<p><br></p><p>As we draw closer to the end of 2023, we wanted to take the time to reflect on a handful (12 to be exact) of innovative projects we’ve been a part of that are really driving industry change and paving the way in their respective industries. And don’t forget, you can keep inspired throughout the whole of 2024 with your <a href="https://explore.protolabs.com/protolabs-calendar-2024/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">free Protolabs calendar</a>!</p><p id="isPasted"><br></p><h3><img width="168" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNjc5ODg0OTY5LTE3MDE2Nzk4ODQ5NjkuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" align="left" alt="agri-robot developed by Small Robot Company" class="fr-fil fr-dii" style="width: 233px;"><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>Small Robot Company</strong></h3><p>Robotics and Agriculture | Injection Moulding</p><p>SSD Mount and Steering Actuator Cap for the Tom V4 – a scanning robot, which scans crops and identifies individual plants, gathering data on plant and weed distribution to determine the optimum treatment path.</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/small-robot-company/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Learn more -&gt;</a>&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><h3><img width="170" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNjc5ODg0OTgwLTE3MDE2Nzk4ODQ5ODAucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" align="left" alt="A person standing next to a machineDescription automatically generated" class="fr-fil fr-dii" style="width: 303px;"><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>PolarCool</strong></h3><p>Sports &amp; Leisure and Medical | Injection Moulding</p><p>PolarCap® System – medical cooling in the sports and athletics area. It aims to quickly lower the brain temperature in a controlled manner following head trauma directly at the sports facility where the injury occurred.</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/polarcool-polarcap-system/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Learn more -&gt;</a></p><p><br></p><p><img width="171" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNjc5ODg0OTg5LTE3MDE2Nzk4ODQ5ODkuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" align="left" alt="General Drones Auxdron LFG built using Protolabs' MJF and SLS technology" class="fr-fil fr-dii" style="width: 266px;"></p><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>General Drones</strong></h3><p>Aerospace and Marine | 3D Printing – Multi Jet Fusion and Selective Laser Sintering</p><p>Auxdron LFG – rescue drone used for responding to emergencies at sea to reduce rescue times.</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/general-drones/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Learn more -&gt;</a></p><p><br></p><p><img width="176" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNjgwMDQ3NzEzLTE3MDE2ODAwNDc3MTMuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" align="left" alt="zermattview" class="fr-fil fr-dii" style="width: 306px;"><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>ZERMATTVIEW</strong></p><p>Art | Injection Moulding</p><p>ZERMATTVIEW – a modern interpretation of the Matterhorn as it appears from the village of Zermatt.</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/zermattview/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Learn more -&gt;</a>&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><h3>&nbsp;<img width="179" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNjgwMDQ3NzI4LTE3MDE2ODAwNDc3MjgucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" align="left" alt="Salta Lure" class="fr-fil fr-dii" style="width: 257px;"><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>Salta Lure</strong></h3><p>Fishing and Recreational | 3D Printing – Direct Metal Laser Sintering and Selective Laser Sintering</p><p>Hybrid-Head Skirted Trolling Lure and FRED (Fast Running Extremely Deep) Lure – produced to bridge a gap in the market for faster-running and deeper-diving lures.</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/salta-lure/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Learn more -&gt;</a></p><p><br></p><h3>&nbsp;<img width="180" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNjgwMDQ3NzM5LTE3MDE2ODAwNDc3MzkucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" align="left" alt="forgtin" class="fr-fil fr-dii" style="width: 325px;"><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>Pansatori GmbH</strong></h3><p>Medical | 3D Printing – Direct Metal Laser Sintering and Injection Moulding</p><p>ForgTin - a wearable device that limits the effects of tinnitus by applying pressure to points around the ear.</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/forgtin/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Learn more -&gt;</a>&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><h3>&nbsp;<img width="181" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNjgwMDQ3NzQ4LTE3MDE2ODAwNDc3NDguanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" align="left" alt="soccrement" class="fr-fil fr-dii" style="width: 360px;"><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>S</strong><strong>occerment</strong></h3><p>Sports &amp; Leisure | Injection Moulding</p><p>XSEED (Smart Shin Pads) – smart shin pads for football data collection. Monitors, analyses and shares a footballer’s performance data through a dedicated app and dashboard.</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/soccerment/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Learn more -&gt;</a></p><p><br></p><p><img width="196" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNjgwMDgxOTQ2LTE3MDE2ODAwODE5NDYuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" align="left" alt="A front view of the Mindsett Prism" class="fr-fil fr-dii" style="width: 325px;"><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><h3><strong>Mindsett</strong></h3><p>Energy | Injection Moulding</p><p>PRISM<sup>TM</sup> – an asset-level energy monitor that is a vital and intelligent energy-saving tool. It gives customers the power to save a minimum of 20% on energy bills, helps adjust the user’s mindset and drives long-term behavioural change around energy consumption.</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/mindsett/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Learn more -&gt;</a></p><p><br></p><p><img width="195" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNjgwMDgxOTU2LTE3MDE2ODAwODE5NTYucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" align="left" alt="A close-up of a batteryDescription automatically generated" class="fr-fil fr-dii" style="width: 222px;"></p><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>Mahle</strong></h3><p>Automotive | CNC Machining</p><p>Complex Aluminium Parts for Prototyping – concept and design validation and extensive endurance safety tests for developing a new generation of high-voltage heaters compatible with the 800-volt architecture in fast-charging electric vehicles.</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/mahle/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Learn more -&gt;</a>&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><h3><img width="200" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNjgwMDgxOTY2LTE3MDE2ODAwODE5NjYucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" align="left" alt="ascilion" class="fr-fil fr-dii" style="width: 348px;"><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>Ascilion</strong></h3><p>Medical | Injection Moulding</p><p>Blood Sampling Tool – uses a large number of tiny, hollow, silicone microneedles on a chip, which then, with the help of a vacuum, draws the liquid from a patient. The microneedles are so small that they only penetrate the outermost layers of skin. This means it doesn’t hurt, feeling merely as if touching a Velcro strap.</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/ascilion/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Learn more -&gt;</a></p><p><br></p><p><img width="201" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNjgwMDgxOTc2LTE3MDE2ODAwODE5NzYuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" align="left" alt="Xinix AI Robot" class="fr-fil fr-dii" style="width: 400px;"></p><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>Xinix Ai</strong></h3><p>Robotics | 3D Printing – Selective Laser Sintering</p><p>Xinix Ai Robot – all-terrain robot that explores tropical rainforests and identifies species living in them.</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/xinix-ai/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Learn more -&gt;</a>&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><h3>&nbsp;<img width="212" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNjgwMDgxOTg1LTE3MDE2ODAwODE5ODUucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" align="left" alt="lyfecycle" class="fr-fil fr-dii" style="width: 403px;"><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>Lyfecycle</strong></h3><p>Jewellery | Injection Moulding</p><p>“Reach for Change” Bracelet – produced using one-of-a-kind sustainable beads repurposed from used Lyfecycle cups, an adjustable cord from recovered plastic bottles and a recycled fair trade silver emblem, the Bracelet is made to raise awareness and provoke global change in response to the plastic pollution issue.</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/lyfecycle/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Learn more -&gt;</a>&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><h3>Brighten up your desk and keep the creative juices flowing with an inspiring innovation every month in the Protolabs 2024 calendar. <a href="https://explore.protolabs.com/protolabs-calendar-2024/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-pl-calendar-1123&utm_content=wevolver-pl-calendar-article-1223" target="_blank">Request your free copy today here</a>.</h3>

At Protolabs, we have the privilege to support many innovative and industry-disrupting projects, which is why we are bringing back our Parts Calendar to share a handful of these innovations with you.

Industry innovations powered by digital manufacturing

<p id="isPasted">A new study led by chemists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign brings fresh insight into the development of semiconductor materials that can do things their traditional silicon counterparts cannot – harness the power of chirality, a non-superimposable mirror image.</p><p>Chirality is one of nature’s strategies used to build complexity into structures, with the DNA double helix perhaps being the most recognized example – two molecule chains connected by a molecular “backbone” and twisted to the right. &nbsp;</p><p>In nature, chiral molecules, like proteins, funnel electricity very efficiently by selectively transporting electrons of the same spin direction.</p><p id="isPasted">Researchers have been working for decades to mimic nature’s chirality in synthetic molecules. A new study, led by&nbsp;<a href="https://chbe.illinois.edu/" target="_blank">chemical and biomolecular chemistry</a> professor&nbsp;<a href="https://chbe.illinois.edu/directory/profile/yingdiao" target="_blank">Ying Diao</a>, investigates how well various modifications to a non-chiral polymer called DPP-T4 can be used to form chiral helical structures in polymer-based semiconductor materials. Potential applications include solar cells that function like leaves, computers that use quantum states of electrons to compute more efficiently and new imaging techniques that capture three-dimensional information rather than 2D, to name a few.</p><p>The study findings are reported in the journal ACS Central Science.&nbsp;</p><p>“We started by thinking that making small tweaks to the structure of the DPP-T4 molecule – achieved by adding or changing the atoms connected to the backbone – would alter the torsion, or twist of the structure, and induce chirality,” Diao said. “However, we quickly discovered that things were not that simple.”</p><p>Using X-ray scattering and imagining, the team found that their “slight tweaks” caused major changes in the phases of the material.&nbsp;</p><p>“What we observed is a sort of Goldilocks effect,” Diao said. &nbsp;“Usually, the molecules assemble like a twisted wire, but suddenly, when we twist the molecule to a critical torsion, they started to assemble into new mesophases in the form of flat plates or sheets. By testing to see how well these structures could bend polarized light – a test for chirality – we were surprised to discover that the sheets can also twist into cohesive chiral structures.”</p><p>The team’s findings illuminate the fact that not all polymers will behave similarly when tweaked in an effort to mimic the efficient electron transport in chiral structures. The study reports that it is critical to not overlook the complex mesophase structures formed to discover unknown phases that can lead to optical, electronic and mechanical properties unimagined before.</p><p>Purdue University professor Jianguo Mei and graduate student Xuyi Luo synthesized the polymers used in this study. Diao also is affiliated with&nbsp;<a href="http://matse.illinois.edu/" target="_blank">materials science and engineering</a>, <a href="https://chemistry.illinois.edu/" target="_blank">chemistry</a>, the <a href="https://mrl.illinois.edu/" target="_blank">Materials Research Laboratory&nbsp;</a>and the <a href="https://beckman.illinois.edu/" target="_blank">Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology</a> at Illinois.</p><p>The Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy supported this research</p>

An optical micrograph showing the chiral liquid crystal phase of a polymer that researchers are exploring to produce highly efficient semiconductor materials. Image courtesy Ying Diao Lab

A new study led by chemists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign brings fresh insight into the development of semiconductor materials that can do things their traditional silicon counterparts cannot – harness the power of chirality, a non-superimposable mirror image.

