Manufacturing Methodology Research Articles

New Product Development of a Robotic Soldering Cell Using Lean Manufacturing Methodology

With the advent of manufacturing in Industry 4.0 and consumer demand, there has been a trend of mass customization of products. This customization requirement can only be achieved through the flexibility of manufacturing processes that are tailored to meet the quality standards of customers and the large volume of production in a short time. The increase of the production capacity is achieved through the processes of industrial automation of the manufacture which maintains the increased efficiency for the series production. This study was based on the Design for Six Sigma methodology (DMADV—Define, Measure, Analyze, Design and Verify) in order to determine the soldering process characteristics and how the soldering process can be automatized. When planning the implementation of a collaborative robot in a workstation in the production plant, the following must be taken into account: steps in operations that require the most time for the worker and/or that represent factors of physical and moral overload for him; the use of adequate precision fixing devices, delimitation of work areas, sensors as well as spaces for connecting the workstation to the electrical, hydraulic/pneumatic network and constant cycle time. The proposed solution can improve the productivity of the process by integrating advanced robotics and smart devices into the soldering line.

An off-the-shelf multi-well scaffold-supported platform for tumour organoid-based tissues

Complex 3D bioengineered tumour models provide the opportunity to better capture the heterogeneity of patient tumours. Patient-derived organoids are emerging as a useful tool to study tumour heterogeneity and variation in patient responses. Organoid cultures typically require a 3D microenvironment that can be manufactured easily to facilitate screening. Here we set out to create a high-throughput, “off-the-shelf” platform which permits the generation of organoid-containing engineered microtissues for standard phenotypic bioassays and image-based readings. To achieve this, we developed the Scaffold-supported Platform for Organoid-based Tissues (SPOT) platform. SPOT is a 3D gel-embedded in vitro platform that can be produced in a 96- or 384-well plate format and enables the generation of flat, thin, and dimensionally-defined microgels. SPOT has high potential for adoption due to its reproducible manufacturing methodology, compatibility with existing instrumentation, and reduced within-sample and between-sample variation, which can pose challenges to both data analysis and interpretation. Using SPOT, we generate cultures from patient derived pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma organoids and assess the cellular response to standard-of-care chemotherapeutic compounds, demonstrating our platform's usability for drug screening. We envision 96/384-SPOT will provide a useful tool to assess drug sensitivity of patient-derived organoids and easily integrate into the drug discovery pipeline.

The synergy of Lean Manufacturing methodology in the context of Industry 4.0: An integrative review

Lean Manufacturing methods are used by industries that seek to improve their competitiveness through flexibility, cost reduction, product quality improvements and customer satisfaction. Still, the level of complexity and demand in the manufacturing industry is rapidly expanding, intensifying organizational problems. Industry 4.0 systematically employs state-of-the-art technological solutions, unlike Lean Manufacturing, which is firmly based on the human factor. With a qualitative approach, this study aims to explore the synergistic aspects between Lean Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 in an integrative review. The searches were carried out in the following databases: Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct and IEEE, totaling 552 articles, of which 19 were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results show that the technologies that stood out the most in Industry 4.0 with Lean Manufacturing are the Internet of Things, Big Data and Cyber-Physical Systems, making processes faster and more efficient when integrated. A theme identified in two studies was the presence of the Lean leader, who has Lean management skills and is recognized as a critical factor for the implementation of Industry 4.0, as it requires a broad view of the organizational process and the application of Lean tools.

A study on product development using the TRIZ and additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) has become an important methodology in modern manufacturing due to its unique features. AM is a promising technology that allows designers to innovate product over a wide range and acquire the full advantages of this technology. However, there are significant limitations with using AM to its maximum capacity. After comprehensive literature survey, it was discovered that in addition of creation, AM possess considerable problems like material usage, cost, cycle time, quality consideration. TRIZ is a problem-solving technique that incorporates different tools to develop specific solutions to problems in a creative and innovative way. The purpose of this paper is to understand the concept of TRIZ and implement TRIZ theory in additive manufacturing. Also, this paper aims to form TRIZ matrix specifically for designers to easily solve problems in additive manufacturing. The TRIZ matrix helps designers to design product without compromising the effectiveness of the other features considering the situation where solution to one problem creates an entirely new problem. Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) is used to provide design rules and enhance its suitability to AM. This approach is combined in the form of “A Study on Product Development using the TRIZ and Additive Manufacturing “and it is used as an idea generation tool that can generate innovative solutions for design problems. A case study of CPU fan is introduced to evaluate the proposed methodology. The TRIZ-based DfAM approach results in a reduction in material usage and also a reduction in overall print time.

