Yes / Three dimensional printing (3DP) was used to engineer novel oral drug delivery devices, with specialised design configurations loaded with multiple actives, with applications in personalised medicine. A filament extruder was used to obtain drug-loaded - paracetamol (acetaminophen) or caffeine - filaments of polyvinyl alcohol with characteristics suitable for use in fused-deposition modelling 3D printing. A multi-nozzle 3D printer enabled fabrication of capsule-shaped solid devices, containing paracetamol and caffeine, with different internal structures. The design configurations included a multilayer device, with each layer containing drug, whose identity was different from the drug in the adjacent layers; and a two-compartment device comprising a caplet embedded within a larger caplet (DuoCaplet), with each compartment containing a different drug. Raman spectroscopy was used to collect 2-dimensional hyper spectral arrays across the entire surface of the devices. Processing of the arrays using direct classical least squares component matching to produce false colour representations of distribution of the drugs showed clearly the areas that contain paracetamol and caffeine, and that there is a definitive separation between the drug layers. Drug release tests in biorelevant media showed unique drug release profiles dependent on the macrostructure of the devices. In the case of the multilayer devices, release of both drugs was simultaneous and independent of drug solubility. With the DuoCaplet design it was possible to engineer either rapid drug release or delayed release by selecting the site of incorporation of the drug in the device, and the lag-time for release from the internal compartment was dependent on the characteristics of the external layer. The study confirms the potential of 3D printing to fabricate multiple-drug containing devices with specialized design configurations and unique drug release characteristics, which would not otherwise be possible using conventional manufacturing methods. / The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 10 Oct 2016.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has become broadly available and can be utilized to customize clamping mechanisms in biomechanical experiments. This report will describe our experience using 3D printed clamps to mount soft tissues from different anatomical regions. The feasibility and potential limitations of the technology will be discussed. Tissues were sourced in a fresh condition, including human skin, ligaments and tendons. Standardized clamps and fixtures were 3D printed and used to mount specimens. In quasi-static tensile tests combined with digital image correlation and fatigue trials we characterized the applicability of the clamping technique. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to evaluate the specimens to assess the integrity of the extracellular matrix following the mechanical tests. 3D printed clamps showed no signs of clamping-related failure during the quasi-static tests, and intact extracellular matrix was found in the clamping area, at the transition clamping area and the central area from where the strain data was obtained. In the fatigue tests, material slippage was low, allowing for cyclic tests beyond 105 cycles. Comparison to other clamping techniques yields that 3D printed clamps ease and expedite specimen handling, are highly adaptable to specimen geometries and ideal for high-standardization and high-throughput experiments in soft tissue biomechanics.

This thesis covers the process of automating the design of coolant nozzles used for cylindrical grinding. Coolant nozzles are used to supply coolant, an oil and water mixture used to cool the metal workpiece and lubricate the grinding wheel. In the automotive industry, grinding is used to reduce the surface roughness of the workpiece. However, a large amount of heat is generated, risking the heat treatment of the steel to be compromised, for this, coolant is supplied to minimize the heat caused by friction. A nozzle is used, aiming a jet to the zone that generates heat. Commonly used nozzles are adjustable, leading to variation in cooling performance if misaligned. The design of fixed nozzles is developed in this thesis to reduce variation and automatise the design for multiple applications. The automatically designed nozzles are fused deposition modeled and tested. The design automation tool is tested repeatedly and improved successively in the span of the thesis. This lead to a great extent of implementation of design automation. Which lead to a facilitation in reaching of the work zone and avoid obstacles. Also, the tool managed to create nozzle tubes for a multitude of machines. The tool is able to generate, aim, orient, and individually dimension multi-nozzle tubes. Design of Experiment methodology is implemented to find nozzle designs with improved velocity and flow rate and minimize the air mixture with the coolant. Several nozzle designs are tested and fitted into a surrogate model that is, in turn, optimized. The results of the tests led to a greater understanding of how the nozzle geometry restricts the flow rate when attempts of reaching higher velocities of the coolant jet are made. The surrogate models created, also made it possible to find the range of designs which best suits different applications, whereby a Pareto front was able to be populated with a range of different designs alternating in flow rate, velocity and coherency ratio.