Researchers identify unexpected twist while developing new polymer-based semiconductors

<p id="isPasted">Under the stewardship of Karen Scrivener, head of EPFL's <a href="https://www.epfl.ch/labs/lmc/" target="_blank">Laboratory of Construction Materials&nbsp;</a>at the School of Engineering, a team of researchers has been wrestling with the environmental implications of concrete, a material produced at an astonishing four tonnes annually for every human on Earth. The challenge? Cement, concrete's binding component, accounts for a significant 8% of worldwide emissions. And clinker, the key component in cement, is extremely carbon intensive, making up 90% of overall cement emissions in the fabrication of concrete. The solution? LC3, short for Limestone Calcined Clay Cement. Not just an alternative, LC3 offers the potential for enhanced durability, cost-efficiency, and a significant reduction in emissions. Finding a solution to reduce the climate impacts of concrete while providing for the needs of growing economies is vital.</p><h2><strong>LC3: the innovation changing the cement industry</strong></h2><p>LC3 addresses both sources of carbon emissions from making clinker. First, it replaces half of the clinker with calcined clay and ground limestone, neither of which release carbon when heated the way limestone does. Second, the clay is heated to a much lower temperature, which reduces the amount of fuel required and resulting emissions. With lower temperatures it is also more feasible to switch to cleaner energy sources such as electricity than it is for making clinker. LC3 can reduce CO2 emissions around 40% compared with conventional cement by replacing half of the clinker.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1700476042742-download.jfif" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">LC3 cuts the amount of carbon-intensive clinker required in cement, significantly reducing overall emissions. © 2023 Projet LC3 / Conception par Zoï Environment Network</span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted">LC3 is functional, too. It is less pervious to water and salt, so it makes concrete roads and bridges more durable and longer lasting, reducing the cost and disruption of replacement. Since it requires less energy to make and uses widely available clay it can be produced at a lower cost, up to 25% lower.</p><h2><strong>Cutting 500 million tons of CO2 by 2030</strong></h2><p>LC3 is already growing rapidly and is currently being produced in a number of plants around the world. For each ton of calcined clay produced, we are saving 600 kilograms of CO2. By the end of 2023 LC3 will have already saved around 15 million tons of CO2. By 2025 it is expected that LC3 will have saved 45 million tons. If the cement industry widely adopts the use of LC3, it can help prevent up to 500 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2030.</p><p>Many of the leading cement producers are in the process of adopting calcined clay cement. Holcim, for example, announced in January 2023 the launch of operations at a plant in France that will deliver up to 500,000 tons of low-carbon cement per year. Argos Cementos in Columbia produce 2.3 million tons of LC3 cement a year, which is already being used locally in the construction of roads, tunnels and buildings.</p><h2><strong>The future of cement in the Global South</strong></h2><p>In the coming years and decades, the majority of new construction worldwide will occur in the Global South — particularly in Africa, where the population is expected to increase by 1 billion by 2050. That means a lot of cement.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1700476068290-download+%281%29.jfif" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">The Global South, particularly Africa and Asia, will require huge quanitities of cement in the future. © 2023 Projet LC3 / Conception par Zoï Environment</span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted">Africa has the world’s fastest-growing population, yet suitable limestone to manufacture clinker is scarcely available on the continent. Today, the costly import of clinker has a direct impact on costs. It causes affordability issues for housing and infrastructure. Fortunately, clays are the weathering products of common rock types. As a result, they are widely available in most geological settings. Clays containing kaolinite, the most suitable clay types for LC3, are abundantly available across Africa.</p><p>By adopting LC3 technology and replacing a substantial part of clinker with local resources, African countries and those across the Global South can create world-class local industries and reap the economic and employment benefits. This will reduce the need to import clinker with foreign currency and allow the construction of housing and infrastructure at lower costs, all while limiting CO2 emissions.</p><h2><strong>A reimagined concrete value chain</strong></h2><p>Reducing the amount of clinker in cement reduces emissions in the production of cement, but there are many additional strategies if we look across the entire value chain of concrete. By improving the energy efficiency of plants and using alternative fuels such as waste fuels, we can further reduce CO2 from the production of clinker. By more carefully selecting the aggregate size gradations there is less void space for the cement paste to fill, saving on cement cost and emissions.</p><p>We can also improve the design and efficiency of concrete used in structures and buildings. The Global Cement and Concrete Association estimates that this could save 22% of concrete while also cutting costs. Finally, adapting certain design elements and increasing efficiency as well as recycling materials will further reduce the impact of concrete on the climate. If all of these strategies are combined, we can achieve up to 80% reduction in the emissions from cement and concrete using today’s technologies.</p><p>To reach this goal, stakeholders across the industry must work together, from the cement and concrete producers, contractors and trade partner, design team and owners. Changing existing practices and gaining momentum for an industry-wide shift requires diligence and perseverance. There needs to be strong willingness from both the private and public sectors to work together to facilitate a transition to net zero emissions in construction while providing solutions for sustainable growth. Now more than ever we need public-private cooperation to see real solutions scale.</p>

A new material developed at EPFL could change how we make cement forever — and cut 500 million tons of emissions by 2030.

The future of construction with more sustainable cement

<h2 data-mce-fragment="1" id="isPasted"><strong>3D PROMAKIM</strong></h2><p data-mce-fragment="1">A renowned name in Turkey’s digital production landscape, 3D Promakim offers solutions spanning from Digital Printing to Industrial Additive Manufacturing Systems.</p><p data-mce-fragment="1">&nbsp;3D Promakim isn’t just a reseller; they’re a solution provider. With a diverse clientele including giants like Mercedes Benz, Rocketsan, Bosch, and Turkish Aerospace Industries, they’ve cemented their reputation in sectors ranging from automotive to aerospace.</p><p data-mce-fragment="1">Their mission? To ensure that sectors from automotive to aerospace and&nbsp;defence receive unparalleled technical training, unwavering post-sales support, and a guarantee of impeccable print quality.</p><h2 data-mce-fragment="1"><strong>THE INTRICACIES OF MATERIAL HANDLING</strong></h2><p data-mce-fragment="1">3D Promakim grappled with a complex material management challenge. Each year, over 20 spools of valuable materials were left untouched, primarily because once a spool was opened and not entirely used, it was exposed to ambient conditions. <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/hydration-and-drying-challenges-of-nylon-3d-printing-filaments" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Even brief exposures to humidity, as short as 15 minutes, could compromise the material’s quality, rendering it virtually unusable for high-quality prints</a>.</p><p data-mce-fragment="1"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 657px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTU1Mzc3NzI1LVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0xMS0xNiBhdCAxOC4yMi4yOC5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 655px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">ime it takes for filament of different diameter in different humidity environment e.g. 75% relative humidity vs 50% relative humidity to reach certain moisture level starting from 0.3 w% and how visible are the defects.&nbsp;</span></span></span></p><p data-mce-fragment="1">In their quest to salvage these materials, <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/drying-your-fdm-filaments-and-keeping-them-dry-an-overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">3D Promakim explored a plethora of drying solutions</a>. They experimented with various off-the-shelf solutions, from vacuum bags with desiccants to more sophisticated drying techniques. However, these attempts often led to inconsistent results, with the processed material still falling short of the desired quality.</p><p data-mce-fragment="1">Further exacerbating their challenges, the importation of materials to Turkey presented another hurdle. Customs checks often meant that spools were opened for inspection, exposing them to the country’s humid environment. This seemingly routine procedure, had a cascading effect on material quality.</p><p data-mce-fragment="1">The combined financial toll of these import-related losses and in-house wastage amounted to a staggering 12,000 Euros annually. But 3D Promakim wasn’t alone in this struggle. Their clientele, many of whom are leaders of industries where precision is non-negotiable, echoed similar challenges. For these clients, any material exposed to humidity for more than 15 minutes was often deemed a loss, highlighting the critical nature of the material handling issue.</p><h2 data-mce-fragment="1"><strong data-mce-fragment="1">ULTIMATE MATERIAL&nbsp;</strong><strong data-mce-fragment="1">QUALITY CONTROL</strong></h2><p data-mce-fragment="1">3D Promakim’s dedication to delivering unparalleled quality was being tested. As proud distributors of industry leading Markforged printers and materials, the persistent material handling issues were a significant pain point.</p><p data-mce-fragment="1">These challenges aren’t just about in-house costs; they are about upholding their reputation and ensuring that their clients, many of whom also rely on Markforged printers, receive consistent, high-quality results. A single compromised print could have knock-on effects, from financial setbacks to potential damage to their hard-earned reputation.</p><p data-mce-fragment="1">At Formnext 2022 3D Promakim discovered <a href="https://drywise.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Drywise</a>. More than just an in-line drying system, Drywise represents a paradigm shift in material quality control. It doesn’t just dry materials; it ensures they are in optimal condition for printing, regardless of their initial humidity exposure.</p><p data-mce-fragment="1"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 767px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTU1MTgwODAzLVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0xMS0xNiBhdCAxOC4xOS4wNS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 765px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Key concepts how Drywise functions as an in-line intelligent drying solution that monitors material quality while 3D printing.</span></span></span></p><p data-mce-fragment="1">The results of their rigorous testing of six Drywise units were nothing short of transformative.</p><h2 data-mce-fragment="1" id="isPasted"><strong data-mce-fragment="1">THE VALUE&nbsp;</strong><strong data-mce-fragment="1">DRYWISE BROUGHT</strong></h2><p data-mce-fragment="1">With Drywise, 3D Promakim didn’t just find a solution; they found a partner in excellence. It allowed them to uphold their commitment to quality, ensuring that both their in-house operations and the solutions they provided to their clients were of the highest caliber. With Drywise, 3D Promakim achieved:</p><ul data-mce-fragment="1"><li data-mce-fragment="1"><strong data-mce-fragment="1">Zero material waste -&nbsp;</strong>Zero material waste from in-house projects and imports, saving 12,000 Euros annually.</li><li data-mce-fragment="1"><strong data-mce-fragment="1">Saving Time</strong> - 120 hours per year saved on material handling.</li><li data-mce-fragment="1"><strong data-mce-fragment="1">Superior print quality -&nbsp;</strong>Superior print quality with impeccable surface finish and uncompromised mechanical properties.</li><li data-mce-fragment="1"><strong data-mce-fragment="1">Savings on equipment -&nbsp;</strong> Elimination of the need for specialized storage and handling equipment.</li></ul><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 758px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTU1NjgwOTE5LWltYWdlMiBMYXJnZS5qcGVnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 756px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">3D Promakim using Drywise to dry Onyx material for Markforged</span></span></span></p><blockquote><p data-mce-fragment="1">“Before Drywise, material handling was a time- consuming challenge, with off-the-shelf solutions leading to unreliable results. Drywise streamlined our workflows, saved significant costs, and bolstered our confidence in delivering top-tier print projects on schedule. We now are offering Drywise as the go-to solution for every Markforged customer” Tolga Bolo - Business Development Specialist, 3D Promakim</p></blockquote>