Bioartificial Liver Manufacturing Methodologies in Comparison to Hepatogenesis

End-stage organ failure is a major global issue, with the liver being the second-highest transplanted organ due to lifestyle choices or other conditions. In the field of biomedical engineering, artificial organ manufacturing has been a possible alternative to organ transplants by aiming to achieve less immune rejection, more efficient production, and higher accessibility. Of the biological manufacturing methods today, two up-and-coming technologies for the liver include 3D bioprinting and decellularized organ regeneration. By analyzing general stages of 3D bioprinting and decellularization for liver development and comparing it to the cellular and genetic stages of hepatic development in the embryo, dilemmas and successes in bioartificial manufacturing can be identified. Overall, neither artificial methodology can replicate the genetic influence or non-liver based influence of hepatogenesis. 3D bioprinting is similar to hepatogenesis in cell development and construction, but contains shortcomings in vascularization, which can be addressed using the vasculogenesis and angiogenesis processes in hepatic development. Decellularization allows for cell differentiation, although it is unable to instill natural cellular distribution and gradual ECM development. This may cause blockages for clinical use in the future. Both methods have potential for bioartificial liver development and clinical application, but 3D bioprinting technology is more aligned with the stages of hepatic development, which has proven to induce fewer errors in the physiological nature of the manufactured liver. In the future, modification and research must be conducted on the specific stages of these methodologies for either to create an operational bioartificial liver for clinical use.

Digitized Construction of Iontronic Pressure Sensor with Self-Defined Configuration and Widely Regulated Performance.

Flexible pressure sensors are essential components for wearable smart devices and intelligent systems. Significant progress has been made in this area, reporting on excellent sensor performance and fascinating sensor functionalities. Nevertheless, geometrical and morphological engineering of pressure sensors is usually neglected, which, however, is significant for practical application. Here, we present a digitized manufacturing methodology to construct a new class of iontronic pressure sensors with optionally defined configurations and widely modulated performance. These pressure sensors are composed of self-defined electrode patterns prepared by a screen printing method and highly tunable pressure-sensitive microstructures fabricated using 3D printed templates. Importantly, the iontronic pressure sensors employ an iontronic capacitive sensing mechanism based on mechanically regulating the electrical double layer at the electrolyte/electrode interfaces. The resultant pressure sensors exhibit high sensitivity (58 kPa−1), fast response/recovery time (45 ms/75 ms), low detectability (6.64 Pa), and good repeatability (2000 cycles). Moreover, our pressure sensors show remarkable tunability and adaptability in device configuration and performance, which is challenging to achieve via conventional manufacturing processes. The promising applications of these iontronic pressure sensors in monitoring various human physiological activities, fabricating flexible electronic skin, and resolving the force variation during manipulation of an object with a robotic hand are successfully demonstrated.

In Search of an Effective Workability Zone during the 3D Printing of Polymeric Periodic Open Cellular Structures Potentially Useful as Microreactors

The question of how easy the transition is between design and manufacturing by the 3D printing of periodic open cellular structures occurs from the analysis of cases in which additive manufacturing and heterogeneous catalysis merge. The synergy between these two fields suggests that one of the great advantages that the catalysis of this manufacturing methodology can take advantage of is the obtaining of advanced designs that would allow improving the processes from the geometry of the reactors. However, not all 3D-printing techniques offer the same degree of resolution, and this uncertainty grows when using more complex materials to work with, such as ceramics or metals. Therefore, the present work seeks to answer this question by finding experimentation strategies, starting with a simple case study inspired by the additive manufacturing–catalysis combination, in which a ceramic polymer resin of high thermal resistance is used to obtain POCSs that are potentially useful in thermochemical or adsorption processes. This exploration concludes on the need to define limits for what we have called an “effective work zone” that combines both design criteria and the real possibility of printing and manipulating the pieces, making sweeps in structural parameters such as cell size and the diameter of struts in the POCS. Similarly, the possibility of coating these systems with inorganic oxides is explored, using a generic oxide (Al2O3) to analyse this scenario. Finally, a cartridge-type assembly of these systems is proposed so that they can be explored in future processes by other researchers.

Lean Manufacturing and Productivity in companies: A Bibliographic Review and Future Lines of Research

The Lean Manufacturing methodology can be applied in any type of company, whether production or service, in any area that requires changes, new strategies and constant analysis to see the situation in which it is leaving. Every company wants to be stable in the market, competitive and lower their costs without forgetting their objective, which is why they seek to improve their productivity in the production environment and the efficiency of their collaborators. A previous analysis of the situation is taken into account to recommend a Lean tool that is specified in the application with the aim of improving productivity. The objective of this literature article is to analyze the relationship between Lean Manufacturing and Productivity. In this way, it is concluded that Lean Manufacturing is applied and directly and significantly influences the Productivity of the area where the improvement of productivity is required with the use of Lean tools.

