Sagil James

The prevalence of kidney stones, a significant urological health concern, necessitates advancements in the management and treatment methods, particularly in the domain of ureteral stents. This study explores the feasibility and potential benefits of utilizing three biodegradable polymers—Polylactic Acid (PLA), Tough Polylactic Acid (Tough PLA), and Polylactic Acid/Poly-hydroxybutyrate (PLA/PHB)—for the fabrication of 3D-printed ureteral stents tailored to patient-specific needs. Through the integration of CAD and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing technology, ureteral stents were successfully produced, demonstrating key advantages in terms of biodegradability and mechanical properties. The study involved a rigorous evaluation of the biodegradability, tensile strength, and hardness of the stents. Biodegradability tests performed in a simulated physiological environment revealed that PLA/PHB and Tough PLA stents exhibited higher degradation rates compared to PLA, aligning with the requirements for temporary urinary tract support. Tensile strength testing indicated that while PLA showed the highest strength, PLA/PHB and Tough PLA stents provided beneficial ductility, reducing the risk of blockage due to material breakage. Hardness assessments classified PLA/PHB stents as medium soft, optimizing patient comfort during the stenting period. These findings demonstrate the potential of using biodegradable polymers to produce ureteral stents that could eliminate the need for removal procedures, thereby enhancing patient recovery and comfort.

The use of bio-based smart materials is vital for achieving the desired morphing characteristics while improving the efficiency of disposable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems. Smart materials combine the structure and actuator into a single element without discrete moving parts, thereby minimizing the weight and mechanical complexity of the UAV system. Biodegradable smart materials facilitate the realization of smart actuation concepts that help in potentially improving system reliability and reducing the risk of potential component failure. However, the manufacturing of biodegradable smart materials is a huge challenge. Recent advances in 3D printing technologies have opened new possibilities for manufacturing biodegradable smart materials. The 3D printing technologies have been further extended to 4D printing, which essentially involves fabricating 3D smart structures. The goal of this research is to investigate the manufacturing challenges involved in the 4D printing of biodegradable smart polymer materials for disposable UAV systems. The manufacturing process consists of a combination of biodegradable smart polymer materials in conjunction with SLA-based 3D printing technology. The study will involve extensive theoretical investigations followed by experimental studies. The results of this study are expected to open up new possibilities for using biodegradable smart polymer materials at commercial scales.

Modern CNC machining industries rely on the application of high-technology virtual simulations such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to become economically competitive, improve productivity, and ensure sustainability. However, the traditional way of using FEA in CNC machining industries is to perform the virtual studies at a completely offline location, that often leads to erroneous results, along with massive wastage of resources, time, and money. Real-time FEA is an emerging technique that generates real-time solutions in response to actual load variations. This research aims to integrate real-time FEA results with the corresponding real CNC machining process using Mixed Reality (MR) technologies to facilitate the machining operations to be economically competitive with higher efficiencies and improved sustainability. The proposed MR-based system enhances the real-time decision-making capability of the CNC machine operator. The preliminary results show that the use of real-time FEA could significantly improve the CNC machining results.

High-speed machining processes are significantly affected by the accumulation of heat generated by friction in the cutting zone, leading to reduced tool life and poor quality of the machined product. The use of cutting fluids helps to draw the heat out of the area, owing to their cooling and lubricating properties. However, conventional cutting fluid usage leads to considerable damage to human health and the environment, in addition to increasing overall manufacturing costs. In recent years, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) has been used as an alternative lubricating strategy, as it significantly reduces cutting fluid consumption and eliminates coolant treatment/disposal needs, thereby reducing operational costs. In this study, we investigated microstructural surface finishing and heat generation during the high-speed cutting process of 2219 aluminum alloy using an MQL nanofluid. 2219 aluminum alloy offers an enhanced strength-to-weight ratio and high fracture toughness and is commonly used in a wide range of aerospace and other high-temperature applications. However, there is no relevant literature on MQL-based high-speed machining of these materials. In this study, we examined flood coolant and five different MQL nanofluids made by synthesizing 0.2% to 2% concentrations of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles into ultra-food-grade mineral oil. The study results reveal the chemistry between the MQL of choice and the corresponding surface finishing, showing that the MQL nanofluid with a 0.5% concentration of nanoparticles achieved the most optimal machining result. Furthermore, increasing the nanoparticle concentration does result in any further improvement in the machining result. We also found that adding a 0.5% concentration of nanoparticles to the coolant helped to reduce the temperature at the workpiece–tool interface, obtaining a good surface finish.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has the ability to benefit sheet metal manufacturing industries by implementing novel design solutions for tools and dies. However, there is a lack of support for the use of additive manufacturing in sheet metal manufacturing. Unfortunately, designers do not have proficient guidance for incorporating these innovative strategies. Existing Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM) approaches are precisely reviewed in this paper. They are then analyzed further by being related to conventional sheet metal manufacturing processes. However, existing DFAM guidelines do not provide a complete development process for design and manufacturing. Therefore, a novel methodological framework for DFAM of tools in sheet metal fabrication processes is proposed. Existing design strategies for sheet metal tooling through conventional manufacturing and additive manufacturing are utilized in the new DFAM modular framework. A case study example follows the DFAM framework to offer designers additional guidance through the design and manufacturing stages for sheet metal tooling with the use of additive manufacturing as a secondary process.

The lubricant choice is a critical factor in the high-speed machining process, and it can impact the machining surface quality and also the ultimate material properties. This paper investigates the microstructural surface finishing and heat generated during the high-speed cutting process (machining speed 3800 RPM) of 2219 aluminum alloy. The study examines flood coolant and five different nanofluids made by synthesizing 0.2–2% concentration of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles into ultra-food-grade mineral oil utilizing nanoparticle-enhanced minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) technique. In the MQL method, unlike the current known cooling fluid systems, the nanofluid provides a thin lubricant film that leads the heat created by friction to be transmitted to the chips and exits the interface. Also, the small amount of lubricant used for MQL makes this technique more environmentally friendly. The study revealed the chemistry between the MQL of choice and the corresponding surface finishing. As a result, the nanofluid with a 0.5% concentration of nanoparticles has the most optimal machining result. Furthermore, increasing nanoparticle concentration does not indicate any further improvement in the result. The results of this study could be instrumental to developing environmental-friendly machining solutions for aluminum alloys at commercial scales.