3D Promakim using Drywise to dry Onyx material for Markforged

3D Promakim’s Journey with Drywise and how they save €12,000 per year

Achieving Zero Material Waste in 3D Printing

<p id="isPasted">Operators of fine filtration systems need to move fluid efficiently from one side of the filter to the other while achieving their desired amount of filtration. The following examines how a three-dimensional woven metal filter cloth increases the number of pores and thus the open surface over the same area, which optimises the flow conditions and avoids turbulences around the filter cloth.</p><p>Several potential limitations stand in the way of efficiency, including the level of filtration required, the amount of contaminants within the fluid, the fluid’s viscosity, the system’s pressure and turbulances, and much more. While certain variables are fixed and others can’t be predicted, system operators do have a choice in the type of filter they use. Making a simple change to that filter has the potential to make a major difference in achieving their filtration efficiency goals as well as lowering the total cost of ownership of a filtration system.</p><p>Whether filtering contaminants from water and wastewater streams, oil and gas processes, pharmaceutical solutions, electronics fluids, or any other fluid stream, the need for fine particulate filtration has created a challenge that sacrifices flow rates for filtration capabilities. System designers want maximum filtration to remove very fine contaminants in the 5 µm to 40 µm range. That means filters must have as small a pore sizes as possible. Yet, smaller pores limit flow and also require more energy to move fluids through the filter. As result, fine filtration can potentially lack efficiency.</p><p>The only way to increase the flow through a given filter would be to add more pores for more open surface area. That is physically impossible within the confines of a traditionally woven two-dimensional metal filter cloth. The cloth can only have a defined number of uniform pores, within a given surface area. However, by moving to a three-dimensional woven metal filter cloth design, developed and fabricated by Haver &amp; Boecker, the number of pores and the open surface area of the filter can be doubled within the same dimensional confines and using the same pore size.</p><h3>Double the flow rate</h3><p>Doubling the open surface area of the filter doubles its flow rate, providing three primary benefits for end users:</p><ol><li>They can process twice the amount of fluid per day without expanding operations</li><li>They can cut the time it takes to process a given volume in half to enable the production of more product batches per day</li><li>When specifying new equipment or retrofitting existing equipment, they can reduce the size of the equipment while maintaining or exceeding their original flow rate.</li></ol><p>These benefits, which are enabled by a 3-D woven metal filter cloth, represent considerable efficiency gains for a filtration system owner that can have an impact on the entire processing stream, both upstream and downstream. In addition, the 3-D woven filter design offers the potential to reduce the cost of ownership reductions in several ways. These are related to minimized pressure loss, enhanced purging capabilities, extended filter life, reduced system downtime, wider material options, reduced energy consumption and streamlined specifications.</p><p>This paper will review how the 3-D filter design enables these efficiency gains and cost of ownership reductions.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTIwMjgxNjM3LVJQRC1ISUZMTy1TLTI1WDE3Y20gMzAwZHBpLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">The 3D MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloth opens up new dimensions for filtration.</span></span></span></p><h3>Twice the flow at the same pore size</h3><p>Filtration system operators and designers are under constant pressure to enhance the efficiency of their systems. The faster they can move fluid through the system, the better, as long as they are not sacrificing particle filtration in the process. This has traditionally been a tall order, given the existing physical limitations of a filter element which will be a defined size based on the equipment it is used in; it can only have a defined number of pores, and therefore open area, based on its dimensions. Designers can typically only alter the pore size of the filter to affect its flow rate. Yet, even when altering a filter’s pore size, designers are bound by simple physics. You can’t force any more fluid through a hole than what its physical size allows, and the smaller the hole, the lower the flow.</p><p>Consider taking a flat, 2-D piece of sheet metal and drilling one 5 µm pore will double the flow rate. Fluid will flow through that pore at a low rate. Drilling one more 5 µm pore will double the flow rate. Drilling more 5 µm holes throughout the entire surface of the sheet metal will continue to increase the flow rate until there is no room for more holes. At this point, the sheet metal, which is now essentially a non-woven filter, has reached its total potential flow rate. The same would be true for a 2-D woven metal filter cloth with uniform 5 µm holes throughout.</p><p><strong>Going 3D</strong></p><p>Because the flow rate through a filter is so closely tied to the total open area of the filter’s pores, the best way to enhance the efficiency of the filter is to increase that open area by adding more pores and the only way to do that is by going 3D.</p><p>By adding an additional layer of weaving, a 3D filter cloth like the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S metal woven filter cloth may double the number of pores available for the given surface area of the filter element. Doubling the pores doubles the flow capacity, just as in the case of drilling the second hole in the 2D sheet metal noted above. The 3D weaving principle is different from simply stacking two 2D filter cloths on top of one another, which would just yield a double filter with no flow improvements. Instead the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S reverse plain Dutch weave essentially offsets the top and bottom layers of pores, effectively creating twice as many pores within a single 3D filter element.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTIwMzgyNTQ5LUJpbGRfRmxvd01lYXN1cmluZ18wMWFfZnJlaS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">A comparison of two different filters with 15 µm pore size shows that the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloth (right) has more than double the flow rate of a conventional DTW-S filter cloth (left).</span></span></span></p><h3>Minimizing system pressure loss</h3><p>In addition to enhancing flow, doubling the number of pores for a given filter dimension also has important implications for managing pressure within the filtration system.</p><p>Filtration system operators ideally want a balanced system that has equal pressure on either side of the filter. That also means having equal and consistent flow through the filter media. This ideal can be difficult to achieve with a conventionally woven 2D filter cloth, as the cloth’s open surface area limitations may not allow operators to achieve their desired balance. Simply put, the cloth may not have enough open surface area to let fluid pass through without pressure building upstream and dropping off downstream.</p><p>Going back to the sheet metal example, a piece of metal with one 5µm hole will have a large pressure differential on either side of the metal. Pressure will build on the upstream side as more fluid pushes against the metal, while pressure will be very low on the downstream side as minimal fluid flows through. Drilling more 5 µm pores through the metal will continue to relieve upstream pressure and reduce the pressure differential until there is no room for more holes. At this maximum open surface area, there will still be a pressure differential within the system, simply because there is a barrier – the metal of the filter elements – between the upstream and downstream sides. More holes in this barrier will help, but that is not possible with a 2D filter cloth. Moving to the 3D weave structure of the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S doubles the number of pores within the filtration media’s surface area, allowing double the fluid to pass through the filter. This helps to further decrease the pressure differential and helps operators better achieve a balanced, more efficient system.</p><h3><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTIwNDgwMDg5LUFicmVpbmlndW5nIGJvdGguanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">The dirt holding capacity of a MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO 40-S. The filter allows for longer backflushing intervals (left: loaded). Backflushing the filter easily purges contaminants as they do not physically enter the filter cloth (right: unloaded).</span></span></span>Enhanced filter purging capabilities</h3><p>While a properly designed filtration system may be balanced initially, downstream pressure is likely to decrease gradually over time as the filter cloth captures contaminants from the upstream fluid. Those contaminants, which are all larger than the filter’s pore size, will progressively clog the filter, slowly reducing the open size of its pores and limiting the open surface area for the fluid to move through. The phenomenon is not a deficiency of the filtration system, but rather an expected outcome of filtering out unwanted particulates.</p><p>When a system operator notices that downstream flow has slowed and efficiency has dropped, it is time to check the filter for clogging. The unclogging process typically involves a system backflush that reverses fluid flow to push contaminants out of the filter. The process works best when contaminants are not physically bound to the filter cloth, as they typically are in a conventional 2D filter cloth. The 3D MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloth instead captures contaminants on the surface of the cloth, so they do not physically enter it and become stuck there. Therefore, contaminants wash away more easily from the 3D filter than they do from a conventional filter.</p><p>The MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloth can also capture more contaminants than a conventional filter without drastically reducing downstream pressure. This capability allows for longer backflushing intervals, which reduces system downtime and ownership costs.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTIxMjIzNDExLVAxMDAwMTY4LkpQRyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">With MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S corrosion- and temperature resistant filter cloth with pore sizes smaller than 40 µm are available.</span></span></span></p><h3>Expanding filter material options</h3><p>The total cost of ownership of a filtration system is also tied to the type of materials that can be used for the filter. Corrosions- and temperature-resistant materials help to maximize filter life due to their durability within process streams carrying hot and/or corrosive fluids. However, such materials have limitations in terms of the size of wires that can be produced. The restriction has traditionally limited the size of pores that can be created within a filter cloth, as well as the particle size the cloth can filter.</p><p>Corrosion- and temperature-resistant materials, such as Alloy 310 S, Inconel 600, Superduplex, Duplex, Hastelloy C 22 and titanium, are brittle when they are extruded to very small-sized wires. The thin wires are often too brittle to enable weaving, which traditionally meant filter cloths made from exotic materials could only have pore sizes greater than 40 µm.</p><p>However, the 3D weave structure of the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S metal filter cloth has changed this reality. It allows for the filter cloth to have pores sizes between 5 µm and 40 µm, while using thicker wires made from special materials. Therefore, it is possible to use corrosion- and temperature-resistant filter cloths with pore sizes smaller than 40 µm for the first time. This provides a wider range of possible applications for filtration system owners, who now have the capability to filter finer contaminants from corrosive and high-temperature process streams.</p><h3>Streamlining filter specification</h3><p>Another factor impacting the total cost of ownership of a filtration system is the filter specification process, which traditionally requires multiple rounds of trial and error. Historically, it has been difficult to match a filter element with a given system and have a clear idea of what the actual capabilities will be in terms of flow, filtration, turbulence and pressure drop. Equipment manufacturers must work with filter element suppliers to test various pore sizes and constructions within the actual equipment, taking time to run fluid through one filter, take measurements and then swap out the filter with a different pore size before going through the whole process again.</p><p>To eliminate much of this guesswork, the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloth uses a more scientific specification process that precisely calculates numerous variables in advance and fine tunes them to the end use requirements. Using simulation software, designers can optimize a virtualwoven filter cloth for a specific application and calculate the pore sizes, flow rates, turbulence and fluid dynamics before producing the actual cloth. These simulations essentially serve as a virtual trial-and-error process, while foregoing traditional physical trials. Ultimately the filter cloth will need to be tested in the actual system to confirm it performs as expected. However, due to the scientific simulation process, the resulting filter cloth is highly likely to deliver the expected results with much less potential for running multiple trials.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1700121543440-RPD+HiFlo+15+S+part+153481.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">The independent and internationally renowned institute Whitehouse Scientific has tested and confirmed the extremely high cut-points and dimensional stability of the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloth.</span></span></span></p><p><em>Bild RPD HIFLO 15 S part 153481<br>&nbsp;Bildzeile: The independent and internationally renowned institute Whitehouse Scientific has tested and confirmed the extremely high cut-points and dimensional stability of the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloth.</em></p><p>The simulation software plays a large role in streamlining filter design. However, such capabilities would not be possible without being able to ensure the actual manufactured filter cloth will be produced as specified in the virtual simulation. The independent and internationally renowned institute Whitehouse Scientific has tested and confirmed that the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S has uniform, precision pores with extremely high cut-points and dimensional stability from manufacturing run to manufacturing run. Whitehouse Scientific confirmed these properties by performing glass bead tests on various filter sizes.&nbsp;</p><p>Further adding to filter specification efficiency, the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloth can be produced in multiple pore sizes from 5 µm to 40 µm within one production batch as desired. Production volumes can therefore be precisely matched to the specific requirements for end use testing. With conventionally woven media, filter cloth manufacturers have to instead run one production batch for each pore size to be tested, creating a longer timeline for production as well as end user trials.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTIxMDUxMDE4LVRhYmVsbGVfTWluaW1lc2gtUlBELUhJRkxPLVMtZmlsdGVyc3BlY2lmaWNhdGlvbnMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloth specifications<br>*Geometric pore size verified by glass bead test, tolerance ± 10%</span></span></span></p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>While filtration system designers can make select adjustments to pumping pressures and flow paths to enhance the efficiency of their systems, the design of the filtration media has the most bearing on enhancing efficiency. By shifting from a conventionally woven 2D Filter cloth to the 3D MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloth, designers have the ability to increase or even double their system flow rates while still filtering the same size of particles. This enables owners to avoid sacrificing filtration capabilities at the expense of increasing flow-through rates. In addition, the design of the 3D filter cloth can help minimize pressure loss, extend the filter’s life and reduce system downtime. Under pressure to increase the energy efficiency of a filtration system, designers now have a solution that not only doubles the capacity of the system, but also helps to reduce its total cost of ownership.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTIxMTY4NTIyLTVfUlBEIEhpZmxvIG1pdCBLdWdlbCB1IE1hw59lbi5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">The scientific specification process for the MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloth involves virtual simulations to optimize the filter for a given specification.</span></span></span></p><p><br></p>

The 3D MINIMESH® RPD HIFLO-S filter cloth opens up new dimensions for filtration.

Operators of fine filtration systems need to move fluid efficiently from one side of the filter to the other while achieving the desired filtration amount. The article examines how a three-dimensional woven metal filter cloth optimises the flow conditions and avoids turbulences around the filter.

