Actors within the manufacturing industry are constantly looking for innovative manufacturing methods to remain competitive. Additive manufacturing (AM), also referred to as 3D printing, is considered to have a good potential in the development towards industry 4.0. Though the cost control of AM-processes is an important step towards future business opportunities, little research has been implemented about how to design a cost calculation model for AM technology since it has not been industrialized to a significant extent. The purpose of this study is to develop an AM cost calculation model for the metal industry. The study is conducted through a qualitative case study at Seco Tools AB, a Swedish manufacturing company that carries out research and production operations of AM technology. By using literature review, data collection on the AM process, interviews with staff at the case company, a new AM cost calculation model is formulated specifically for the AM process at the case company. The proposed model is quantitatively and qualitatively validated with a set of real data from the case company and the satisfied result is obtained. The theoretical contribution of this study is the knowledge of what influencing factors should be included, what uncertainties exist and how corresponding adjustments should be made in a cost calculation model for AM. The practical contribution is the development of an innovative, user-friendly and generalizable cost model without user competence requirements within AM. Compared to the earlier models, the developed model is easier to apply when calculating the costs of a complex process. The model can be used as a basis for decision making in budgeting, scenario analysis, determination of occupancy rate or cost calculation of individual build jobs. / Aktörer inom tillverkningsindustrin letar ständigt efter innovativa tillverkningsmetoder för att förbli konkurrenskraftiga. Additiv tillverkning (AM), även kallad 3D-printing, anses ha en god potential i utvecklingen mot industri 4.0. Även fast kostnadskontroll av AM-processer är ett viktigt steg mot framtida affärsmöjligheter, har lite forskning genomförts om hur man kan designa en kostnadsberäkningsmodell för AM-teknik eftersom den inte har industrialiserats i betydande utsträckning. Syftet med denna studie är att utveckla en kostnadsberäkningsmodell för AM inom metallindustrin. Studien genomförs genom en kvalitativ fallstudie på Seco Tools AB, ett svenskt tillverkningsföretag som bedriver forskning och produktionsverksamhet inom AM-teknik. Genom att använda litteraturinsamling, datainsamling om AM-processen samt intervjuer med personal på fallföretaget formas en ny kostnadsberäkningsmodell för AM specifikt mot AM-processen vid fallföretaget. Den föreslagna modellen är kvantitativt och kvalitativt validerad med en uppsättning verkliga data från fallföretaget och ett tillfredsställande resultat erhålls. Det teoretiska bidraget för denna studie är kunskapen om vilka påverkande faktorer som bör ingå, vilka osäkerheter som återfinns och hur motsvarande justeringar bör göras i en kostnadsberäkningsmodell för AM. Det praktiska bidraget är utvecklandet en innovativ, användarvänlig och generaliserbar kostnadsmodell utan kompetenskrav inom AM. Jämfört med tidigare modeller är den utvecklade modellen lättare att tillämpa vid beräkning av kostnader i en komplex process. Modellen kan användas som underlag för beslutsfattande vid budgetering, scenarioanalys, bestämning av beläggningsgrad eller kostnadsberäkning av enskilda byggjobb.

