Plastic Printing Research Articles

The future of single-use plastics in life science: Sterile printing of PLA reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 80% and enables carbon neutrality

The European Union’s Green Deal emphasizes life science and biotechnology as key drivers for achieving a circular economy. However, the prevalent use of non-sustainable single-use plastics derived from petrochemical sources in life science research and development contradicts this ecological goal. This study presents a viable alternative through on-site sterile 3D printing of single-use plastics using poly(lactic acid) (PLA). The sterile printing of PLA demonstrates a substantial reduction in CO2eq emissions per shake flask, decreasing from 260 g CO2eq to 145 g CO2eq. Suitability for cell culture was demonstrated for sterile printed PLA, autoclaved high-temperature PLA and for suspension cell cultures in shake flasks using CHO and insect cells as well as adherent Vero cell cultures in cell culture wells. Further optimization of sustainable shake flasks is achieved by utilizing recycled PLA, resulting in a remarkable reduction to 73 g CO2eq, constituting a 72% decrease in CO2eq emissions compared to conventional single-use plastics. Moreover, by employing geometric optimization to minimize material usage, emissions can be further reduced to 44 g CO2eq, representing an 83% reduction in CO2eq emissions. Anticipated advancements in PLA production suggest future carbon net negative PLA production, potentially achieving zero carbon emissions for single-use plastics using PLA. The exceptionally cost-effective nature of 3D printed single-use plastics, coupled with negligible capital costs for implementation, positions sterile 3D printing as a practical solution aligned with the 2030 Green Deal goals. Moreover, ongoing improvements in bioplastic production underscore the feasibility of meeting the 2050 targets of carbon neutrality for single-use plastics in life science research and development.

Synthesis of a green functional carbon dioxide‐based polycarbonate using bio‐based monomers

AbstractA PPC‐dodecyl glucoside (PPC‐APG) polymer was synthesized by the terpolymerization of carbon dioxide (CO2), propylene oxide (PO), and the bio‐based monomer APG for the first time. The thermal stability and mechanical properties of PPC‐APG were significantly improved compared with those of conventional polypropylene carbonate (PPC), and its glass transition temperature (Tg) was increased by 14°C compared with that of PPC. The 5% heat loss temperature (Td,−5%) and total heat loss temperature (Td,max) of PPC‐APG were increased by 89.1 and 92.1°C, respectively, compared with those of PPC. The tensile strength of PPC‐APG was increased to 25.6 MPa, its elongation at break was decreased to 125.1%, and its thermal elongation and permanent deformation were reduced to 97.2% and 62.9%, respectively, which improved the processability of the material. In addition, the introduction of bio‐based monomers also rendered PPC‐APG functional, and its surface tension reached a maximum of 61.3 mN/m at a concentration of 0.05 g/mL, with a good degradability. The higher surface tension and enhanced degradability of PPC‐APG indicate its potential for application as a plastic printing substrate.

Inline CT-Analysis of the Melting Area during Fused Filament Fabrication

In the 21st century, 3D printing has become a mainstream process for prototyping and low-volume production. Fused Filament Fabrication is the most commonly used process for 3D printing plastics. A plastic filament is melted in a nozzle and a component is built up layer by layer. As with all manufacturing processes, there is an interest in continuously optimizing and improving the FFF process. One approach is based on process simulation, which provides a better understanding of the process. Subsequently, it is always necessary to validate the simulation models with the real process. This validation has only been possible to a limited extent in the case of FFF. In this work, a method is presented that allows a non-destructive investigation of the melt behaviour during the printing process. For this purpose, a 3D printer nozzle with an extruder was integrated into an X-ray computed tomography system. Thus, a computed tomography scan can be performed during the extrusion process. By using highly absorbent tungsten filaments, sufficient contrast can be created between the metal nozzle and the plastic filament to allow analysis of the melt behaviour. This setup makes it possible to distinguish between the solid filament area and the melt area, as well as to determine the contact between the filament and the die wall. In doing so, simulations can be validated and nozzle geometries can be improved.

High-Throughput Additive Manufacturing of Continuous Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastic by Multifilament.

Additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) of continuous carbon fiber-reinforced plastics with fused deposition modeling is a burgeoning manufacturing method because of its potential as a powerful approach to produce lightweight, high strength and complex parts without the need for a mold. Nevertheless, it cannot manufacture parts rapidly due to low throughput. This paper proposes a high-throughput additive manufacturing of continuous carbon fiber-reinforced plastics by multifilament with reference to fiber tape placement. Three filaments were fed and compaction printed simultaneously by a robotic manufacturing system. The coupled thermal-mechanical model of the filament deformation during printing was developed to eliminate the initial interval between the filaments and improved mechanical properties. Furthermore, the mathematical relationship between filament deformation and printing parameters consisting of printing temperature, printing speed and roller pressure was proposed using response surface methodology with the line width as the response. The tensile tests demonstrate that the tensile properties of printed parts are positively correlated with the line width, but not infinitely improved. The maximum tensile strength and tensile modulus are 503.4 MPa and 83.11 Gpa, respectively, which are better than those obtained by traditional methods. Void fraction and scanning electron microscope images also reveal that the appropriate line width achieved by the reasonable printing parameters contributes to the high-throughput multifilament additive manufacturing of continuous carbon fiber-reinforced plastics. The comparison results indicate that the high-throughput multifilament additive manufacturing proposed in this paper can effectively improve the speed of continuous carbon fiber-reinforced plastics additive manufacturing without degrading the mechanical performance.

Experimental and numerical research of the flow inside the control valves trim

In this paper are presented desing, testing and numerical analysis for two manufactured control valve trims. Valve trim is consisted of cage or dick stack, plug, stem and seat. Size from app. 15.88 mm (0.625 in) up to 101.6 mm (4 in) is suitable for 3-D metal and plastic print, what is presented in this paper. Selective laser melting 3-D metal printing is applied on the disc presented in this paper. Even better material properties from rest of the valve parts could be obtained. This is of great importance for valve retrofitting. In this paper is presented, also, new developed channel geometry, what is followed by various fluid-flow phenomena. Measurement results for second prototype manufactured by 3-D printing using plastics are presented in details. Here is shown, in short, procedure for determination of KV values of the test valves according to the EN 60534-2-3, Industrial-process control valves ? Part 2-3: Flow capacity ? Test procedures. In addition, some aspects of CFD calculations are presented.

Nanomaterials Function in Additive Manufacturing

Nanomaterials are substances that have at least one dimension that falls within the three-dimensional nanoscale range or fundamental structural components made of substances that fall inside this range. Micro-nano 3D printing technology can realize the processing of 3D micro-nano structures with nanometer precision and has broad application prospects in many fields. Metals and polymers can be easily connected through bonding reactions to obtain metal-metal or covalent bonds in 3D printing. These potent chemical bonds make 3D-printed structures stable, and 3D printing of metals and plastics is developing rapidly. The review focuses on the latest developments in unique composite nanomaterials for different field applications, comprising nanomaterials and 3D printing technology. A summary of the mechanisms, functional characteristics, benefits, drawbacks, and applications of various nanomaterials used in scientific 3D printing includes metal-based nanomaterials, metal-organic frameworks, upconversion nanoparticles, and lipid-based nanoparticles. Finally, this study presents an overview and highlights the issues that need to be resolved for nanomaterials to continue to be developed for the advantages of 3D printing.

Industry-Scale Application of Full-Width Digital Camera Inspection during Effective Printing on Plastic Foil at the Company "Flexograf"

The company printing plastic sheets with eight-color machines has sought help from the Faculty of Computer Science to reduce wastage of raw materials. During the study and research in this matter, it was found that the losses in raw materials are caused by the impossibility of controlling the printing through the current adequate technology that the "Flexograf" company had at its disposal. The printing on the plastic film was supervised with a digital camera with the possibility of control at a dimension of 15 [cm]. On the other hand, the width of the printed plastic film is consistently 130[cm]. Therefore, the digital control camera for control is moved along the x-axis nine times to control the printing width of 130[cm] of the plastic film. After each displacement, the digital camera was stopped for a duration of three seconds. Wherever there was a printing defect in the part that was not monitored by the digital camera and given the printing speed of the machine for a length of 400 meters of plastic sheet per minute, it caused a significant loss of raw material if there were printing defects or lack of color. This problem has been solved by replacing the 15[cm] wide inspection digital camera with a 130[cm] wide full inspection digital camera. The effect of changing the full inspections digital camera achieved the goal and reduced the raw material losses to the minimum very close to zero.