[ES] En los últimos años, la fabricación aditiva a través de la extrusión de materiales ha experimentado un desarrollo y adopción acelerados gracias a la amplia disponibilidad de máquinas y materiales de bajo costo. El tamaño de estas máquinas se ha reducido del tamaño del taller al tamaño del escritorio, lo que permite su uso en configuraciones de oficina o en el hogar. Este cambio ha permitido la adopción de la tecnología por la gama más amplia de usuarios que nunca, con o sin experiencia en diseño de ingeniería. Este nuevo paradigma ha creado el desafío de cómo habilitar que estos nuevos usuarios aprovechen las capacidades proporcionadas por esta tecnología. Esta tecnología permite la creación de geometrías complejas y productos personalizados con un coste inferior a los procesos de fabricación convencionales. Además, la gran cantidad de usuarios dispuestos a compartir sus diseños permite encontrar soluciones de diseño desde otros diseñadores. Sin embargo, la amplia gama de configuraciones de máquina, parámetros y materiales requiere brindar soporte para obtener resultados exitosos para cualquier combinación. Esta tesis aborda este desafío identificando las características de diseño y fabricación a considerar e investigando las consideraciones mecánicas y de pos procesamiento. Se propone y evalúa un nuevo marco de diseño que permite a los nuevos usuarios aprovechar las capacidades y considerar las limitaciones. Esta investigación encuentra que es posible crear un conjunto de herramientas de diseño que permita a los usuarios no capacitados diseñar productos utilizando la complejidad habilitada por la tecnología al tiempo que garantiza la funcionalidad y la capacidad de fabricación del producto. / [CA] En els últims anys, la fabricació additiva a través de l'extrusió de materials ha experimentat un desenvolupament i adopció accelerats gràcies a l'àmplia disponibilitat de màquines i materials de baix cost. La grandària d'aquestes màquines s'ha reduït de la grandària del taller a la grandària de l'escriptori, la qual cosa permet el seu ús en configuracions d'oficina o en a casa. Aquest canvi ha permés l'adopció de la tecnologia per la gamma més àmplia d'usuaris que mai, amb o sense experiència en disseny o enginyeria. Aquest nou paradigma ha creat el desafiament de com habilitar que aquests nous usuaris aprofiten les capacitats proporcionades per aquesta tecnologia. Aquesta tecnologia permet la creació de geometries complexes i productes personalitzats amb un cost inferior als processos de fabricació convencionals. A més, la gran quantitat d'usuaris disposats a compartir els seus dissenys permet trobar solucions de disseny des d'altres dissenyadors. No obstant això, l'àmplia gamma de configuracions de màquina, paràmetres i materials requereix brindar suport per a obtindre resultats reeixits per a qualsevol combinació. Aquesta tesi aborda aquest desafiament identificant les característiques de disseny i fabricació a considerar i investigant les consideracions mecàniques i de post processament. Es proposa i avalua un nou marc de disseny que permet als nous usuaris aprofitar les capacitats i considerar les limitacions. Aquesta investigació troba que és possible crear un conjunt d'eines de disseny que permeta als usuaris no capacitats dissenyar productes utilitzant la complexitat habilitada per la tecnologia al mateix temps que garanteix la funcionalitat i la capacitat de fabricació del producte. / [EN] In recent years, additive manufacturing through material extrusion has experienced accelerated development and adoption thanks to the wide availability of low-cost machines and materials. The size of these machines has been reduced from shop floor to desktop size, enabling their usage in office setups or at home. This change has allowed the adoption of the technology by the broadest range of users than ever, with or without an engineering design background. This new paradigm has created the challenge of how to enable these novel users to leverage the capabilities provided by this technology. This technology allows the creation of complex geometry and customised products with a cost lower than conventional manufacturing processes. Furthermore, the large number of users willing to share their designs allows finding design solutions from other designers. However, the wide range of machine configurations, parameters and materials requires providing support to obtain successful results under any combination. This thesis addresses this challenge by identifying the design and manufacturing characteristics to be considered and investigating the mechanical and post-processing considerations. A new design framework that enables new users to leverage the capabilities and consider the limitations is proposed and evaluated. This research finds that it is possible to create a design toolkit that enables untrained users to design products using the complexity enabled by the technology whilst ensuring the product's functionality and manufacturability. / Fernández Vicente, M. (2022). Analysis to Support Design for Additive Manufacturing with Desktop 3D Printing [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/185344

