firstly reported in which Ni and Cu are regarded as the main components. This alloy possesses a super-high corrosion rate of 303.1 mg·cm−2·h−1 at 93 ℃ in 3 wt% KCl solutions, which was resulted from high potential difference between the secondary phases and Mg matrix, and the uniform distribution of secondary phases. This alloy also attains the decent mechanical properties, i.e., ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 331 MPa and ultimate compressive strength (UCS) of 502 MPa, which are mainly from secondary phases strengthening, grain refinement, and dislocation strengthening. This work provides a qualified material selection for fabricating fracturing plugging tools.

Assessing biologic/toxicologic effects of extractables from plastic contact materials for advanced therapy manufacturing using cell painting assay and cytotoxicity screening

Plastic components are essential in the pharmaceutical industry, encompassing container closure systems, laboratory handling equipment, and single-use systems. As part of their material qualification process, studies on interactions between plastic contact materials and process solutions or drug products are conducted. The assessment of single-use systems includes their potential impact on patient safety, product quality, and process performance. This is particularly crucial in cell and gene therapy applications since interactions with the plastic contact material may result in an adverse effect on the isolated therapeutic human cells. We utilized the cell painting assay (CPA), a non-targeted method, for profiling the morphological characteristics of U2OS human osteosarcoma cells in contact with chemicals related to plastic contact materials. Specifically, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of 45 common plastic extractables, and two extracts from single-use systems. Results of the CPA are compared with a standard cytotoxicity assay, an osteogenesis differentiation assay, and in silico toxicity predictions. The findings of this feasibility study demonstrate that the device extracts and most of the tested compounds do not evoke any measurable biological changes on the cells (induction ≤ 5%) among the 579 cell features measured at concentrations ≤ 50 µM. CPA can serve as an important assay to reveal unique information not accessible through quantitative structure–activity relationship analysis and vice versa. The results highlight the need for a combination of in vitro and in silico methods in a comprehensive assessment of single-use equipment utilized in advanced therapy medicinal products manufacturing.

Vibration Test campaign performed on a Landing Gear System

The landing gear system is one of the most critical systems of the aircraft. The need to design a landing gear with high performance, longer life and with a significant reduction in terms of weight, production and maintenance costs represents a real challenge for a sustainable future that Europe is heralding.This paper presents the results of the experimental campaign of vibration tests performed on the main and side landing gear system, in both extended and retracted configurations, to be installed on the AIRBUS Group/Helicopter RACER compound helicopter demonstrator and it is part of the Project ANGELA within the European Research Program Clean Sky 2 Fast-Rotorcraft.Furthermore, in this paper will be described the tailoring of the standard. The hybrid nature of the RACER, not envisaged in any of the categories of the standard, required a tailoring phase to test the landing gear systems in a conservative condition. Thus, it will be shown how this phase led to defining a test sequence, a test setup and the vibration loads. The test campaign, conducted with RTCA DO 160-G tailoring, is part of a wider experimental activity aimed at the development, production and qualification of processes and materials that will allow the landing gear system to achieve the “Permit to Flight”.

DONES EVO: Risk mitigation for the IFMIF-DONES facility

The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility- DEMO Oriented Neutron Source (IFMIF-DONES) is a scientific infrastructure aimed to provide an intense neutron source for the qualification of materials to be used in future fusion power reactors. Its implementation is critical for the construction of the fusion DEMOnstration Power Plant (DEMO).IFMIF-DONES is a unique facility requiring a broad set of technologies. Although most of the necessary technologies have already been validated, there are still some aspects that introduce risks in the evolution of the project.In order to mitigate these risks, a consortium of companies, with the support of research centres and the funding of the CDTI (Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology and Innovation), has launched the DONES EVO Programme, which comprises six lines of research:•Improvement of signal transmission and integrity (planning and integration risks)•Optimisation of RF conditioning processes (planning and reliability risks)•Development of a reliable beam extraction device (reliability risks)•Development of technologies for the production of medical isotopes (reliability risks)•Improvement of critical parts of the lithium purification system (safety and reliability risks)•Validation of the manufacture of critical components with special materials (reliability risk).DONES EVO will focus on developing the appropriate response to the risks identified in the IFMIF-DONES project through research and prototyping around the associated technologies.This contribution will present a discussion of the risks, the proposed response to them and the evolution of the technologies involved, following selected experiments carried out throughout the project.

A Methodology for the Rapid Qualification of Additively Manufactured Materials Based on Pore Defect Structures

Additive manufacturing (AM) can create net or near-net-shaped components while simultaneously building the material microstructure, therefore closely coupling forming the material and shaping the part in contrast to traditional manufacturing with distinction between the two processes. While there are well-heralded benefits to AM, the widespread adoption of AM in fatigue-limited applications is hindered by defects such as porosity resulting from off-nominal process conditions. The vast number of AM process parameters and conditions make it challenging to capture variability in porosity that drives fatigue design allowables during qualification. Furthermore, geometric features such as overhangs and thin walls influence local heat conductivity and thereby impact local defects and microstructure. Consequently, qualifying AM material within parts in terms of material properties is not always a straightforward task. This article presents an approach for rapid qualification of AM fatigue-limited parts and includes three main aspects: (1) seeding pore defects of specific size, distribution, and morphology into AM specimens, (2) combining non-destructive and destructive techniques for material characterization and mechanical fatigue testing, and (3) conducting microstructure-based simulations of fatigue behavior resulting from specific pore defect and microstructure combinations. The proposed approach enables simulated data to be generated to validate and/or augment experimental fatigue data sets with the intent to reduce the number of tests needed and promote a more rapid route to AM material qualification. Additionally, this work suggests a closer coupling between material qualification and part certification for determining material properties at distinct regions within an AM part.