Understanding electrically activated processes at electrode-electrolyte interfaces is needed to improve many technologies, including energy conversion, semiconductor devices, bio-sensors, corrosion protection, etc. In-situ spectro-electrochemical studies based on a wide range of spectroscopies are particularly useful. Scanning Transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) is a synchrotron-based technique which measures near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) with high spatial resolution. In addition to information on morphology, STXM also provides chemical state analysis using the X-ray absorption data, which makes in-situ STXM studies of electrochemical process of special interest. This thesis reports ex-situ and in-situ STXM based qualitative and quantitative studies on copper (Cu) electrodeposition and electrostripping. The influence of electrolyte pH on the distribution of Cu(I) and Cu(0) species electrodeposited from aqueous CuSO4 solutions was studied. An instrument capable of performing in-situ flow electrochemical STXM studies was designed and fabricated. The performance of this device was evaluated for in-situ Cu electrodeposition studies. Findings based on ex-situ and in-situ STXM studies are discussed. Suggestions are made for further instrumentation improvements. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Selective laser melting of nitrogen gas atomized 17-4PH stainless results in up to 50% lower yield strength and 600% higher elongation compared to traditionally processed, wrought 17-4PH. This drastic difference in mechanical properties is commonly attributed to the presence of high volume fractions of retained austenite within the as-built microstructure. The factors leading to the increased level of retained austenite have not been clarified in the literature. Furthermore, the amount of retained austenite reported within published literature vary widely, even with the use of identical process parameters. Manufacturers of selective laser melting systems state that solution annealing and precipitation hardening will achieve traditional mechanical properties, thereby removing all retained austenite. Once again, it is not clear, how the recommended solution and precipitation treatments lead to the desired changes in microstructure. The research within this thesis establishes that there is up to 0.12wt% higher nitrogen content within additively manufactured 17-4PH, compared to traditionally manufactured 17-4PH, as a result of the powder atomization process. The increased nitrogen is able to stabilize the austenitic phase by reducing the Ms temperature below ambient temperatures. Fertiscope bulk phase analysis demonstrates that the processing atmosphere during selective laser melting cannot alter the fraction of retained austenite in the as-built material. The depression of the Ms temperature in the printed parts is confirmed by dilatometry. Due to the TRIP phenomenon, during sample preparation, it was found that the austenite would transform to 80% martensite at the surface. This transformation will greatly impact the phases detected when x-ray diffraction is used for analysis, leading to a wide variety of reported retained austenite values within literature. A mechanism based on the precipitation of nitrides during solution-treatment has been proposed to explain how heat-treatment of the printed parts can lead to a martensitic microstructure with comparable mechanical properties to those of wrought alloys. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc) / 17-4PH stainless steel is a martensitic alloy, that can be precipitation hardened when used in traditional manufacturing processes. Within a selective laser melting process, it will exhibit up to 50% lower yield strength and 600% higher elongation. This behaviour is caused by retained austenite, which is stabilized by the introduction of nitrogen during the powder atomization process. As a result, the alloy exhibits transformation induced plasticity. Existing literature states the alloy’s microstructure can be controlled by altering the selective laser melting process atmosphere or using heat treatment to achieve traditional mechanical properties. However, the production and preparation of samples generates a surface transformation which was misinterpreted as a complete bulk transformation. Therefore, the change in microstructure from altering the process atmosphere is only detectable through surface analytical techniques. It is proposed that the rapid cooling rates of SLM form a non-equilibrium state, keeping nitrogen in solution. Subsequent heat treatment allows the formation of nitrides resulting in the Ms being brought above room temperature.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Lithium-Ion Batteries (Li-ion batteries or LIBs) have been extensively used in a wide variety of industrial applications and consumer electronics. Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing (3DP) techniques have evolved to allow the fabrication of complex structures of various compositions in a wide range of applications. The objective of the thesis is to investigate the application of 3DP to fabricate a LIB, using a modified process from the literature [1]. The ultimate goal is to improve the electrochemical performances of LIBs while maintaining design flexibility with a 3D printed 3D architecture. In this research, both the cathode and anode in the form of specifically formulated slurry were extruded into filaments using a high-temperature pellet-based extruder. Specifically, filament composites made of graphite and Polylactic Acid (PLA) were fabricated and tested to produce anodes. Investigations on two other types of PLA-based filament composites respectively made of Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO) and Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) were also conducted to produce cathodes. Several filaments with various materials ratios were formulated in order to optimize printability and battery capacities. Finally, flat battery electrode disks similar to conventional electrodes were fabricated using the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process and assembled in half-cells and full cells. Finally, the electrochemical properties of half cells and full cells were characterized. Additionally, in parallel to the experiment, a 1-D finite element (FE) model was developed to understand the electrochemical performance of the anode half-cells made of graphite. Moreover, a simplified machine learning (ML) model through the Gaussian Process Regression was used to predict the voltage of a certain half-cell based on input parameters such as charge and discharge capacity. The results of this research showed that 3D printing technology is capable to fabricate LIBs. For the 3D printed LIB, cells have improved electrochemical properties by increasing the material content of active materials (i.e., graphite, LMO, and NMC) within the PLA matrix, along with incorporating a plasticizer material. The FE model of graphite anode showed a similar trend of discharge curve as the experiment. Finally, the ML model demonstrated a reasonably good prediction of charge and discharge voltages.