Analysis of Quality Defects in Plastic Seed Products Using Statistical Process Control (SPC) Method

Plastic seed products are products made from recycled plastic materials such as raw materials for plastic bags and some screen printing plastics. UD. ABC is a company that produces PP (Polypropylene) plastic pellets. The existing problems include the discovery of instability in the production of plastic pellets which is in a negative direction for the company, namely there are product defects in plastic pellet products that exceed the standard defect tolerance limit of the company by 2%. Based on the Pareto diagram, it can show that the type of protrusion defect is 69.56% more dominant than the type of connecting defect, which is 30.44%. Based on the control chart based on the p-chart, it shows that some dates are outside the limits of the control chart, namely the sample lot number 3 (March) of 0.0352, 4 (April) 0.0273, 7 (July) 0, 0134, 8 (August) 0.271. The data that comes out of the control chart limits exceeds the upper control limit (BKA/UCL) of 0.02649 and the lower control limit (BKB/LCL) of 0.02395. So what must be done to repair the engine factor is to carry out periodic briefings on how the machine works starting from setting the temperature and changing the filter. Meanwhile, the human factors section, namely directing the replacement of machine filter workers with temperature operators so that workers do not get tired easily, conducting periodic supervision of each worker for the leader and providing guidance on knowledge about machine work systems, mixing raw materials and operating machine temperature controls regularly.

Multi-material additive manufacturing: investigation of the combined use of ABS and PLA in the same structure

Abstract 3D printing using multi-materials has been one of the most popular topics recently. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is one of the most widely used techniques for the three-dimensional printing of plastics and composites by all industries. In this study, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA) were printed in the same structure with an independent double extruder FDM 3D printer. In the study, three different layer thicknesses (0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, and 0.3 mm), three different infill ratios (30%, 60%, and 90%) and three different infill types (hexagon, triangle, and 3D infill) were used. Tensile specimens were produced according to the ASTM D638 type-IV standard. Tensile specimens of 4 mm in thickness were produced in 1 mm ABS and PLA layers. As a result of the tensile tests, it has been seen that when PLA and ABS are used together in the same structure, the tensile strength increases significantly.

MECHANICAL SYSTEM FOR WIRE ARC ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

This article discusses the reassembly of a mechanical system for 3D printing plastic parts to be used for plasma arc additive manufacturing. The main issues in converting an existing 3D printer designed for plastic additive to used for producing metal parts are: control of the welding power source; installation and realization of the movement with the welding torch; set the height of the zero layer; setting up the program software to generate the control file.

Development of Latent Fingerprint using Carbon Powder

The uniqueness of human fingerprint plays the most prominent role in forensic investigation as a physical evidenceWhich is useful for criminal identification. With its unique features no two fingerprints have ever been found tobe identical. In legal cases the identification of such print established the relationship between crime scene andthe culprit. Generally , there are three types of fingerprint is to be found visible print, plastic print and latentprint ( invisible print) which has been taken in account for identification. There is no such crucial method is usedfor decipher the visible print and plastic print because they are easily visible to naked eye but in case of latentprint the process for enhancement is necessary for the latent fingerprint to be observed by naked eye. The mostencountered fingerprint is the latent fingerprint which is unconsciously left by perpetrators at any surface. Forvisualizing such prints Various method have been reported for the development of latent fingerprint on differentsurfaces. This present study introducing a new visualizing agent for the development of latent fingerprint by usingCarbon Powder on various non-porous & porous surface through the powdering method. Here we use candleflame to collect black carbon mass and turn it into powder which is used for obtaining latent fingerprints. By theapplication of these powder it is observed that it gives a clear ridge on various surfaces.

Analysis of Cup Printing Quality Control Using Statistical Process Control Methods and Human Reliability Assessment (Case Study: PT Indo Ceria Plastic Printing)

This research was conducted at PT Indo Ceria Plastic Printing aims to determine the main cause of defective cup printing and to reduce product defects in the production process. Based on the problems faced by the company, namely the high percentage of cup printing defects which eventually led to more and more reject cup printing rates, even the problem of passing the defective cup being sent to the customer’s hands, which made the customer complain about the problem of the number of bad product quality being sent so that they finally submitted a returned product. Therefore, quality control efforts are carried out on cup printing products to find the cause of the defect and find a solution to repair it. The research methods used in solving the problems that occur at PT Indo Ceria Plastic Printing is to use Statistical Process Control methods and Human Reliability Assessment. From the result of research conducted, it is known that the biggest cause of defect in cup printing products is “defect awal start”. From the results of meaning employee performance, the largest HEP value was found, namely, the type of possible error is “pengisian tinta pada mesin” which was 0,6324. So, this factor was the dominant one that resulted in defects and must be repaired immediately.