How a 3D High Performance Metal Filter Cloth increases filtration flow

<p id="isPasted">With 3D inkjet printing systems, engineers can fabricate hybrid structures that have soft and rigid components, like robotic grippers that are strong enough to grasp heavy objects but soft enough to interact safely with humans.</p><p>These multimaterial 3D printing systems utilize thousands of nozzles to deposit tiny droplets of resin, which are smoothed with a scraper or roller and cured with UV light. But the smoothing process could squish or smear resins that cure slowly, limiting the types of materials that can be used.&nbsp;</p><p>Researchers from MIT, the MIT spinout Inkbit, and ETH Zurich have developed a new 3D inkjet printing system that works with a much wider range of materials. Their printer utilizes computer vision to automatically scan the 3D printing surface and adjust the amount of resin each nozzle deposits in real-time to ensure no areas have too much or too little material.</p><p>Since it does not require mechanical parts to smooth the resin, this contactless system works with materials that cure more slowly than the acrylates which are traditionally used in 3D printing. Some slower-curing material chemistries can offer improved performance over acrylates, such as greater elasticity, durability, or longevity.</p><p>In addition, the automatic system makes adjustments without stopping or slowing the printing process, making this production-grade printer about 660 times faster than a comparable 3D inkjet printing system.</p><p>The researchers used this printer to create complex, robotic devices that combine soft and rigid materials. For example, they made a completely 3D-printed robotic gripper shaped like a human hand and controlled by a set of reinforced, yet flexible, tendons.</p><p><span contenteditable="false" draggable="true" class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mw9hYHoD46o?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-gtm-yt-inspected-9="true" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span></iframe></span></p><p id="isPasted">“Our key insight here was to develop a machine-vision system and completely active feedback loop. This is almost like endowing a printer with a set of eyes and a brain, where the eyes observe what is being printed, and then the brain of the machine directs it as to what should be printed next,” says co-corresponding author Wojciech Matusik, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT who leads the Computational Design and Fabrication Group within the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).</p><p>He is joined on the paper by lead author Thomas Buchner, a doctoral student at ETH Zurich, co-corresponding author Robert Katzschmann PhD ’18, assistant professor of robotics who leads the Soft Robotics Laboratory at ETH Zurich; as well as others at ETH Zurich and Inkbit. The research appears today in <em>Nature</em>.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1700105845585-MIT-VisionJetting-02-press.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">The researchers used their printing system to create complex, robotic devices that combine soft and rigid materials. Since the printer has 16,000 nozzles, the system can control fine details of the device being fabricated. This rendering shows objects that have been halfway built by the printer. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers</span></span></span></p><h2><strong>Contact free</strong></h2><p>This paper builds off a low-cost, multimaterial 3D printer known as <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2015/multifab-3-d-print-10-materials-0824" target="_blank">MultiFab</a> that the researchers introduced in 2015. By utilizing thousands of nozzles to deposit tiny droplets of resin that are UV-cured, MultiFab enabled high-resolution 3D printing with up to 10 materials at once.</p><p>With this new project, the researchers sought a contactless process that would expand the range of materials they could use to fabricate more complex devices.</p><p>They developed a technique, known as vision-controlled jetting, which utilizes four high-frame-rate cameras and two lasers that rapidly and continuously scan the print surface. The cameras capture images as thousands of nozzles deposit tiny droplets of resin.</p><p>The computer vision system converts the image into a high-resolution depth map, a computation that takes less than a second to perform. It compares the depth map to the CAD (computer-aided design) model of the part being fabricated, and adjusts the amount of resin being deposited to keep the object on target with the final structure.</p><p>The automated system can make adjustments to any individual nozzle. Since the printer has 16,000 nozzles, the system can control fine details of the device being fabricated.</p><p>“Geometrically, it can print almost anything you want made of multiple materials. There are almost no limitations in terms of what you can send to the printer, and what you get is truly functional and long-lasting,” says Katzschmann.</p><p>The level of control afforded by the system enables it to print very precisely with wax, which is used as a support material to create cavities or intricate networks of channels inside an object. The wax is printed below the structure as the device is fabricated. After it is complete, the object is heated so the wax melts and drains out, leaving open channels throughout the object.</p><p>Because it can automatically and rapidly adjust the amount of material being deposited by each of the nozzles in real time, the system doesn’t need to drag a mechanical part across the print surface to keep it level. This enables the printer to use materials that cure more gradually, and would be smeared by a scraper.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1700105876641-MIT-VisionJetting-05-press.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">A photograph shows a variety of 3D-printed objects in white, displayed on a tray. The objects are: a robotic hand, cubes made of lattice structures, a biological heart, and a walking robot. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers</span></span></span></p><h2><strong>Superior materials</strong></h2><p>The researchers used the system to print with thiol-based materials, which are slower-curing than the traditional acrylic materials used in 3D printing. However, thiol-based materials are more elastic and don’t break as easily as acrylates. They also tend to be more stable over a wider range of temperatures and don’t degrade as quickly when exposed to sunlight.</p><p>“These are very important properties when you want to fabricate robots or systems that need to interact with a real-world environment,” says Katzschmann.</p><p>The researchers used thiol-based materials and wax to fabricate several complex devices that would otherwise be nearly impossible to make with existing 3D printing systems. For one, they produced a functional, tendon-driven robotic hand that has 19 independently actuatable tendons, soft fingers with sensor pads, and rigid, load-bearing bones.</p><p>“We also produced a six-legged walking robot that can sense objects and grasp them, which was possible due to the system’s ability to create airtight interfaces of soft and rigid materials, as well as complex channels inside the structure,” says Buchner.</p><p>The team also showcased the technology through a heart-like pump with integrated ventricles and artificial heart valves, as well as metamaterials that can be programmed to have non-linear material properties.</p><p>“This is just the start. There is an amazing number of new types of materials you can add to this technology. This allows us to bring in whole new material families that couldn’t be used in 3D printing before,” Matusik says.</p><p>The researchers are now looking at using the system to print with hydrogels, which are used in tissue-engineering applications, as well as silicon materials, epoxies, and special types of durable polymers.</p><p>They also want to explore new application areas, such as printing customizable medical devices, semiconductor polishing pads, and even more complex robots.</p>

This rendering shows a robot being built layer-by-layer using the new process. The black spheres represent the material that the printer uses. The material is then cured by UV light, represented in blue. At the top of the image are the cameras that scan the procedure and adjust accordingly. Image: Moritz Hocher

Computer vision enables contact-free 3D printing, letting engineers print with high-performance materials they couldn’t use before.

This 3D printer can watch itself fabricate objects

<p id="isPasted"><strong>Ammonia, a main component of many fertilizers, could play a key role in a carbon-free fuel system as a convenient way to transport and store clean hydrogen. The chemical, made of hydrogen and nitrogen (NH3), can also itself be burned as a zero-carbon fuel. However, new research led by Princeton University illustrates that even though it may not be a source of carbon pollution, ammonia’s widespread use in the energy sector could pose a grave risk to the nitrogen cycle and climate without proper engineering precautions.</strong></p><p>Publishing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2311728120" target="_blank">their findings</a> November 6 in&nbsp;<em>PNAS</em>, the interdisciplinary team of 12 researchers found that a well-engineered ammonia economy could help the world achieve its decarbonization goals and secure a sustainable energy future. A mismanaged ammonia economy, on the other hand, could ramp up emissions of nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O), a long-lived greenhouse gas around 300 times more potent than CO<sub>2&nbsp;</sub>and a major contributor to the thinning of the stratospheric ozone layer. It could lead to substantial emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO<sub>x</sub>), a class of pollutants that contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain. And it could directly leak fugitive ammonia emissions into the environment, also forming air pollutants, impacting water quality, and stressing ecosystems by disturbing the global nitrogen cycle.</p><p>Fortunately, the researchers found that the potential negative impacts of an ammonia economy can be minimized with proactive engineering practices. They argued that now is the time to start seriously preparing for an ammonia economy, tackling the potential sticking points of ammonia fuel before its widespread deployment.</p><p>“We know an ammonia economy of some scale is likely coming,” said research leader&nbsp;<a href="https://engineering.princeton.edu/faculty/amilcare-porporato" target="_blank">Amilcare Porporato</a>, the Thomas J. Wu ’94 Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the&nbsp;<a href="https://environment.princeton.edu/" target="_blank">High Meadows Environmental Institute</a>. “And if we are proactive and future-facing in our approach, an ammonia economy could be a great thing. But we cannot afford to take the risks of ammonia lightly. We cannot afford to be sloppy.”</p><h2><strong>Translating ammonia from agriculture to energy</strong></h2><p>As interest in hydrogen as a zero-carbon fuel has grown, so too has an inconvenient reality: it is notoriously difficult to store and transport over long distances. The tiny molecule must be stored at either temperatures below -253 degrees Celsius or at pressures as high as 700 times atmospheric pressure, conditions that are infeasible for widespread transport and prone to leakage.</p><p>Ammonia, on the other hand, is much easier to liquify, transport, and store, capable of being moved around similarly to tanks of propane.</p><p>Moreover, an established process for converting hydrogen into ammonia has existed since the early 20<sup>th</sup> century. Known as the Haber-Bosch process, the reaction combines atmospheric nitrogen with hydrogen to form ammonia. While the process was originally developed as a cost-effective way to turn atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia for use in fertilizers, cleaning products, and even explosives, the energy sector has looked to the Haber-Bosch process as a way to store and transport hydrogen fuel in the form of ammonia.</p><p>Ammonia synthesis is inherently energy-intensive, and fossil fuels without CO<sub>2</sub> capture are currently used to meet almost all of its feedstock and energy demands. But as the researchers pointed out in their article, if new, electricity-driven processes that are currently under development can replace conventional fossil-fuel-derived ammonia synthesis, then the Haber-Bosch process — or a different process altogether — could be widely used to convert clean hydrogen into ammonia, which can itself be burned as a zero-carbon fuel.</p><p>“Ammonia is an easy way to transport hydrogen over long distances, and its widespread use in agriculture means there is already an established infrastructure for producing and moving ammonia,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://environment.princeton.edu/people/matteo-bertagni/" target="_blank">Matteo Bertagni</a>, postdoctoral researcher at the High Meadows Environmental Institute working on the&nbsp;<a href="https://cmi.princeton.edu/" target="_blank">Carbon Mitigation Initiative</a>. “You could therefore create hydrogen in a resource-rich area, transform it into ammonia, and then transport it anywhere it’s needed around the globe.”</p><p>Ammonia’s transportability is especially attractive to industries reliant on long-distance transportation, such as maritime shipping, and countries with limited available space for renewable resources. Japan, for example, already has a national energy strategy in place that incorporates the use of ammonia as a clean fuel. Straightforward storage requirements mean that ammonia might also find use as a vessel for long-term energy storage, complementary to or even replacing batteries.</p><p>“At first glance, ammonia seems like an ideal cure for the problem of decarbonization,” Porporato said. “But almost every medicine comes with a set of potential side effects.”</p><h2><strong>‘Look before we leap’</strong></h2><p>In theory, burning ammonia should yield only harmless nitrogen gas (N<sub>2</sub>) and water as products. But in practice,&nbsp;<a href="https://engineering.princeton.edu/faculty/michael-mueller" target="_blank">Michael E. Mueller</a>, associate chair and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, stated that ammonia combustion can release harmful NO<sub>x­&nbsp;</sub>and N<sub>2</sub>O pollutants.</p><p>Most N<sub>2</sub>O emissions from ammonia combustion are the result of disruptions to the combustion process. “N<sub>2</sub>O is essentially an intermediate species in the combustion process,” Mueller said. “If the combustion process is allowed to finish, then there will be essentially no N<sub>2</sub>O emissions.”</p><p>Yet Mueller said that under certain conditions, such as when a turbine is ramping up or down or if the hot combustion gases impinge upon cold walls, the ammonia combustion process can become disrupted and N<sub>2</sub>O emissions can quickly accumulate.</p><p>For instance, the researchers found that if ammonia fuel achieves a market penetration equal to around 5% of the current global primary energy demand (which would require 1.6 billion metric tons of ammonia production, or ten times current production levels), and if 1% of the nitrogen in that ammonia is lost as N<sub>2</sub>O, then ammonia combustion could produce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 15% of today’s emissions from fossil fuels. The greenhouse gas intensity of such a loss rate would mean that burning ammonia fuel would be more polluting than coal.</p><p>Like ammonia’s N<sub>2</sub>O emissions,&nbsp;<a href="https://mae.princeton.edu/people/faculty/socolow" target="_blank">Robert Socolow</a>, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, emeritus, and senior scholar at Princeton, said that widespread usage of ammonia in the energy sector will add to all the other impacts that fertilizer has already had on the global nitrogen cycle.</p><p>In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.96.11.6001" target="_blank">seminal paper</a> published in 1999, Socolow discussed the environmental impacts of the food system’s widespread use of nitrogen-enriched fertilizers to promote crop growth, writing that, “Excess fixed nitrogen, in various guises, augments the greenhouse effect…contaminates drinking water, acidifies rain…and stresses ecosystems.”</p><p>As the energy sector looks toward ammonia as a fuel, Socolow said that it can learn from agriculture’s use of ammonia as a fertilizer. He urged those in the energy sector to consult the decades of work from ecologists and agricultural scientists to understand the role of excess nitrogen in disturbing natural systems.</p><p>“Ammonia fuel can be done, but it cannot be done in any way we wish,” said Socolow, whose 2004 paper with&nbsp;<a href="https://eeb.princeton.edu/people/stephen-pacala" target="_blank">Stephen Pacala</a>, the Frederick D. Petrie Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, emeritus, on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1100103" target="_blank">stabilization wedges</a> has become a foundation of modern climate policy. “It’s important that we look before we leap.”</p><h2><strong>A roadmap for a sustainable ammonia economy</strong></h2><p>While the environmental consequences of an ammonia economy gone wrong are serious, the researchers emphasized that the potential stumbling blocks they identified are solvable through proactive engineering.</p><p>“I interpret this paper as a handbook for engineers,” Mueller said. “By identifying the worst-case scenario for an ammonia economy, we’re really identifying what we need to be aware of as we develop, design, and optimize new ammonia-based energy systems.”</p><p>For instance, Mueller said there are alternative combustion strategies that could help to minimize unwanted NO<sub>x</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O emissions. While each strategy has its own set of pros and cons, he said that taking the time now to evaluate candidate systems with an eye toward mitigating emissions will ensure that combustion systems are poised to operate optimally for ammonia fuel.</p><p>Another option for accessing the energy in ammonia involves partially or fully splitting ammonia back into hydrogen and atmospheric nitrogen through a process known as cracking. Ammonia cracking, a line of research being actively pursued by&nbsp;<a href="https://engineering.princeton.edu/faculty/emily-carter" target="_blank">Emily A. Carter</a>, could help to make the fuel composition more favorable for combustion or even bypass the environmental concerns of ammonia burning by regenerating hydrogen fuel at the point of use. Carter is the Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor of Energy and the Environment and senior strategic advisor and associate laboratory director for applied materials and sustainability sciences at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pppl.gov/" target="_blank">Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory</a> (PPPL).</p><p>Furthermore, several technologies already exist at the industrial scale to convert unwanted NO<sub>x</sub> emissions from combustion back into N<sub>2</sub> through a process known as selective catalytic reduction. These technologies could be straightforward to transfer to ammonia-based fuel applications. And as a convenient bonus, many of them rely on ammonia as a feedstock to remove NO<sub>x</sub> — something that there would already be plenty of in an ammonia-based system.</p><p>Beyond the engineering practices that could be developed to minimize the environmental impacts of an ammonia economy, Porporato said future work will also look beyond engineering approaches to identify policies and regulatory strategies that would ensure the best-case scenario for ammonia fuel.</p><p>“Imagine the problems we could have avoided if we knew the risks and environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels before the Industrial Revolution began,” Porporato said. “With the ammonia economy, we have the chance to learn from our carbon-emitting past. We have the opportunity to solve the challenges we’ve identified before they become an issue in the real world.”</p><hr><p><em>The paper, “</em><a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2311728120" target="_blank"><em>Minimizing the Impacts of the Ammonia Economy on the Nitrogen Cycle and Climate</em></a><em>,” was published November 6 in PNAS. In addition to Porporato, Bertagni, Mueller, Socolow, and Carter, coauthors include J. Mark P. Martirez of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL); Chris Greig, Yiguang Ju, Sankaran Sundaresan, Mark Zondlo, and Rui Wang of Princeton University; and Tim Lieuwen of the Georgia Institute of Technology. The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the BP-funded Carbon Mitigation Initiative at Princeton University, and the Moore Foundation.</em></p>