The information contained in this thesis explores ways to develop a habitat for human settlement on Mars. Currently, most designs for living on Mars focus primarily on survival and emphasize the technological aspects necessary for sustaining life. However, there is a lack of holistic consideration for what life on Mars would entail beyond mere survival. These existing designs are understandably geared towards astronauts who will spend only a few months on Mars. In contrast, this project is dedicated to envisioning the future of Mars settlement, aiming to support astronauts who intend to permanently live and establish communities on Mars, ultimately transforming them into Martians. The project adopts a human-centric approach by integrating biophilic design principles to enhance the well-being of future Martian inhabitants. It seeks to address potential psychological challenges that settlers on Mars may encounter, offering innovative solutions rooted in biophilia. This approach aims to create environments that foster connection with nature, promote mental health, and support overall quality of life for individuals living on Mars. Humans have evolved over millions of years to thrive on Earth, and many of our primal instincts are deeply rooted in our hunter-gatherer ancestry. Transitioning humans to live on another planet would uproot them from their natural environment, potentially depriving them of these primal instincts and causing psychological challenges. (Szocik, n.d.) This project aims to address these issues through architectural solutions. By designing habitats that consider and accommodate our innate instincts and connections to nature, we can mitigate the psychological impacts of living on a different planet. The goal is to create environments on Mars that resonate with our evolutionary heritage, fostering psychological well-being and adaptation in extra-terrestrial settlements. / Master of Architecture / This thesis looks at how to create a habitat for humans to live on Mars. Right now, most designs focus mainly on survival and the technology needed to sustain life. Most don't really consider what everyday life would be like beyond just staying alive. Most current designs are for astronauts who will only be on Mars for a few months. This project, however, imagines a future where people live on Mars permanently and form communities, essentially becoming Martians. The project uses a design method that focuses on human needs at a subconscious and psychological level. It incorporates biophilic design principles, which emphasize our connection to nature, to improve the well-being of future Martian inhabitants. This approach aims to address psychological challenges that settlers on Mars might face, offering innovative solutions based on biophilia. The goal is to create environments that foster a connection with nature, promote mental health, and support a good quality of life. Humans have evolved over millions of years to live on Earth, and many of our basic instincts are tied to our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Moving to another planet could take us away from our natural environment and cause psychological challenges. This project aims to tackle these issues through thoughtful architectural design. By creating habitats that consider our natural instincts and connections to nature, we can reduce the psychological impacts of living on Mars. The goal is to design environments that align with our evolutionary background, helping people adapt and thrive in extra-terrestrial settlements.

The Moon is the closest celestial body to us. It is also the one we know most about, the only one we have visited so far, and our constant companion. With NASA's new Artemis program and newfound interest in exploring the Moon and beyond, my proposal is to create a base on the Moon for further space exploration, scientific development and establishment of an extraterrestrial colony. Dealing with obstacles such as lack of resources, radiation and no atmosphere, my project combines different constructive strategies, such as 3D-printing, excavating and inflatable membranes, to create an environment where humans can live and thrive on the Moon. The habitat allows for performing experiments and engaging in the basic survival activities, but also creates a home in such a challenging and distant place. Creating varied layers of habitability and protection ensure for a productive and entertaining existence on our one and only satellite, paving way to further explore the Solar System.