Performance Analysis of Micro Francis Turbine Manufactured Locally in Nepal

The manufacturing of micro-hydro turbines, especially Cross-Flow, Pelton, Propeller turbine, has been carried for more than 50 years in Nepal. A prominent opportunity in the manufacturing of Francis turbines has been perceived in recent years as the requirements of turbines for future installations falls on the Francis turbine range and are above 60%. However, none of the manufacturers step forward to accept the challenges of manufacturing Francis turbines which may be due to the lack of know-how in design and the manufacturing technology of Francis Turbine as a whole. Nevertheless, many attempts have been put forward with the initiation of the Turbine Testing Laboratory, Kathmandu University, for the development of both the design and manufacturing methodology. In this paper, the performance analysis of two different Francis runners, manufactured using local technology of investment casting and pressing-welding method, was conducted. For making the manufacturing, installation and, operations of the turbine as simple as possible, the trapezoidal spiral casing with fixed guide vanes was implemented. In addition the leading and trailing edge modification had not been carried out so as to observe the efficiency rise after these modifications. A comparison of the efficiency for both the turbines indicates Francis turbines with fairly good efficiencies can be manufactured using locally available tools and technology.

THE INFLUENCE OF MICROORGANISMS ON BEER QUALITY

The paper investigated the influence of microorganisms on the quality of Oettinger and Timișoreana beer, in the context of improving the manufacturing methodology of the finished product. Two types of yeast were used for fermentation: Oettinger and SAB-5. At the end of the fermentation process, the microbiological sample was selected to determine the anaerobic bacteria harmful to the beer. Various methods of seeding and sampling were analyzed, such as seeding on several types of media: Wort, Endo and NBB-A, media used to determine the types of microorganisms present at each stage of production. As the level of free amino acids (FAN) is a significant indicator of the completion of the fermentation process, the influence of FAN on the dissociation of yeast and diacetyl content was also analyzed. Subsequently, at the end of the fermentation process, microbiological growths were determined.

Validation of the Mechanical Behavior of an Aeronautical Fixing Turret Produced by a Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM).

The design of parts in such critical sectors as the manufacturing of aeronautical parts is awaiting a paradigm shift due to the introduction of additive manufacturing technologies. The manufacture of parts designed by means of the design-oriented additive manufacturing methodology (DfAM) has acquired great relevance in recent years. One of the major gaps in the application of these technologies is the lack of studies on the mechanical behavior of parts manufactured using this methodology. This paper focuses on the manufacture of a turret for the clamping of parts for the aeronautical industry. The design of the lightened turret by means of geometry optimization, the manufacture of the turret in polylactic acid (PLA) and 5XXX series aluminum alloy by means of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) technology and the analysis by means of finite element analysis (FEA) with its validation by means of a tensile test are presented. The behavior of the part manufactured with both materials is compared. The conclusion allows to establish which are the limitations of the part manufactured in PLA for its orientation to the final application, whose advantages are its lower weight and cost. This paper is novel as it presents a holistic view that covers the process in an integrated way from the design and manufacture to the behaviour of the component in use.

IdeAM Running Quiz: A Digital Learning Game to Enhance Additive Manufacturing Opportunities Discovery

This paper provides a description of IdeAM Running Quiz, a learning game aiming at enhancing Additive Manufacturing (AM) opportunities learning. Firstly, a review of the literature on the Design and Additive Manufacturing methodologies and the educational effectiveness of learning games is presented. Then, the steps involved in the design of IdeAM Running Quiz game are introduced. IdeAM Running Quiz is a digital learning game inspired by arcade games. It is an infinite race where the play-er will have to choose the right path that will allow him to advance. It features exam-ples of objects that can be made with AM as well as AM opportunities. For this research, we have conducted an experiment aiming at evaluating the effectiveness of IdeAM Running Quiz on AM opportunities learning, and satisfaction provided by playing it. This experiment has shown that IdeAM Running Quiz helps player to understand the additive manufacturing opportunities. The experiment has also shown that participants like to play IdeAM Running Quiz and would recommend it for someone who want to discover the AM opportunities.