While interest in the use of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier and zero-carbon fuel grows, a Princeton-led team of researchers found that a mismanaged ammonia economy could have unwanted environmental consequences. (adobe.stock.com)

Ammonia, a main component of many fertilizers, could play a key role in a carbon-free fuel system as a convenient way to transport and store clean hydrogen. The chemical, made of hydrogen and nitrogen (NH3), can also itself be burned as a zero-carbon fuel.

Ammonia fuel offers great benefits but demands careful action

<p id="isPasted">Concrete is the most widely used building material worldwide, providing the foundation of our modern society’s infrastructure. It is partially recyclable and can even absorb CO<sub>2</sub> from the atmosphere during the curing process. However, the amount of CO<sub>2</sub> released during the manufacturing process far exceeds the amount that can be reabsorbed later. This is why the concrete industry generates around eight percent of global CO<sub>2</sub> emissions – more than the aviation and shipping industry combined. Franco Zunino, a senior scientist at the Institute for Building Materials at ETH Zurich, wants to alter the formulation of concrete by adopting an “ultra-green concrete” approach.</p><h2><strong>The ideal concrete</strong></h2><p>Concrete consists of a mixture of cement, aggregates and water. Traditional cement is composed of about 95 percent clinker and five percent gypsum. To produce cement, limestone and clay are burned into clinker in a kiln heated to 1,450°Celsius, which inevitably releases CO<sub>2</sub> due to the chemical decomposition of limestone. The huge amount of energy required by the kiln further worsens cement’s carbon footprint.</p><p>EPFL has already launched its Limestone Calcined Clay Cements (LC3) project, in which Zunino is actively involved and which has set a new standard in cement production. It has developed a cement formulation using 50 percent clinker and a combination of calcined clay and limestone that has cut CO<sub>2</sub> emissions by around 40 percent. However, improving the formulation of concrete can bring about a significant increase in these environmental benefits. This is where Franco Zunino’s UGC project at the ETH-Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering (D-BAUG) comes in.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1699804179857-image.imageformat.1286.1895314494.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Three LC3-based concretes with varying amounts of cement. As the cement content in the concrete mix decreases, the compressive strength increases. (Photograph: Franco Zunino)</span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted">Franco Zunino pursues a two-fold strategy for the new green concrete: first, reducing the clinker content, i.e. the amount of clinker per unit of cement; second, lowering the ratio of cement in the concrete. This dual strategy offers flexibility in tailoring low-carbon concrete compositions to individual markets. “The ideal would be to implement both at the same time; but the individual components are independent of each other. In some markets, it may be difficult to implement both aspects of the dual strategy, as production capacity and infrastructure need to be put in place. However, it is possible to implement at least one of them and still save reduce CO<sub>2&nbsp;</sub>emissions,” Franco Zunino explains.</p><p>Calculations by Zunino and his team have shown that the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions of Ultra Green Concrete can be reduced from 300 kg per cubic metre to about 80–100 kg per cubic metre. Depending on the application, up to two-thirds of CO<sub>2</sub> emissions could be consequently saved without compromising material performance. Although the researcher emphasises that there is no such thing as inherently climate-neutral or carbon-negative concrete, he believes there are no excuses for the industrialised world not to adopt this new and more sustainable building material right away.</p><h2><strong>More cost-effective than traditional concrete</strong></h2><p>One reason for the reluctance might be that the concrete industry is not particularly innovative. Concrete has proven to be highly successful due to being cost-effective, safe and user-friendly. According to Zunino, “green concrete” could be even cheaper than conventional concrete. The proportion of expensive components is lower, while the quality and thus price of the concrete remain the same. This creates financial incentives for using more environmentally friendly material.</p><p>Safety aspects are also important, of course. Franco Zunino comments: “Anyone who builds a house wants to use a material that insures it will stand for a hundred years. But we have to ask ourselves whether this really makes sense in view of the enormous CO<sub>2</sub> emissions involved. Could we instead use a material that meets the structure’s required life cycle but emits significantly less CO<sub>2</sub>? In a climate-crisis scenario, one tonne of CO<sub>2</sub> saved today is more valuable than the same tonne saved in 50 years.”</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1699804212720-image.imageformat.1286.1672952278.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">From lab test to prototype: test cylinders of LC3 cement. (Photograph: Franco Zunino)</span></span></span></p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1699804225507-image.imageformat.1286.1939789219.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner"></span></span></span></p><figure id="isPasted"><figcaption>Typically, calcined clay cements are characterised by their reddish colour, although this is not always the case, as there are also white and black clays. (Photograph: Franco Zunino) &nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption></figure><h2 id="isPasted"><strong>LC3 production is already under way</strong></h2><p>Zunino stresses that low-carbon cement is even more durable than conventional cement. There are currently about seven large-scale cement plants worldwide producing cement using the LC3 approach. Franco Zunino expects that number to exceed 40 in the coming years. “Demand for concrete will increase in the future. We can offer assistance by developing improved concrete mixtures with a lower cement content and thus still achieve our environmental goals,” Zunino adds. He is convinced that LC3 will be the most widely used type of cement worldwide ten years from now.</p><hr><h2 id="isPasted">Reference</h2><p>F. Zunino, A two-fold strategy towards low-carbon concrete, RILEM Technical Letters, 8 (2023), doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.21809/rilemtechlett.2023.179" target="_blank">external page10.21809/rilemtechlett.2023.179</a></p>

ETH researchers are developing a low-​carbon cement with a significantly lower embodied CO2 content than traditional cement. The Ultra Green Concrete project aims to make low-​carbon, high-​performance concrete widely accessible.

Green change in a grey industry

Learn how metal additive creates complex, durable, lightweight metal parts

Learn how metal additive creates complex, durable, lightweight metal parts with this design tip.

How DMLS Can Be Used to Produce Reliable Metal Parts

<p id="isPasted">The world of materials science is constantly discovering or fabricating materials with exotic properties. Among them are the multiferroics, a unique class of materials that can be both magnetized and polarized at the same time, which means that they are sensitive to both magnetic and electric fields.</p><p>Having both these properties in a single material has made multiferroics very interesting for research and commercial purposes with potential applications from advanced electronics to next-generation memory storage. By understanding and harnessing the properties of multiferroics, researchers aim to develop more efficient, compact, and even energy-saving technologies.</p><p>Now, an international research collaboration has uncovered some fascinating properties for the multiferroic Manganese-doped Germanium Telluride (Mn-doped GeTe); the “doped” part of the name simply means that a small amount of manganese (Mn) atoms has been introduced into the germanium telluride (GeTe) crystal structure to modify its properties. The work holds promise for the future of energy-efficient computing but also offers a deeper understanding of the collective behaviors in multiferroic materials.</p><p>The project was led by Professors Hugo Dil at EPFL, Gunther Springholz at Johannes Kepler University Linz, and Jan Minár at the University of West Bohemia.</p><p>Mn-doped GeTe is known for its unique ferroelectric and magnetic properties. But the new study has now found that it also possesses a magnetic order distinct from typical ferromagnets, such as iron, which align with a magnetic field. Instead, the scientists found that Mn-doped GeTe exhibits the characteristics of a ferrimagnet.</p><p>What is a ferrimagnet? Unlike “normal” magnets like the ones we stick to our fridges, a ferrimagnet is more like two magnets with slightly different strengths superimposed on top of each other. The discovery that Mn-doped GeTe behaves like this means that we now have more flexibility to control the direction of magnetization – an essential feature for a number of technologies.</p><p>This proved to be important, as it allowed the scientists to develop a method for enhancing the efficiency of switching magnetization direction by an astounding six orders of magnitude. Instead of doing this in the traditional way of applying a large current pulse to Mn-doped GeTe, they instead used a small, constantly fluctuating (AC) electrical current, followed by a tiny current nudge at just the right moment – a bit like pushing a swing at the right time to make it go higher with less effort. The researchers named this phenomenon “stochastic resonance”.</p><p>This tiny “nudge” caused a change that spread quickly throughout Mn-doped GeTe, like a ripple in a pond. This happened because the material behaves a bit like a solid and a bit like a liquid – essentially a glass: a change in one part causes a chain reaction that changes other parts.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1699111002629-694296ca.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">The method for magnetic switching on Mn-doped GeTe. Credit: Hugo Dil (EPFL)</span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted">To put in a more technical way, the magnetic switch propagated swiftly across the Mn-doped GeTe through collective excitations, which are coordinated collective movements of a large number of electron spins within the material. “This is possible because the system forms a correlated spin glass, where the local magnetic moments are in a glassy state, similar to atoms in an old-fashioned window,” says Hugo Dil. “If one spin is forced to change its orientation, this information will travel like a wave through the sample and cause the other magnetic moments to also switch.”</p><p>He adds: “For technological applications, this increase in switching efficiency is of course very interesting. It can eventually lead to computers that need less than one-millionth of the currently required energy to switch a bit. However, as a physicist, what really intrigues me is the collective behavior. We are now planning space- and time-resolved experiments to follow how these excitations spread and how we can control them.”</p><p><strong>Full list of contributors</strong></p><ul><li>EPFL</li><li>Paul Scherrer Institut</li><li>Johannes Kepler Universität</li><li>New Technologies-Research Center University of West Bohemia</li><li>Masaryk University</li><li>P. J. Šafárik University</li><li>Slovak Academy of Sciences</li><li>CY Cergy Paris Université</li><li>Institute of Physics ASCR, v.v.i</li><li>Charles University</li></ul><p><strong id="isPasted">References</strong></p><p>Juraj Krempaský, Gunther Springholz, Sunil Wilfred D’Souza, Ondřej Caha, Martin Gmitra, Andreas Ney, C. A. F. Vaz, Cinthia Piamonteze, Mauro Fanciulli, Dominik Kriegner, Jonas A. Krieger, Thomas Prokscha, Zaher Salman, Jan Minár, J. Hugo Dil. Efficient magnetic switching in a correlated spin glass. Nat. Comm. 14, 6127 (2023). DOI:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-41718-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10.1038/s41467-023-41718-4</a></p>

Dr Cinthia Piamonteze and Dr Juraj Krempasky working on an experiment of the study at the Paul Scherrer Institut. Credit: Dominik Kriegner (FZU)

A research collaboration co-led by EPFL has uncovered a surprising magnetic property of an exotic material that might lead to computers that need less than one-millionth of the energy required to switch a single bit.