In the aerospace propulsion sector safety is an important driver to costs, vehicle design and mission capabilities. Hybrid rockets are considered some of the safest forms of chemical propulsion. That factor alone makes hybrid rocket propulsion systems desirable options. Hybrid systems often benefit from multiple additional advantages over conventional solid and liquid propellant systems, including: minimal environmental impact, higher density impulses, start-stop-restart capabilities, simplistic random throttle control, low development costs, and basic transportation and storage requirements. A major issue that continues to impact the effective use of hybrid systems, is that classical hybrid rocket fuels suffer in low regression rates. If fuel regression rates can be improved upon without diminishing any of the other beneficial factors to a hybrid rocket motor then a far greater market for such systems can be generated. In this work, additively manufactured polypropylene solid fuel grains were infused with gels as a means of significantly altering the fuel burning rates in a lab scale hybrid rocket motor. Gels based on Jet-A were created using both particulate (fumed silica, micro aluminum, nano aluminum) and polymeric (paraffin wax) gellants. The particle structure of the aluminum powders was characterized by means of microscopic imaging, particle size measurement, and thermal mass response analysis. The rheological behavior of the gels was characterized in order to determine the relationship between melt layer viscosity, viscoelastic properties, and combustion performance. High speed color video recording was used on select grains for spatially and temporally resolved three-color camera pyrometry analysis. The process showed promise in determining aluminized gel burn time across an entire rocket firing. The performance of the gel infused grains was compared to a traditional center perforated fuel grain, under similar flows of gaseous oxygen. Rocket motors fired with gel infused grains exhibited pressure increases of greater than 40%. Gel infused fuel grains demonstrated regression rate enhancements up to 90% higher than the baseline. The estimated gel regression rates were over 500% higher than the host polypropylene fuel. When the O/F was maintained near stoichiometric or lean conditions, c∗ efficiencies of the gel infused grains were similar to that of the baseline indicating thorough combustion of the gels. At low oxygen mass flows, the effects of gel infusion are not as significant, which is consistent with the liquefying fuel entrainment concept. / Master of Science / In the field of air and space flight, safety is an important driver to costs, vehicle design and mission capabilities. Hybrid rockets are considered some of the safest forms of vehicle lift systems compared to similar forms. That factor alone makes hybrid rockets desirable options. Hybrid systems often benefit from multiple additional advantages over similar systems often used, including: minimal environmental impact, greater force for a given time and volume of fuel, start-stop-restart capabilities, simplistic random motor control, low development costs, and basic transportation and storage requirements. A major issue that continues to impact the effective use of hybrid systems is that classical hybrid rocket fuels suffer in low burn rates. If fuel burn rates can be improved upon without diminishing any of the other beneficial factors to a hybrid rocket motor then a far greater market for such systems can be generated. In this work, specially manufactured solid fuel grains were combined with gels as a means of significantly altering the fuel burning rates in a small scale test setup. Gels based on a type of jet fuel were created using multiple gel forming and modifying materials. The structure of two types of small scale aluminum powders was characterized by means of microscopic imaging, particle size measurement, and weight response to thermal changes. Properties specific to the gels were characterized in order to determine performance relationships to individual material properties. High speed color video recording was used on select grains for space and time resolved three-color camera temperature analysis. The process showed promise in determining aluminized gel burn time across an entire rocket firing. The performance of the gel modified grains was compared to a traditional fuel grain design, under similar flows of gaseous oxygen. Rocket motors fired with gel modified grains exhibited pressure increases of greater than 40%. Gel modified fuel grains demonstrated burn rate enhancements up to 90% higher than the traditional fuel grain design. The estimated gel burn rates were over 500% higher than the host polypropylene fuel. When ideal conditions were maintained, fuel burn efficiencies of the gel modified grains were similar to that of the traditional fuel grain design indicating ideal burning of the gels. At low oxygen flow rates, the effects of gel addition are not as significant, which is consistent with an expectant similar concept.

Consumer additive manufacturing (3D printing) has rapidly grown over the last decade. While the technology for the most common type, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), has systematically improved and sales have increased, fundamentally, the capabilities of the machines have remained the same. FFF printers are still limited to depositing layers onto a flat build plate. This makes it difficult to combine consumer AM with other objects. While consumer AM promises to allow us to customize our world, the reality has fallen short. The ability to directly modify existing objects presents numerous possibilities to the consumer: personalization, adding functionality, improving functionality, repair, and novel multi-material manufacturing processes. Indeed, similar goals for industrial manufacturing drove the research and development of technologies like direct write and directed energy deposition which can deposit layers onto uneven surfaces. Replicating these capabilities on consumer 3-axis FFF machines is difficult mainly due to issues with reliability, repeatability, and quality. This thesis proposes, demonstrates, and tests a method for scanning and printing dimensionally-accurate (unwarped) digital forms onto physical objects using a modified consumer-grade 3D printer. It then provides an analysis of the machine design considerations and critical process parameters. / Master of Science / Consumer additive manufacturing (3D printing) has rapidly grown over the last decade. While the technology for the most common type, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), has systematically improved and sales have increased, fundamentally, the capabilities of the machines have remained the same. FFF printers are still limited to depositing layers onto a flat build plate. This makes it difficult to combine consumer AM with other objects. While consumer AM promises to allow us to customize our world, the reality has fallen short. The ability to directly modify existing objects presents numerous possibilities to the consumer: personalization, adding functionality, improving functionality, repair, and novel multi-material manufacturing processes. Indeed, similar goals for industrial manufacturing drove the research and development of technologies like direct write and directed energy deposition which can deposit layers onto uneven surfaces. Replicating these capabilities on consumer 3-axis FFF machines is difficult mainly due to issues with reliability, repeatability, and quality. This thesis proposes, demonstrates, and tests a method for scanning and printing dimensionally-accurate (unwarped) digital forms onto physical objects using a modified consumer-grade 3D printer. It then provides an analysis of the machine design considerations and critical process parameters.