Energy efficiency design for eco-friendly additive manufacturing based on multimodal attention fusion

Additive manufacturing (AM) holds an imponderable scope to reduce energy consumption (EC) and material waste in contrast to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. With the increasing concerns about sustainable production, there is an urgent demand to critically assess the EC, and integrate the EC assessment into AM design processes. To address this issue, an energy efficiency design method for eco-friendly additive manufacturing based on Multimodal Attention Fusion Network (MAFN) is proposed to take full advantage of the derived multiple modalities from the computer-aided design (CAD) and manufacturing process. In view of the operating characteristics in AM process, the mathematical EC model of AM is first constructed to seek the salient modalities for the following EC prediction task. The proposed MAFN then leverages a Multimodal Fusion Framework (MFF) as the backbone module, unifying the processing-, pixel-, and geometric-level data to adapt to the increasing part geometry complexity and the process parameters. An Attentional Feature Fusion Module (AFFM) is further proposed to subtly combine the inherent correlation and variation among attentional features, preventing only learning similar features from multiple sources. Extensive numerical and physical experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method consistently outperforms the state-of-the-art EC prediction approaches and improves the energy efficiency design without a mechanical performance loss for eco-friendly additive manufacturing.

Design and strength optimisation of inserts embedded into fibre reinforced laminates

Fibre reinforced plastics have great potential for the design of lightweight structures with high stiffness and strength. However, in practical engineering applications, there is a frequent requirement to join composite parts together or to join composite parts with metallic parts, creating hybrid connections. The ability to join such parts without performance degradation is a challenging task. This paper presents a near-netshape compression moulding manufacturing methodology for direct embedment of lightweight metallic load introduction inserts into composite laminates. The paper investigates the optimal pull-out strength design of these inserts considering a wide range of insert parameters. Extensive experimental characterisation is undertaken with both steel and titanium cone inserts, considering variation of insert diameter, cone height and vertical position within the laminate. The experimental results are used to validate a finite element model, which is then used for multi-objective optimisation and the generation of design charts, considering both maximum strength and minimum weight multi-objective design requirements. For each insert material, a Pareto front is determined, which defines the set of optimal insert geometries related to its vertical position.

Detailed Investigation of Three-Dimensional Modeling and Printing Technologies from Medical Images to Analyze Femoral Head Fractures Using Finite Element Analysis

Objectives: One of the fields, where additive manufacturing has numerous applications, is biomedical engineering. 3D printing is preferred over traditional manufacturing methodologies, mostly while developing subject-specific implants and medical devices. This study aims to provide a process flow detailing all the stages starting from the acquisition of radiological images from different imaging modalities; such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to the printing of the bone morphology and finite element analysis; including the validation process.Materials & Methods: First, the CT scan of a lower abdomen area of a patient was converted into a 3D image using interactive medical imaging control system software. The segmentation process was applied to isolate the femoral head from the soft tissue and the pelvic bone. After the roughness errors and the gaps in the segments were removed using the 3Matic software, the file was converted to stereolithography (STL) file format to transfer to the 3D printer. The printing process was carried out via commercial powder-based Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) printer. The subject-specific femoral head model was formed in 3D. The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the femoral head was performed using a commercial FE software package.Results: The results show that experimental analysis and the CT scan-based FEA were compatible both for the stress distributions and the strain values as predicted by the models (R2=0.99). The deviation was calculated as approximately 12% between the experimental results and the Finite Element (FE) results. In addition, it was observed that the SLS technique produced useful results for modeling biomedical tissues with about 24x faster prototyping time.Conclusion: The prescribed process flow could be utilized in clinical settings for the pre-planning of the surgeries (≈428 minutes for femoral head) and also as an educational tool in the biomedical engineering field.

A Comparative Study on Subtractive Manufacturing and Additive Manufacturing

In recent days, additive manufacturing (AM) plays a vital role in manufacturing a component compared to subtractive manufacturing. AM has a wide advantage in producing complex parts and revolutionizing logistics panorama worldwide. Many researchers compared this emerging manufacturing methodology with the conventional methodology and found that it helps in meeting the demand, designing highly complex components, and reducing wastage of materials, and there are a wide variety of AM processes. The process of making the components in full use of technology with several manufacturing applications to meet the above is studied along with the properties of AM, and subsequently, the advantages of AM over the subtractive methods are described. In this paper, the achievements in this manner with considerable gains are studied and are concluded as a paradigm shift to fulfil the AM potential.