Strange magnetic material could make computing energy-efficient

<p id="isPasted">Katharine Flores, the Christopher I. Byrnes Professor in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, received a four-year, $475,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support collaborative work on simulation-informed models for additive manufacturing of amorphous metals. The project is part of the NSF’s Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF) initiative.</p><p>Amorphous metals, also known as metallic glasses, are characterized by their ability to solidify without forming a crystalline structure, a desirable trait in manufacturing where crystallization typically leads to imperfections in traditional metals. However, the rapid cooling required to maintain the amorphous state during additive manufacturing – a 3D printing technique where objects are produced by adding material layer by layer – can create challenges, including variations in material properties and even crystallization.</p><p>To address these limitations, Flores will work with a collaborative team, including researchers from WashU, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to use machine learning to derive essential measures of material structure. These insights will provide the foundation for simulation-informed models and tools designed to enable precise predictions of how processing affects the strength and toughness of amorphous metals during 3D printing.&nbsp;</p><p>Flores and her collaborators ultimately aim to unlock the full potential of amorphous metals for additive manufacturing through integrating machine learning methods into the design and production processes. If successful, the resulting materials will boast tailor-made mechanical properties, including superior strength and toughness, even in large-scale production.</p>

Photo by ZMorph All-in-One 3D Printers on Unsplash

Katharine Flores will collaborate on an NSF-funded project to build simulation-informed models that predict material properties in 3D printed metallic glasses

Researchers to use machine learning to boost additive manufacturing of amorphous metals

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The material is one of the most popular types of filament for fused filament fabrication (FFF) technologies thanks to a combination of good material properties, excellent printability, and affordable cost.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://bigrep.com/filaments/petg/" target="_blank">BigRep PETG filament</a> offers users all the benefits of classic PETG, but has been optimized for the company’s large-format 3D printers. Keep reading to learn more about BigRep PETG’s properties, benefits, limitations, best practices, and applications.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">What is PETG 3D Printing Filament?</h2><p dir="ltr">To begin, let’s look at what PETG filament is. PETG is a thermoplastic based on PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which is among the most widely used plastics in the world. PET is known for its strength, chemical resistance, and easy processing, and can be found practically everywhere: it’s used for beverage bottles, food packaging, industrial films, and more. PETG, for its part, shares many properties with PET, only the addition of glycol enhances the material’s durability and printability.</p><p dir="ltr">Recognizable by its transparent sheen, BigRep PETG has been optimized for the company’s machines but is compatible on all open-build FFF systems. The material’s excellent strength, toughness, and temperature resistance—not to mention its excellent printability and adhesion—make it a popular alternative to classic filaments like <a href="https://shop.bigrep.com/product/pla/" target="_blank">PLA</a> and <a href="https://shop.bigrep.com/product/abs/" target="_blank">ABS</a>, as well as a lower cost alternative to engineering-grade materials.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Why Use BigRep PETG Filament?</h2><p dir="ltr">BigRep PETG’s material properties are a good match for many applications, particularly prototypes, tooling and visual end-use parts. Though it is not as tough as BigRep’s engineering-grade thermoplastics or carbon fiber reinforced materials, PETG does offer enhanced strength, impact resistance, and thermal resistance compared to PLA—all at a comparable price point. This lowers the adoption barrier for the material compared to industrial materials.</p><p dir="ltr">In terms of applications, BigRep PETG is popular for creating large-scale design iterations (for prototypes and end-use parts) across many industries thanks to its good quality finish and transparent aesthetics. The material is also a good fit for functional prototypes or end-use parts that require UV resistance and resistance to oils, alcohols, fuels, and weak acids. &nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Benefits of 3D Printing BigRep PETG</h2><p dir="ltr">One of the main benefits of PETG filament is that it is painless to print. Compared to other filaments, like ABS, that have a tendency to warp, PETG is largely resistant to shrinkage and warping, and generally displays excellent bed adhesion. The filament can also handle high printing speeds without significantly compromising quality or resolution, and does not require very high printing temperatures.</p><p dir="ltr">In fact, BigRep PETG prints best with a nozzle temperature of about 200 °C (BigRep does emphasize that its filament can achieve a smooth flow at temperatures between 190 and 240 °C). The material does not need a heated print bed, but the best results can be achieved with a heated build surface up to 80°C. Another benefit of 3D printing BigRep PETG is that the filament does not generate any odor while printing, unlike ABS and PLA which are known to emit a strong plastic smell when extruded. Here are the optimal printer settings for BigRep PETG:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Nozzle temperature: 200 - 205 °C</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Print Bed Temperature: &gt;60°C&nbsp;</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Fan speed: 0-50%</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Chamber Temperature: n/a</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Print Speed: 30-60 mm/s</p></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">What to Look Out For When 3D Printing BigRep PETG</h2><p dir="ltr">While PETG’s good adhesion is generally a good thing, it can happen that a print gets stuck to the print bed. This happens most frequently with glass print beds and can be prevented by using a buffer layer between the print bed and the first layers of the part. Kapton tape works well with PETG filament, as well as filament adhesives like Magigoo. Alternatively, the BigRep SWITCHPLATE, a removable and flexible build surface, can facilitate the removal of PETG prints.</p><p dir="ltr">When it comes to post-processing, it’s also worth keeping in mind that because PETG is very chemically resistant, it’s not a good candidate for acetone smoothing. Instead, the best quality finishes can be achieved using other post-processing techniques like sanding or epoxy resin coatings. When post-processing PETG prints, it’s always a good idea to wear protective equipment, like gloves, mask, and eyewear.</p><h2 dir="ltr">PETG Material Properties&nbsp;</h2><p dir="ltr">As we’ve seen PETG is characterized by its good strength, impact resistance, thermal resistance, and chemical resistance. The material is also resistant to warpage and shrinkage in the 3D printing process. Let’s take a more in depth look at the material’s mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Mechanical properties</h3><p dir="ltr">Among traditional filaments, BigRep PETG demonstrates good strength and impact resistance. The material has a tensile strength of 50 MPa, which is notably lower than PLA (60 MPa), however its elongation at break is substantially higher at 15% (compared to PLA’s 4%). This means that PETG is more flexible than PLA and can better withstand impacts without breaking.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Thermal properties</h3><p dir="ltr">Where PETG really starts to stand out, particularly compared to PLA, is when it comes to heat resistance. The thermoplastic has a heat deflection temperature (HDT) of up to 70 °C, making it resistant in temperatures up to 10°C higher than PLA. PETG also has a higher glass transition temperature (85°C vs. 60°C), which means it can withstand more heat exposure without starting to soften and melt. In terms of applications, PETG is therefore better suited to outdoor use.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Chemical properties</h3><p dir="ltr">One of PETG’s key selling points is its high resistance to chemicals. Not only is the material able to withstand UV exposure, it also holds up in environments where other chemicals are present, including oils, fuels, alcohols, and even weak acids.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Best Practices for Storing and Handling BigRep PETG</h2><p dir="ltr">To get the best results printing PETG filament, it’s not only vital to use the right print settings, it’s also essential to follow proper storage and handling guidelines. Like almost all filaments, spools of PETG should be stored at an ambient temperature and away from moisture and direct sunlight.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">PETG is considered “moderately hygroscopic”, which means the plastic absorbs water molecules present in the air. These change the composition of the filament and can lead to inconsistent extrusion and stringing when printed. It’s therefore a good idea to store the filament in a dry box, such as the <a href="https://bigrep.com/shield/" target="_blank">BigRep SHIELD</a>. It is also possible to dry out the filament before use. BigRep recommends drying PETG at 60 °C for 4 to 6 hours.</p><p dir="ltr">Finally, even though PETG filament doesn’t emit a strong odor when 3D printing, you should always print in a well ventilated environment. When operating a multi-printer operation, BigRep recommends installing a local exhaust system.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Use Cases: See How Customers Use BigRep PETG&nbsp;</h2><p dir="ltr">BigRep PETG is a versatile filament and can be used to multiple different ends, such as design prototypes, jigs and assembly aids, outdoor products, and end-use parts that require a high aesthetic quality.</p><p dir="ltr">One specific application that stands out for BigRep PETG is the GENESIS Eco Screen, an urban architecture project spearheaded by Lindsay Lawson, applications specialist at BigRep’s innovation consultancy NOWLAB. The structure, which stands at four meters, is a fully 3D printed urban biodiversity habitat that was 3D printed using four BigRep ONE printers and a combination of BigRep PETG and BASF’s recycled Innofil3D rPET filament.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">The GENESIS Eco Screen’s impressive design was generated based on solar radiation analysis and integrates optimized plant placement based on the environment as well as built-in watering and drainage systems. The large-scale installation also integrates insect habitats to encourage biodiversity in an urban environment. The Eco Screen is a good demonstration of the complex large-scale structures that can be achieved using PETG as well as the transparent, glossy quality of the printed filament.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">For more specifications on BigRep PETG or to purchase a spool of &nbsp;2.85 mm filament, head to the <a href="https://shop.bigrep.com/product/petg/" target="_blank">BigRep Online Shop</a>.</p>

If you’ve used an extrusion-based 3D printing technology, chances are you’ll be familiar with polyethylene terephthalate glycol, aka PETG. 