Development and evaluation of emulsified reference materials for magnetic resonance imaging

Hepatic steatosis is characterized by an abnormal accumulation of lipids within hepatocytes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely used noninvasive method that can accurately and objectively quantify liver fat. To evaluate the accuracy of the quantitatively measured fat fraction, stable and homogenous qualified material is needed as a reference. Surfactant-free micro-emulsions of three fat fractions I, II, and III, corresponding to (9.12 ± 0.02)%, (18.32 ± 0.04)%, and (27.86 ± 0.05)%, respectively, were prepared using a high-intensity focused ultrasonic emulsification technique. The targeted fat fraction of 10%–30% covers the range of grade I moderate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which occurs in the early stages that require early detection. Water contents as the main component of the emulsified reference materials (RMs) were determined using the Karl Fisher titration method to evaluate the stability and homogeneity of the RMs. The water contents of fat fraction I, II, and III were (89.12 ± 1.08)%, (79.87 ± 0.81)%, and (72.71 ± 1.29)%, respectively. The RMs were stable for six months and showed good homogeneity with both standard deviations between and within units in the range of 0.3%–0.6%. The physical phantom consisted of nine vials of RMs surrounded by agarose gel. The phantom was scanned on 3 T MRI (Siemens MAGNETOM Vida, Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany). The correlation between the measured proton density fat fraction values and the fabricated fat fraction values was evaluated using linear regression analysis. The slope of the linear fitting was 0.99, and the intercept was −0.88%. These results show that the developed RMs can provide a reference value for the measured fat fraction from a medical imaging system to evaluate the effectiveness of a measurement procedure. It is also expected that the developed RMs can be utilized to harmonize the measured values across multi-site.

Cell and Gene Therapies: Challenges in Designing Extractables and Leachables Studies and Conducting Safety Assessments

Over the past decade, Cell and Gene Therapies (C>) have been an emerging therapeutic area with more than twenty C> drug products approved and over 1000 registered trials. The remarkable progress in these modalities brings new challenges for scientists who evaluate manufacturing and storage materials, including risk assessments for extractables and leachables (E&L). Establishing a business process to qualify materials for these applications is an important risk mitigation strategy in support of these assessments. Process validation verifying process performance and product quality requirements using qualified materials also ensures that leachables from the materials do not result in an impact to process and product. The authors provide an overview of available guidelines and publications relevant to E&L risk assessments that can be used to support ex vivo C> products, highlighting gaps and standardization needs in the areas of biocompatibility and extractables conditions. Finally, the authors present leachable testing strategies, relevant to the specific manufacturing and storage conditions of C> products, and safety assessment considerations for organic and inorganic chemical entities.

The response of the Irish pharmaceutical manufacturing sector to the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on Lean and JIT.

Just in Time (JIT) and Lean manufacturing are concepts that originated in the automotive industry and were then adopted by pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies during the 1990s. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and the urgent demand for pharmaceutical treatment challenged JIT and Lean manufacturing processes. Production of Covid-19-related medicines increased, putting pressure on global supply chains and operations. This also hindered the production of medicines using the same or similar materials. Thus, questions are raised concerning JIT and Lean supply chains in the pharmaceutical industry. The present study aimed to explore (1) if material and supply constraints occurred due to the Covid-19 pandemic, (2) how companies were impacted and managed and (3) if changes are required to future proof the JIT supply chain approach for future global events. A mixed-method cross-sectional survey design was used and focused on material supply, qualification and validation in Irish pharmaceutical manufacturing sites. Employees working in the Irish pharmaceutical manufacturing industry were recruited using convenience sampling through online advertisement using the social media platform 'LinkedIn'. Quantitative data was analysed using percentages and qualitative data from free-text responses were used to add context to the quantitative survey questions. A total of 41 participants were recruited. The results suggested that the pandemic had a negative effect on material availability according to 81% of participants. This translated to delays or stoppage of production activity and was mainly handled by sourcing new materials (70%). To cope with future global crises, 60% of participants recommended more flexibility in future validation processes while 78% of participants acknowledged the importance of validating additional suppliers. A hybrid model of manufacturing and supply chain management was also a preferred approach to exclusive Lean and JIT (42%). The production of non-Covid-19 medicines was adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland demonstrated resilience and collaboration in response to these challenges. This study suggests that the JIT and Lean manufacturing model should be adjusted to ensure medicine supply chains are not disrupted during future global events.