Tablets in Capsule as Strategy to Improve Adherence in Patients Cardiovascular Disease

Aims: The main objective of this work has been the development of delayed-release hard capsule containing mini-tablets of two-platelet antiaggregant, acetylsalicylic acid and clopidogrel, for the treatment of patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome at risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, therefore jointly is administered an inhibitor of gastric acid secretion, the ranitidine.
 Study Design: Design of mini-tablets into a capsule for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome.
 Methodology: For the galenic preparation of the three mini-tablets, an in-depth study of the choice of excipients and the most appropriate manufacturing methodology was carried out. Once the suitability of the mixture for use in direct compression was determined, which is the selected technological method, as it is the most profitable and involves less time, the mini-tablets were prepared and their physical characterization. Tablet appearance and physical characteristics such as dimensions, thickness, mass, resistance to crushing, friability, disintegration time and content uniformity met the requirements established according to pharmacopoeia to ensure the quality of the tablets.
 Results: The final formulation consists of the grouping of mini-tablets of three drugs in a delayed-release hard capsule ("tablets-in-capsule") for the treatment of patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome at risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. All tablets show resistance to crushing, disintegration, and friability features that strictly meet pharmacopoeia requirements.
 Conclusion: Adherence to treatment is increased because the concomitant administration of three active ingredients is unified in a single pharmaceutical dosage form.

Design and validation of a phantom for transcranial ultrasonography.

Commercial medical ultrasound phantoms are highly specific as they simulate particular clinical scenarios. This makes them expensive to use in multi-target research and training. General approaches to human tissue and organ modeling are described in the manufacturing methodology, access to which is restricted by the manufacturer's trade secret. Our aim is to propose a reproducible methodology to design a head phantom for transcranial ultrasound training and research from widely available materials and to validate its applicability. To create an anthropomorphic phantom, we used data from real patients obtained by CT and MRI scans. We combined FDM and LCD 3D printing to achieve the desired acoustic performance and ergonomics of the phantom. We fabricated the phantom using polyvinyl chloride plastisol, photopolymer, and PLA to simulate brain tissue, temporal acoustic windows, and acoustically opaque parts of the skull, respectively. Notably, the phantom fabrication method uses only readily available materials and is easy to reproduce. We developed a basic one and anatomical one versions of the head phantom. The basic version contains a simplified brain: tissue-mimicking material is poured into the skull with needles inserted, which specific pattern is easy to recognize in B-mode images. The anatomical version has an anatomically correct brain dummy extracted from MRI data and contains multiple randomly distributed small metal, plastic, and bony objects ranging in size from 1 to 3mm each. The proposed methodology allows producing head phantoms for transcranial ultrasound training and research. The anatomical accuracy of the model is proved by ultrasonography and CT studies. Both versions of the phantom comprise the skull and the brain and are intended for ultrasound imaging through the temporal bone acoustic window. Needles and small objects serve as navigation targets during the training procedure. The basic version helps learning basic navigation skills, while the anatomical one provides a realistic setting to perform the diagnostic procedure.

Programming methodology for multi-axis CNC woodworking machining center for advanced manufacturing based on STEP-NC

ABSTRACT The paper proposes a programming methodology for advanced manufacturing based on STEP-NC, a compliant to multi-axis CNC woodworking machining center. The equivalent virtual machine in the CAD/CAM, STEP-NC environment, is developed as a part of a programming system for considered CNC woodworking machining center. STEP-NC aims to provide a digital thread for CNC manufacturing running in the STEP-NC System world via the Internet that can enable advanced e-Manufacturing. Virtual machine as a digital twin is configured and implemented into the control system based on LinuxCNC, but configured virtual machine as a Web interface based on STEP-NC, also. The developed methodology is validated through machining simulation using the configured digital twin in the control system and machining experiments on the real machine.

Manufacturing, characteristics and applications of auxetic foams: A state-of-the-art review

Auxetic foams counter-intuitively expand (shrink) under stretching (compression). These foams can exhibit superior mechanical properties such as resistance to shear and indentation, improved toughness and energy absorption (EA) under several types of loadings. Their unique deformation mechanism and manufacturing process lead to special multiphysics properties such as variable permeability, synclastic curvature and shape memory. Except for traditional energy absorber stuff, the potential applications of auxetic foams have involved biomedicine, aerospace, smart sensing, etc. However, most of the potential applications are restrained in the theoretical stage due to complicated fabrication and a deficiency of stability. For removing the barrier for practical application, a series of issues remain to be resolved, though the explorations of the manufacture methodologies and potential applications are fruitful in the past decades. We present here a review article discussing the state-of-the-art for manufacturing, characterization and applications of auxetic foams. We also provide a view of the existing challenges and possible future research directions, aiming to state the perspective and inspire researchers to further develop the field of auxetic foams.