Tesis por compendio / [ES] En la actualidad, el modelado por deposición fundida (FDM) es el tipo de tecnología de fabricación aditiva más difundida y estudiada dada su facilidad de uso y economía de proceso. No obstante, debido a las anisotropías generadas durante el proceso aditivo, las piezas fabricadas mediante FDM presentan limitaciones en su uso funcional. Estas anisotropías dependen de los parámetros del proceso y pueden provocar variaciones dimensionales y cambios en las propiedades mecánicas de las piezas. Para mejorar dichas características, se puede recurrir a diversos post-procesos como el tratamiento térmico. Sin embargo, durante su aplicación se pueden producir variaciones dimensionales en las piezas tratadas que reduzcan o anulen su aplicabilidad industrial. En la presente Tesis Doctoral se ha abordado el estudio del comportamiento dimensional de piezas fabricadas mediante FDM sometidas a tratamiento térmico. Se ha evaluado una propuesta de mejora en el post-proceso consistente en el uso de un molde de polvo cerámico compactado alrededor de las piezas a fin de minimizar la aparición de deformaciones durante el tratamiento térmico. El estudio de las deformaciones durante el post-procesado térmico se ha focalizado en los dos materiales termoplásticos más empleados en FDM, el ácido poliláctico (PLA) y el acrilonitrilo butadieno estireno (ABS), de naturaleza semicristalina y amorfa respectivamente. Se han analizado las variaciones dimensionales sufridas por las piezas durante el tratamiento térmico, considerando la influencia de la orientación de las líneas depositadas, la temperatura del tratamiento y el uso del molde de polvo cerámico. Para evaluar la mejora aplicada en el post-procesado térmico, se ha definido y analizado la eficacia del molde con las mismas variables del estudio dimensional. A fin de poder predecir las deformaciones sufridas por las piezas tratadas y la eficacia del molde en un amplio rango de temperaturas, se ha realizado una aproximación polinómica con los resultados obtenidos experimentalmente. / [CA] Actualment, el modelatge per deposició fosa (FDM) és el tipus de tecnologia de fabricació additiva més difosa i estudiada atesa la facilitat d'ús i economia de procés. Això no obstant, a causa de les anisotropies generades durant el procés additiu, les peces fabricades mitjançant FDM presenten limitacions en el seu ús funcional. Aquestes anisotropies depenen dels paràmetres del procés i poden provocar variacions dimensionals i canvis a les propietats mecàniques de les peces. Per millorar aquestes característiques, es pot recórrer a diversos postprocessos com el tractament tèrmic. No obstant això, durant la seva aplicació es poden produir variacions dimensionals a les peces tractades que redueixin o anul·lin la seva aplicabilitat industrial. En aquesta Tesi Doctoral s'ha abordat l'estudi del comportament dimensional de peces fabricades mitjançant FDM sotmeses a tractament tèrmic. S'ha avaluat una proposta de millora en el post-procés consistent en l'ús d'un motlle de pols ceràmic compactat al voltant de les peces per tal de minimitzar l'aparició de deformacions durant el tractament tèrmic. L'estudi de les deformacions durant el post-processat tèrmic s'ha focalitzat en els dos materials termoplásticos més empleats en FDM, l'àcid poliláctico (PLA) i l'acrilonitrilo butadien estireno (ABS), de naturalesa semicristalina i amorfa respectivament. S'han analitzat les variacions dimensionals sofrides per les peces durant el tractament tèrmic, tenint en compte la influència de l'orientació de les línies dipositades, la temperatura del tractament i l'ús del motlle de pols ceràmic. Per avaluar la millora aplicada en el post-processat tèrmic, s'ha definit i analitzat l'eficàcia del motlle amb les mateixes variables de l'estudi dimensional. Per tal de poder predir les deformacions patides per les peces tractades i l'eficàcia del motlle en un ampli rang de temperatures, s'ha fet una aproximació polinòmica amb els resultats obtinguts experimentalment. / [EN] Nowadays, fused deposition modeling (FDM) is the most widespread and studied additive manufacturing technology due to its ease of use and process economics. However, due to the anisotropies generated during the additive process, FDM fabricated parts have limitations in their functional use. These anisotropies depend on the process parameters and can lead to dimensional variations and changes in the mechanical properties of the parts. Various post-processes, such as heat treatment, can be used to improve these characteristics. However, during its application, dimensional variations can occur in the treated parts that reduce or make their industrial applicability impossible. In this Thesis, the dimensional behavior of FDM parts subjected to heat treatment has been studied. A post-processing improvement proposal consisting of using a compacted ceramic powder mould around the parts to minimize deformations during the heat treatment has been evaluated. The study of deformations during thermal post-processing has focused on the two most widely used thermoplastic materials in FDM, polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), with semi-crystalline and amorphous nature respectively. For this purpose, standard specimens coded according to different internal geometries were manufactured. The dimensional variations suffered by the parts during the heat treatment have been analyzed considering the influence of the orientation of the deposited lines, the material used, the treatment temperature and the use of the ceramic powder mould. To evaluate the thermal post-processing improvement, the effectiveness of mould has been defined and analyzed with the same variables of the dimensional study. To predict the deformations suffered by the treated parts and the efficacy of the mould in a wide range of temperatures, a polynomial approximation has been fitted to the results obtained experimentally. / Lluch Cerezo, J. (2023). Análisis y mejora del comportamiento dimensional de termoplásticos impresos en 3D mediante modelado por deposición fundida sometidos a un proceso de tratamiento térmico [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/194607 / Compendio