The post-prognosis lifespan for those suffering with Glioblastoma (GBM) is approximately 13 months with current standard of care. Intratumoral heterogeneity is a common characteristic that hinders GBM treatment in the form of therapy resistant cell subsets and influence on cellular phenotypes. One cell subset in particular, glioma stem cells (GSCs), is frequently left behind in the brain parenchyma once the bulk of the tumor has been resected. Previous research has found that patient-derived GSCs displayed varying invasion responses with and without the presence of interstitial flow. Interestingly, GSCs from a single patient are heterogeneous, displaying differences among sub-colonies derived from the same parental line. To study the motility of cells under flow, PDMS microfluidics are commonly used. Unfortunately, this setup often involves active flow generation using pumps, limiting the number of cell lines that can be imaged at a time. To increase the throughput of GSC sub-colonies imaged simultaneously, we developed a bio-compatible, printable device fabricated to allow for passive, gravity-driven flow through a hydrogel that recapitulates the brain microenvironment, eliminating the need for pumps. Stereo lithography 3D printing was chosen as the manufacturing method for the device, and this facilitated design feature modification when prototyping, increased the potential complexity of future iterations, and avoided some of the hurdles associated with fabricating PDMS microfluidics. This printable imaging device allows for higher throughput live-imaging of cell lines to aid in the understanding of the relationships between intratumoral heterogeneity, invasion dynamics, and interstitial flow. / Master of Science / For those suffering with Glioblastoma, a high-grade brain cancer, the life span post treatment is approximately 13 months. The cells in this and many forms of cancer have physical and biological differences that make successfully eliminating the disease difficult. One of the cell types contributing to this are Glioma Stem Cells (GSCs) that are often left in brain tissue once most of the tumor has been surgically removed. Previous research has found that GSCs from different sources had different responses with and without the simulated or actual presence of flow in brain tissue. This was further complicated when different responses were observed in cells obtained when breaking apart one of the cell lines and propagating these into their own sub-colonies. The current standard for studying the movement of cells under flow is by using compact chips made of a clear silicone rubber. The setup with microfluidics typically requires connection to external tubing and pumps to create flow and this limits the amount of cell types that can be imaged at a time. In order to monitor more cells at a time we created a 3D printable device that uses gravity for flow to go through a gel that mimics brain tissue and these cells of interest. Resin 3D printing was used to make these small devices so that they could be easily re-designed for other experimental purposes in the future. Hopefully this device could be used to more rapidly gain an understanding of cell movement in GBM and other disease models.

<p dir="ltr">Repeated loading and unloading cycles lead to the formation of strain in the material which causes initiation of the crack formation this phenomenon is called fatigue. Fatigue properties are critical for structures subject to cyclic load; hence fatigue analysis is used to predict the life of the material. Fatigue analysis plays an important role in optimizing the design of the 3D printed material and predicting the fatigue life of the 3D printed component.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr">The main objective of this thesis is to predict the fatigue behavior of different microstructures of Ti-64 titanium alloy by using the PRISMS-Fatigue open-source framework. To achieve this goal Ti-64 microstructure models were created using programming scripts, then the structures were exported to a finite element visualization software package, with all the required properties embedded in the pipeline. The PRISMS-Fatigue framework is used to conduct a fatigue analysis on 3D printed materials, using the Fatigue Indicator Parameters (FIP), which measure the driving force of fatigue crack formation in the microstructurally small crack growth.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr">Three different microstructures, i.e., cubic equiaxed, random equiaxed, and rolled equiaxed microstructures, are analyzed. The FIP results show that the cubic equiaxed grains have the best fatigue resistance due to their isotropic structural characteristics. Additionally, the grain size effect using 1 and 10 micrometers is investigated. The results show that the 1 micrometer grain size cubic equiaxed microstructure has a better fatigue resistance because as grains are small and they have a higher mechanical strength.</p>