816 research outputs found
A parametric and adaptive slicing (PAS) technique: general method and experimental validation
No full textBiomimetic scaffolds using triply periodic minimal surface-based porous structures for biomedical applications
No full textThe design of biomimetic porous scaffolds has been gaining attention in the biomedical sector lately. Shells, marine sponges, shark teeth, cancellous bone, sea urchin spine, and the armadillo armor structure are examples of biological systems that have already been studied to drive the design of innovative, porous, and multifunc-tional structures. Among these, triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMSs) have attracted the attention of scientists for the fabrication of biomimetic porous scaffolds. The interest stems from their outstanding properties, which include mathematical controllable geometry features, highly interconnected porous architectures, high surface area to volume ratio, less stress concentration, tunable mechanical properties, and increased permeability. All these distinguishing features enable better cell adhesion, optimal integration to the surrounding tissue avoiding stress shieldings, a good permeability of fluid media and oxygen, and the possibility of vascularization. How-ever, the sophisticated geometry of these TPMS-based structures has proven challenging to fabricate by con-ventional methods. The emergence of additive manufacturing (AM) and the enhanced manufacturing freedoms and flexibility it guarantees could solve some of the bottlenecks, thus leading to a surge of interest in designing and fabricating such structures in this field. Also, the feasibility of using AM technologies allows for obtaining size programmable TPMS printable in various materials, from polymers to metal alloys. Here, a comprehensive overview of 3D-printed TPMS porous structures is provided from a design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) and application perspective. First, design strategies, geometry design algorithms, and related topological opti-mization are introduced according to diverse requirements. Based on that, the performance control of TPMS and the pros and cons of the different AM processes for fabricating TPMS scaffolds are summarized. Lastly, practical applications of 3D-printed biomimetic TPMS porous structures for the biomedical field are presented to clarify the advantages and potential of such structures
Sustainable Production in the Age of Mass Customization: an example in the Footwear Industry
No full textIt is well known that the global market is driving
companies towards new productive paradigms oriented to
product customization, agility and environmental sustainability.
Companies have to face the problem of providing as much
product variety as possible in order to rapidly satisfy a wide
number of specific market segments. Even if the emerging
automated agile production environments could enable them to
manage product variety, in many productive fields, large waste
streams, due to the practical difficulty of adapting the traditional
production lines to product changes, are still present. At the
same time a growing public concern for the environment, is
forcing companies to investigate alternative uses for waste
material. In this paper we present a practical example from the
footwear industry in order to show how companies can
successfully apply the concept of sustainable production taking
into account the mass customization requirements but
contemporarily reducing the material waste. The approach is
focused on the combination in the same plant of two different
production lines: one is dedicated to the primary production
while the other uses the waste material to realize the secondary
production
Prototyping strategies for multisensory product experience engineering
No full textThe paper deals with prototyping strategies aimed at supporting engineers in the design of the multisensory experience of products. It is widely recognised that the most effective strategy to design it is to create working prototypes and analyse user’s reactions when interacting with them. Starting from this consciousness, we will discuss of how virtual reality (VR) technologies can support engineers to build prototypes suitable to this aim. Furthermore we will demonstrate how VR-based prototypes do not only represent a valid alternative to physical prototypes, but also a step forward thanks to the possibility of simulating and rendering multisensory and real-time modifiable interactions between the user and the prototype. These characteristics of VR-based prototypes enable engineers to rapidly test with users different variants and to optimise the multisensory experience perceived by them during the interaction. The discussion is supported both by examples available in literature and by case studies we have developed over the years on this topic. Specifically, in our research we have concentrated on what happens in the physical contact between the user and the product. Such contact strongly influences the user’s impression about the product
Supporting product innovation in uncertainty conditions: A u-sDSP based decision making approach
No full textInternational competition intensification and product development process shortening have heightened the pressure to innovate, representing this issue nowadays a hallmark of all mature companies. Product innovation process is not always successful, due to its high level of uncertainty which makes difficult the best technical solutions selection, notably during the early stages of the product development process. Even if the decision making phase appears to be critical, formal and effective methodologies and tools are not often systematically applied in industry, and furthermore they lack both of rigor and of the capacity to really support human decision-making phases. In this paper a design paradigm is discussed in order to support the early phases of the product innovation process. Once evaluated the high potentials of TRIZ theory in supporting the idea generation phase, this work is focused on testing and improving the u-sDSP decision making approach in order to enable an agile implementation of this formal technique in the industrial context. The authors' proposed methodology is then applied to an industrial case study from the domestic appliances industry
Strategies for Efficient Exploitation of Solar Energy: A Model of the Photovoltaic Conversion Process Based on TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving
No full textWhile PV has been developing dramatically in the last few years, the scope for improving energy conversion remains enormous, as witnessed by gap between the efficiency of commercial products (10-20%) and a theoretical potential for reaching over 60%. In this context it is important to be able to horizon-scan for new and improved concepts in a systematic and structured way. The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (also known as TRIZ) has been applied to analyse the PV conversion process, taking a c-Si cell as the baseline scenario. Comparison of several innovative concepts with this baseline highlights their potential impact on loss mechanisms. The approach has the potential to provide important insights for future PV technology innovation, although further work is needed
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