Your Guide to 3D Printing BigRep PETG

<p id="isPasted">Metal wire cloth is at the heart of countless filtrations, homogenisations and other applications with solid, liquid and gaseous media that benefit from the exact uniform structure and stability of wire mesh. Haver &amp; Boecker excels in perfection down to the last detail. This applies not only to the filter medium itself, which covers an extremely wide spectrum from the finest structures in the micrometre range to coarse structures. It also applies to the filters and fabricated parts into which the mesh is further processed, including plastic edging.</p><p>When touring through the many production halls of Haver &amp; Boecker’s Wire Weaving Division in Oelde, Germany, one thing becomes very clear: it is the combination of tradition and experience on the one hand, and innovative strength and the cutting-edge technology on the other that makes it possible to develop individual product solutions for the filtration of solid, liquid and gaseous media. Plastic injection moulding has become an important component in recent years.&nbsp;</p><p>“<em>Plastics engineering in conjunction with wire mesh is a discipline in its own right, which also takes us experts to a new level,</em>” says the industrial supervisor who specialises in plastics engineering.</p><p>Whether simple cut-to-size wire mesh or complex components - made-to-measure metal filters and fabricated parts made of metal mesh are used in a wide variety of industries and areas of application. This is because virtually all manufacturing companies have to deal with the filtration of particles or the retention of foreign substances - be it in the development of individual components such as transmission oil filters for the automotive industry or in the ongoing treatment of waste water or process water. Wire mesh is an ideal filter medium thanks to its exact geometric structure and the precisely definable pore size and the material and flow characteristics.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><h3><strong>Custom-made hybrid components</strong></h3><p>Overmoulding components with plastic is also nothing new. Haver &amp; Boecker‘s Wire Weaving Division introduced plastic injection moulding as early as 20 years ago. The requirements for functionality and handling of metal wire mesh filters increased along with the complexity of the product shapes and production equipment, and even experts in this field confirm that the combination with wire mesh is a whole field of plastics engineering of its own.</p><p>Many decision-makers, however, are impressed in particular by the production of precision, lightweight fabricated parts coupled with the economical series production as the result of short cycle times.&nbsp;</p><p>Always bearing speed and resource conservation in mind, Haver &amp; Boecker produces hybrid components on the basis of the state-of-the-art systems engineering integrated into the production line by the employees of its own toolmaking department. They work in wire weaving in many places and draw on a wide range of expertise ranging from adjusting screws on the looms to optimising coarse and fine meshes, to the finishing stations up to the complex production line.&nbsp;</p><p>The successful series production of hybrid filters and the adoption of proven developments such as HAVER’s Vision System for visual inspection of all components speak for themselves. The development teams from our own toolmaking, research &amp; development, engineering and plastics engineering departments provide advice on new tool and system concepts including optimisation of the plastic itself. PEEK plastic, for example, was thus successfully modified by adding a silicone-based additive: <a href="https://www.haverboecker.com/en/news-media/success-stories/plastics-engineering-haver-adpeekr/" target="_blank">HAVER AdPEEK®</a> makes energy-efficient system utilisation possible by lowering the required melting temperature, amongst other things.&nbsp;</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk4NzQzNjQ0Mzk0LVdldm9sdmVyX0t1bnN0c3RvZmZ0ZWNobmlrX1Byb2R1a3RlLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false"><strong id="isPasted"><span lang="EN-US">Metal filters and fabricated parts made to measure</span></strong><span lang="EN-US">&nbsp;</span><span lang="EN-US"><br>All from a single source - All for your safety&nbsp;</span><br><span lang="EN-US"></span>© Haver &amp; Boecker</span></span></span></p><p><strong>3D printing for prototypes with plastic edging</strong></p><p>Every development process is characterised by a regular exchange of information and coordination. Specific, three-dimensional and tangible approval samples are enormously helpful as a basis for discussion as they can be used to check handling, test the fineness of the meshes and develop packaging options. Haver &amp; Boecker uses 3D printing here on order to act quickly, flexibly and individually and thereby shorten the product development process.</p><p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><h3><strong>Flexibility is a valuable asset nowadays</strong></h3><p>The various types of mesh, of which more than 3,600 are in stock alone on a total storage area of more than 6,000 square metres at the company’s headquarters in Oelde, cover a wide spectrum ranging from the finest of micrometre structures to coarse structures. Although such a high inventory level contradicts the general trend, it increasingly pays off as regards to dependable deliverability and adherence to delivery dates.&nbsp;</p><p>Thanks to this interaction of tradition and innovation and the courage to put its own experience ahead of a trend, this family-owned business has become the world's leading manufacturer of wire mesh since the company was founded more than 130 years ago.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dii" style="width: 758px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img width="510" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk4NTY3Mzc5NDczLTE2OTg1NjczNzk0NzMuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false"><strong id="isPasted">Plastics engineering in the Wire Weaving Division</strong><br>&nbsp;The individually developed production lines meet the highest standards of quality and reliability. © Haver &amp; Boecker</span></span></span></p><p>Learn more on our <a href="https://www.haverboecker.com/en/product-solutions/metal-filters-and-fabricated-parts/plastics-engineering/?lso=wevolver-kunststofftechnik-beitrag&utm_campaign=kunststofftechnik&utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=beitrag&utm_content=_102023" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">website</a>.</p>

In plastic injection moulding, edgings and complete fabricated parts are made from metal wire mesh.

Perfection in detail - Plastics engineering in the Wire Weaving Division

<p id="isPasted">Acoustic resonators are everywhere. In fact, there is a good chance you’re holding one in your hand right now. Most smart phones today use bulk acoustic resonators as radio frequency filters to filter out noise that could degrade a signal. These filters are also used in most Wi-Fi and GPS systems.&nbsp;</p><p>Acoustic resonators are more stable than their electrical counterparts, but they can degrade over time. There is currently no easy way to actively monitor and analyze the degradation of the material quality of these widely used devices.</p><p>Now, researchers at the <a href="https://seas.harvard.edu/" target="_blank">Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences</a> (SEAS), in collaboration with researchers at the OxideMEMS Lab at Purdue University, have developed a system that uses atomic vacancies in silicon carbide to measure the stability and quality of acoustic resonators. What’s more, these vacancies could also be used for acoustically-controlled quantum information processing, providing a new way to manipulate quantum states embedded in this commonly-used material.&nbsp;</p><p>“Silicon carbide, which is the host for both the quantum reporters and the acoustic resonator probe, is a readily available commercial semiconductor that can be used at room temperature,” said <a href="https://seas.harvard.edu/person/evelyn-hu" target="_blank">Evelyn Hu</a>, the Tarr-Coyne Professor of Applied Physics and of Electrical Engineering and the Robin Li and Melissa Ma Professor of Arts and Sciences, and a &nbsp;senior author of the paper. “As an acoustic resonator probe, this technique in silicon carbide could be used in monitoring the performance of accelerometers, gyroscopes and clocks over their lifetime and, in a quantum scheme, has potential for hybrid quantum memories and quantum networking.”&nbsp;</p><p>The research was published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41928-023-01029-4" target="_blank">Nature Electronics</a>.&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>A look inside acoustic resonators&nbsp;</strong></h2><p>Silicon carbide is a common material for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), which includes bulk acoustic resonators.&nbsp;</p><p>“Wafer-scale manufacturable silicon carbide resonators in particular are known to have the best-in-class performance for quality factor,” said Sunil Bhave<strong>,&nbsp;</strong>professor at the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue and co-author of the paper. &nbsp;<strong>“</strong>But crystal growth defects such as dislocations and grain boundaries as well as resonator manufacturing defects such as roughness, tether stress, and micro-scale craters can cause stress-concentrations regions inside the MEMS resonator.”</p><p>Today, the only way to see what’s happening inside an acoustic resonator without destroying it is with super powerful and very expensive x-rays, such as the broad-spectral x-ray beam at the Argonne National Lab.&nbsp;</p><p>“These types of expensive and difficult-to-access machines are not deployable for doing measurements or characterization in a foundry or somewhere where you’d actually be making or deploying these devices,” said Jonathan Dietz, graduate student at SEAS and co-first author of the paper. “Our motivation was to try to develop an approach that would allow us to monitor the acoustic energy inside of a bulk acoustic resonator so you can then take those results and feed them back into the design and fabrication process.”</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1698480897314-41928_2023_1029_Fig1_HTML.jpeg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">A piezoelectric layer (green) sandwiched between two electrodes (yellow) atop of a silicon carbide acoustic resonator (blue). Acoustic waves generated by the electrodes and piezoelectric layer put mechanical strain on the lattice, which flip the spin of the defect (red). The spin is read out with a laser focused onto the backside of the resonator. (Credit: Hu Group/Harvard SEAS)</span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted">Silicon carbide commonly hosts naturally occurring defects in which an atom is removed from the crystal lattice, creating a spatially local electronic state whose spin can interact with sound waves through material strain, such as the strain generated by an acoustic resonator.&nbsp;</p><p>When acoustic waves move through the material, they put mechanical strain on the lattice, which can flip the spin of the defect. Changes in the spin state can be observed by shining a laser through the material to see how many defects are “on” or “off” after perturbing them.&nbsp;</p><p>“How dim or how bright the light indicates how strong the acoustic energy is in the local environment where the defect is,” said Aaron Day, a graduate student at SEAS and co-author of the paper. &nbsp;“Because these defects are the size of single atoms, the information they give you is very local and, as a result, you can actually map out the acoustic waves inside the device in this non-destructive way.”&nbsp;</p><p>That map can point to where and how the system may be degrading or not operating optimally.&nbsp;</p><h3><strong>Acoustic control&nbsp;</strong></h3><p>Those same defects in silicon carbide can also be qubits within a quantum system.&nbsp;</p><p>Today, many quantum technologies build on the coherence of spins: how long spins will remain in a particular state. &nbsp;That coherence is often controlled with a magnetic field.&nbsp;</p><p>But with their technique, Hu and her team demonstrated that they could control spin by mechanically deforming the material with acoustic waves, obtaining a quality of control similar to other approaches using alternating magnetic fields.&nbsp;</p><p>“To use the natural mechanical properties of a material — its strain — expands the range of material control that we have,” said Hu. “When we deform the material, we find that we can also control the coherence of spin and we can get that information just by launching an acoustic wave through the material. It provides an important new handle on an intrinsic property of a material that we can use to control the quantum state embedded within that material.”</p><p>The research was co-authored by Boyang Jiang. It was supported by the National Science Foundation under the RAISE-TAQS Award 1839164 and grant DMR-1231319.&nbsp;</p>

Control of atomic vacancies with sound waves could improve communications and offer new control for quantum computing

Using sound to test devices, control qubits

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">At one end of the spectrum are stiff and strong materials like&nbsp;<a href="https://bigrep.com/filaments/pa12-cf/" target="_blank">PA12 CF</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://bigrep.com/filaments/hi-temp-cf/" target="_blank">HI-TEMP CF</a>; at the other is the flexible and chemically resistant TPU 98A, a highly durable thermoplastic with superb impact strength. In this article, we’re going over the basics of printing with BigRep&nbsp;<a href="https://bigrep.com/filaments/tpu/" target="_blank">TPU 98A</a>, covering everything from the material’s properties, to printing characteristics, applications, and more.</p><h2 dir="ltr">What is TPU 98A 3D Printing Filament?</h2><p dir="ltr">BigRep TPU 98A is a flexible thermoplastic filament designed for use on BigRep’s largest industrial 3D printers, the BigRep ONE and BigRep STUDIO, as well as the PRO system. It is a thermoplastic polyurethane—part of the thermoplastic elastomer family—with a Shore hardness of 98A. This is on the firmer end of the scale for TPU materials, closer in terms of flexibility and durability to a shopping cart wheel than to an elastic band.</p><p dir="ltr">This BigRep filament offers several desirable characteristics, including temperature resistance up to 100 °C and a high level of chemical resistance. These attributes make the material suitable for rugged industrial applications&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Why Use BigRep TPU 98A Filament?</h2><p dir="ltr">While many 3D printed components require a degree of rigidity to perform their function, a certain category of parts require flexibility, pliability, or softness in order to work properly. 3D printed items like seals and gaskets, vibration dampeners, and footwear outsoles all work best when they are made from rubber-like materials rather than rigid plastics.</p><p dir="ltr">However, FFF 3D printing is not typically suited to printing many flexible materials. This is because many of the most common flexible materials (silicone rubbers, for example) are thermosets which cannot be extruded by a 3D printer. Instead, parts made from these elastomeric materials are best suited to processes like liquid silicone injection molding. But there is an exception to the rule: thermoplastic elastomers like TPU combine the attributes of rubbers and thermoplastics, resulting in a material that behaves like an elastomer but that can be processed like a rigid thermoplastic.</p><p dir="ltr">BigRep TPU 98A is an ideal material for those who want to exploit the benefits of flexible materials (such as durability and impact resistance) while also leveraging the advantages of the 3D printing process, such as design freedom, rapid prototyping, and low production costs in small quantities.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Benefits of 3D Printing BigRep TPU 98A</h2><p dir="ltr">Some FFF printer users will dread using flexible filament due to its slow printing speed and tendency towards blobs and stringing. However, BigRep TPU 98A 3D printing filament has been expertly developed and tested, resulting in a high-performance material that is reliable and easy to print, especially when using the designated BLADE material profile. Furthermore, because this TPU is on the firmer end of the Shore hardness scale, users don’t have to worry about nozzle blockages or print failures caused by more flexible filaments on the market.</p><p dir="ltr">By employing the optimal printing conditions for TPU 98A, users can reap its performance benefits. The material’s good level of flexibility gives it excellent durability and impact strength, registering no break on the ISO 179 Charpy notched impact test. Other key benefits include excellent chemical resistance, performing well against grease and oil, and a high level of UV and temperature resistance.&nbsp;</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Nozzle temperature: 210–240 °C</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Print Bed Temperature: 50–60 °C</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Fan speed: 0–50%</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Chamber Temperature: n/a</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Print Speed: &gt;30 mm/s</p></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">What to Look Out For When 3D Printing BigRep TPU 98A</h2><p dir="ltr">Although BigRep TPU 98A can be printed as easily as many rigid thermoplastics, users unfamiliar with flexible materials should take a few precautions. Most importantly, you should store the material in a dry place because it is highly hygroscopic. For best printing performance, the filament should be dried at 80 °C for between 4-6 hours prior to use.</p><p dir="ltr">During printing, a good level of bed adhesion can be achieved with a moderate bed temperature of 50–60 °C and a suitable surface such as the BigRep SWITCHPLATE, or Kapton tape with Magigoo. Parts with overhangs can be supported with BigRep’s BVOH support material.</p><h2 dir="ltr">TPU 98A Material Properties </h2><p dir="ltr">BigRep TPU 98A filament offers material properties unlike any other material in BigRep’s product portfolio. It is currently the only flexible BigRep filament, making it the standout choice for applications requiring a high level of impact strength.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Mechanical properties</h3><p dir="ltr">TPU 98A has exceptional impact strength, being the only filament in the BigRep portfolio to register no break on the Charpy notched impact test. It has a tear strength of 175 kN/m and an elongation at break of 450%. For comparison, more-brittle PLA has an elongation at break of 4%</p><h3 dir="ltr">Thermal properties</h3><p dir="ltr">The BigRep TPU material is temperature resistant up to 100 °C (with a Vicat softening temperature of 105 °C), making it suitable for demanding industrial applications. Its continuous use temperature is 50 °C and its melting temperature is 190 °C.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Chemical properties</h3><p dir="ltr">Excellent chemical resistance is one of the key advantages of BigRep TPU 98A. The material performs well against grease and oil, making it suitable for applications in automotive, aerospace, industry, and other areas.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Best Practices for Storing and Handling BigRep TPU 98A</h2><p dir="ltr">Like all thermoplastic polyurethane filaments, BigRep TPU 98A is hygroscopic, which means users need to be careful with storage and handling. If the filament becomes damp from a humid environment, users may experience printing issues such as excess stringing, pops, and under-extrusion.</p><p dir="ltr">TPU 98A should be stored at room temperature in a dry place out of direct sunlight. For best results, users can deploy the BigRep <a href="https://bigrep.com/shield/" target="_blank">SHIELD</a>, a filament dry cabinet that can store up to 60 kg of filament. If stored correctly, the filament should last for up to 24 months. If exposed to moisture, the filament can be dried out at a temperature of 80 °C for between four and six hours before printing. As with all filaments, users should ensure adequate ventilation when 3D printing TPU 98A and wear personal protective equipment while post-processing.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Use Cases: See How Customers Use BigRep TPU 98A&nbsp;</h2><p dir="ltr">BigRep TPU 98A can be used in a diverse array of industries where high levels of durability, impact strength, and chemical resistance are demanded. One such industry is the automotive sector, where the TPU material can been used for parts like shock-absorbing internal components while easily resisting the threats of grease and oil.</p><p dir="ltr">One particular exciting use of BigRep TPU 98A in the automotive industry was the development of the world’s first airless motorcycle tires. Created by BigRep’s NOWlab innovation consultancy team, these <a href="https://bigrep.com/posts/airless-tires/" target="_blank">airless tires</a> were part of the fully 3D printed NERA eBike, first seen at the 2018 edition of formnext. The tires featured a honeycomb design that ensured internal stability while balancing rigidity and flexibility. The geometry was realized using the BigRep TPU filament, which is firm and strong enough to maintain its shape during use but offers just enough flexibility to mimic the softness function of a traditional inflated tire. Other uses for BigRep TPU 98A include industrial shock-absorbing components, seals and gaskets, wearables, and footwear components such as outer soles.</p><p dir="ltr">For more specifications on BigRep TPU 98A or to purchase a spool of 2.85 mm filament, head to the <a href="https://shop.bigrep.com/product/tpu/" target="_blank">BigRep Online Shop</a>.</p>