A Feasibility Study of Lightweight Polylactic Acid Fused Deposition Modeled Propeller Prototyping

From the inception of fused deposition modeled (FDM) 3D printing, various materials have been introduced as filaments. Lightweight polylactic acid (LW-PLA) has been introduced as a 3D printing material by a company named ColorFabb, and it has a unique property to expand at around 230℃. The expansion can be calculated and harnessed to create more lightweight 3D printed models. Previous studies have used ANSYS computer simulations to gauge the feasibility of 3D printed propellers of various materials. Previous studies that tested propellers in real life have shown that propellers made from polylactic acid (PLA), another 3D printing plastic, are only feasible for prototyping purposes. This study attempted to find feasibility of LW-PLA in the FDM prototyping of propellers by using a real life testing apparatus to compare LW-PLA and PLA propellers. 4 propeller designs were made, and PLA and LW-PLA counterparts were created for each design. A significant difference in thrust-efficiency ratio was found between LW-PLA and PLA propellers, indicating that LW-PLA propellers were not feasible for propeller prototyping. It was observed that the application of acrylic sealer coatings to both LW-PLA and PLA propellers decreased the difference, but the difference was still significant in most cases. Additionally, LW-PLA propellers were observed to be about 50% of the weight of their PLA counterparts, indicating that LW-PLA propellers may be useful in situations where weight is required to be minimized. This study is significant in that it addresses the major gap in the research of LW-PLA and its applications in aerospace.

Design and development of XY scanning stage for cutting operation in additive manufacturing system

The additive manufacturing market is constantly growing in everything from automotive to ceramics. However, most of it is in traditional areas, such as plastic prototyping. While 3D printing brings benefits such as faster and slower than conventional production, making it easier to reproduce when needed. The problem is that most of the printing materials used are still plastic, one of the most dangerous things in the environment. This was also evident, which is why researchers wonder why there are no sustainable 3D printing materials. This is allowed us to learn how to print using paper. A paper printer is a 3D printer that uses paper instead of plastic. Often the market for building materials is growing, and there are other options to print. However, most others still use composite materials using PLA (Polylactic acid) as a base. Initial research crossed paths with 3D modelling and additional production. The study investigates the worrying amount of plastic used in regular plastic printing processes thus, it is essential to search for a sustainable object to replace it.

Development of a custom setup for additive manufacturing of high-performance thermoplastics

Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is an addictive manufacturing process based on the extrusion of a continuous filament of thermoplastic material. There are several materials that are suitable for this production process, including high-performance plastics such as Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) or Polyetherimide (PEI). These high-performance thermoplastics produce components with higher strength and toughness than the standard printing plastics, as well as optimized thermal properties.A machine was designed and developed to produce specimens in these high-performance thermoplastics for further study of their physical and mechanical performance. This machine was designed using the CubeX 3D printer produced by 3D Systems as a base, retaining the main essential structure and kinematics to which several modifications were made so that it can work under the extreme operating conditions required for printing these materials. The main changes made to the original machine were the control board, that was replaced by the Duet 2 Wi-Fi Board, the extruder, changed to the E3D Titan Aqua and the build plate which was replaced by with the E3D High Temperature Heated Bed. In addition, a custom glycol-based cooling setup was implemented to cool both the extruder and the machine’s stepper motors, along with the development of a custom heating system for the printing environment.The proposed system has been successfully constructed, being able to produce functional parts in both PEEK and PEI plastics. Further research on the mechanical properties of the specimens produced is in progress.

SELECTION AND CALCULATION OF STEPPER MOTORS FOR CNC

Today, modern technologies tend to develop rapidly. The application of advanced inventions, principles, systems and approaches allows to simplify the production process, reduce the cost of manufacturing finished products, replace monotonous manual work with automated systems and devices. The basis of the power drive of such systems are electric motors: with permanent magnets, direct current, stepper, etc. When developing any electromechanical system, the task of choosing the type of drive motor, its parameters and characteristics. This article is devoted to the choice of such an electric motor for an electromechanical system for three-dimensional plastic printing. As a result of comparative analysis of parameters and characteristics of different types of motors, it is established that bipolar stepper motors are optimal for use in low-power and small-sized systems for three-dimensional printing. This is due to the simplicity of their design, reliability and low requirements for nominal and maximum torque.

Vat Photopolymerization of Cemented Carbide Specimen.

Numerous studies show that vat photopolymerization enables near-net-shape printing of ceramics and plastics with complex geometries. In this study, vat photopolymerization was investigated for cemented carbide specimens. Custom-developed photosensitive WC-12 Co (wt%) slurries were used for printing green bodies. The samples were examined for defects using quantitative microstructure analysis. A thermogravimetric analysis was performed to develop a debinding program for the green bodies. After sintering, the microstructure and surface roughness were evaluated. As mechanical parameters, Vickers hardness and Palmqvist fracture toughness were considered. A linear shrinkage of 26–27% was determined. The remaining porosity fraction was 9.0%. No free graphite formation, and almost no η-phase formation occurred. WC grain growth was observed. 76% of the WC grains measured were in the suitable size range for metal cutting tool applications. A hardness of 1157 HV10 and a Palmqvist fracture toughness of 12 was achieved. The achieved microstructure exhibits a high porosity fraction and local cracks. As a result, vat photopolymerization can become an alternative forming method for cemented carbide components if the amount of residual porosity and defects can be reduced.

Recent advances in the extrusion methods for ceramics

In recent years, extrusion 3D printing processes have undergone an important development. They allow obtaining complex shapes in an easy way and relatively low cost. Different plastic materials can be 3D printed with the fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology. Bioinert ceramics such as alumina or zirconia have excellent physical and mechanical properties (high melting point, high strength…) that make them appropriate in different fields: medicine, electronics, etc. However, 3D printing of ceramics is by far less developed than 3D printing of plastics or metals. A possible application for 3D printing of ceramics is the manufacture of prostheses, which usually have complex shapes with porous structures. Ceramic prostheses have several advantages over the use of other materials: they generate low debris, they are hard and they are inert and corrosion-resistant. In the present work the recent advances about extrusion 3D printing of ceramic materials are presented, with a special focus on the manufacture of prostheses.

Harnessing 3D Printing of Plastics in Construction-Opportunities and Limitations.

Additive manufacturing has been of increasing interest to the construction industry for the last ten years. The subject of the research is the printing of concrete, metals, and plastics. In their analysis and research, authors have focused on printing plastics. 3D printing of reinforcement of concrete elements made of plastics can significantly improve the efficiency of their erection, reduce the amount of waste, and optimize their shape. In this paper, recent developments in the 3D printing of plastics for construction are reviewed. Various applications were discussed, including unconventional spatial reinforcement (impossible to achieve in a traditional way), printed permanent formwork, etc. The challenges for further research and practical applications of such solutions were also discussed.

Additive manufactured semi-plate lattice materials with high stiffness, strength and toughness

Closed-cell materials, such as plate-lattices, are attracting increasing attention as a result of their potential to achieve the theoretical upper bounds for isotropic elasticity and strain energy storage (the Hashin-Shtrikman upper bounds) (Berger et al., 2017). However, their complex meso-geometries, especially their enclosed structures, make most of additive manufacturing methods impossible to undertake, due to difficulties associated with removing the Supporting material. To overcome this, plate-lattices with small holes located in the plates, termed semi-plate lattices, have been manufactured at the centimeter scale using a multi-jet printing plastic 3D printer combined with a wax removing process. Experimental compression tests on the resulting specimens have shown that semi-plate lattice structures offer an enhanced stiffness, strength and a much-improved energy absorption capability compared with their truss-based lattice counterparts. Numerical predictions agree well with the experimental data and show that the plate topology have higher stress contours with more homogeneous stress distribution. The Mode I fracture toughness of the semi-plate lattices has also been investigated. The fracture toughness of both the semi-plate lattices and the truss lattices has been shown to increase linearly with relative density and the square root of the cell size. The introduction of holes in semi-plate lattices plays a significant role in controlling the propagation of cracks in terms of both speed and direction. Compared with metal foams, the additively manufactured semi-plate lattices are lighter and stronger, whilst offering an equivalent fracture toughness. By using additive manufacturing with different constituent materials, such as alloys and ceramics, semi-plate-based lattice materials can be manufactured to offer greater potential in engineering design than traditional truss-based lattice materials.