BigRep’s large-format 3D printers and 3D printing filaments are suited to high-performance engineering applications. To meet the diverse range of needs of these applications, BigRep’s filament range spans several materials with vastly different uses.

Your Guide to 3D Printing BigRep TPU 98A

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materials

ABS 3D printing is affordable and practical

ABS is one of the most widely used thermoplastics in FDM 3D printing. Here we look at how to navigate ABS 3D printing in terms of slicer settings, post-processing, and more.

ABS 3D Printing: A Comprehensive Guide to Materials, Techniques, and Applications

A worker is painting metal sheets to smoothen out and protect the inner surface from oxidizing.

From current standards to overcoming obstacles, this article offers a comprehensive understanding of the vital concept and its role in achieving desired quality and aesthetics in various industries.

The Comprehensive Guide to Surface Finish Techniques, Standards and Applications

While one of the easiest materials to 3D print, PLA is not known for its high temperature resistance.

The most popular 3D printing filament, PLA is known for many things, like its good printability and ability to withstand warping. When it comes to temperature resistance, however, the material has its limitations. In this article, we're diving into PLA's thermal properties and comparing them to other common filaments.

How PLA Temperature Resistance Compares to Other 3D Printing Materials

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted"><span style="background-color: transparent;">3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, revolutionizes the way we create objects. This technology allows us to fabricate complex shapes and structures that would be difficult or impossible with traditional manufacturing methods.</span></p><p dir="ltr">However, like any technology, it comes with its unique challenges. Among them is a phenomenon called &quot;elephant foot.&quot; The 3D printing elephant foot issue, common especially among beginners, can significantly impact the quality of the final print. By understanding the 3D printing elephant foot phenomenon and the strategies to mitigate it, you can greatly enhance the precision and aesthetics of your 3D printed parts.</p><p dir="ltr">This guide explains how to recognize 3D printing elephant foot, lists&nbsp;the main causes of it, and explains how to fix it.</p><h1 dir="ltr">The Elephant Foot Phenomenon in 3D Printing</h1><p dir="ltr">The term &quot;elephant foot&quot; refers to a specific type of distortion commonly observed in 3D printed objects. This phenomenon typically manifests as an outward flaring or bulging at the base of a printed part, which visually resembles the foot of an elephant, hence the name. This distortion can be as small as a few hundred microns, but in severe cases, it can extend several millimeters beyond the intended dimensions of the part.</p><p dir="ltr">The occurrence of elephant foot is closely linked to the physics of the 3D printing process itself. During printing, each layer of material is heated and then rapidly cooled to solidify it. The first few layers, being closest to the heated print bed, remain warm for longer periods, leading to an extended period of plasticity. This extended plasticity, combined with the weight of the subsequent layers, results in the base layers spreading outwards, creating the characteristic bulge of elephant foot.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Recommended reading: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/3d-print-ghosting-causes-and-potential-solutions" target="_blank"><em>3D print ghosting causes and potential solutions</em></a></strong></p><h1 dir="ltr">Causes of Elephant Foot</h1><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1686229982818-3d_printing.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="elephant foot"><span class="fr-inner">Elephant foot is usually easy to spot</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr">A number of factors can contribute to elephant foot. One is the elevated temperature of the print bed, which is often necessary to keep the initial layers of the print adhered to the build platform.[1] High bed temperatures, typically in the range of 60 to 110 &deg;C depending on the material, keep the bottom layers in a semi-melted state for an extended period. As more layers are added, they exert pressure on the base layers, causing them to spread out, resulting in elephant foot. Inadequate cooling from the printer&rsquo;s fan can worsen the effect.</p><p dir="ltr">Bed leveling inaccuracies can also exacerbate the 3D printing elephant foot issue. If the distance between the nozzle and the bed is too small, the first layer of the print is squished onto the bed more than intended. This excessive squishing can cause the material to spread outward beyond the intended footprint, contributing to elephant foot. The issue can be more pronounced in printers with manual bed leveling due to the potential for human error.</p><p dir="ltr">Other potential factors that can contribute to elephant foot include environmental factors, the design of the object being printed, and high infill densities. High infill can produce more internal stress in a part as it cools and shrinks, which can push the bottom layers outwards. This is especially true if the infill cools at a different rate than the outer walls, creating a thermal gradient that leads to uneven shrinkage.</p><h1 dir="ltr">Implications of Elephant Foot</h1><p dir="ltr">The elephant foot phenomenon has several critical implications for 3D printing, affecting both aesthetics and functionality. In terms of aesthetics, the outward spread at the base disrupts the intended design, leading to a distorted profile. This distortion can be particularly problematic for prints intended to be visually accurate models or prototypes, where precision is of utmost importance.</p><p dir="ltr">Functional implications arise when the 3D printed object is meant to fit into an existing assembly or when multiple parts of a model need to fit together. The outward bulge at the base of the printed object can affect tolerance, causing the part to be larger than intended and preventing it from fitting properly. For example, in the case of a socket and plug design, the plug might not fit into the socket if the base of the plug has an elephant foot. Similarly, a part designed to slot into a specific space may not fit if the base is larger than anticipated.</p><p dir="ltr">The structural integrity of the printed object can also be compromised. The bottom layers in a print with an elephant foot are generally more stressed due to the spreading, which can lead to weaknesses. The print may be more likely to crack or break along these lines of stress, especially under load or impact.</p><h1 dir="ltr">Troubleshooting Elephant Foot</h1><p dir="ltr">Given the implications of the elephant foot phenomenon, it is crucial to know how to mitigate or entirely fix elephant foot in 3D printing projects. Here we will explore several troubleshooting techniques, including calibration, design choices, and slicer settings.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Calibration</h2><p dir="ltr">Proper calibration of the 3D printer is a vital step in preventing the elephant foot phenomenon, with bed leveling and nozzle height the most important elements to consider.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Bed Leveling</h3><p dir="ltr">The build plate&#39;s alignment and levelness are fundamental to the quality of the first layer and, by extension, the entire print. A build plate that is too close to the nozzle during the first layer&#39;s printing can cause the extruded filament to spread out more than intended, leading to the elephant foot effect.</p><p dir="ltr">To calibrate the build plate, start by heating it to the usual printing temperature to account for thermal expansion, a factor that can slightly alter the plate&#39;s levelness. Use a piece of paper or a feeler gauge to adjust the distance between the build plate and the nozzle. The paper or gauge should slide between the two with a small amount of resistance. Repeat this process at several points across the build plate to ensure uniform levelness.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Recommended reading: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/ender-3-pro-bed-leveling-a-comprehensive-guide" target="_blank"><em>Ender 3 Pro Bed Leveling: A Comprehensive Guide</em></a></strong></p><h3 dir="ltr">Z-axis Adjustment</h3><p dir="ltr">Another hardware issue that can cause elephant foot is the Z-axis. Users of Creality Ender 3 printers in particular have found that the issue is sometimes caused by excessive tightness of the eccentric nuts for the wheels of the Z-axis. Loosening these nuts can help reduce elephant foot.</p><p dir="ltr">Additionally, loosening the two screws holding the large Z-axis screw to the X-axis carriage can help with the issue.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Design Adjustments</h2><h3 dir="ltr">Chamfers</h3><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjg2MTU2NDk3ODgyLWNoYW1mZXItbWl0ZXIucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="chamfers"><span class="fr-inner">Chamfers can be added using applications like Fusion 360 (credit: Autodesk)</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr">Adding a chamfer &mdash; a sloping edge &mdash; to your CAD 3D model is one way to combat 3D printing elephant foot. Most design software applications allow for easy implementation of chamfers to existing surfaces.</p><p dir="ltr">A chamfer can mitigate the effect of elephant foot because it makes each of the first few layers slightly smaller than the next, effectively offsetting the spread of elephant foot. The size of the chamfer can also be precisely adjusted, allowing users to incorporate small chamfers for minor instances of elephant foot and wider chamfers for more severe cases.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Slicer Settings</h2><h3 dir="ltr">Bed Temperature</h3><p dir="ltr">The temperature of the heated bed can play an important role in preventing elephant foot. Although a heated bed helps with first-layer adhesion, it can also result in insufficient cooling, causing the first layers of the print to remain soft for too long and allowing them to spread out under the weight of subsequent layers. Reducing the print bed temperature can therefore reduce the effect of elephant foot.</p><p dir="ltr">Consider the recommended temperature range for the given filament and use a temperature at the lower end of this range. If this causes adhesion issues, try to address those issues via other means, such as adding an adhesive substance like glue to the bed surface.&nbsp;</p><h3 dir="ltr">First Layer Settings</h3><p dir="ltr">The various slicer settings for the first layer are crucial when combating elephant foot. The first layer height should be set to approximately 100% of the nozzle diameter. A lower value can cause the filament to spread out and form an elephant foot.</p><p dir="ltr">The first layer speed should be slower than the rest of the print. A speed of about 50% of the normal print speed is recommended.[2] Printing the first layer slowly allows the filament more time to adhere correctly to the build plate and cool down, reducing the chances of it spreading out.</p><p dir="ltr">The first layer extrusion rate, which controls how much filament is extruded, can also impact the elephant foot phenomenon. If too much filament is extruded, it may spread out and cause an elephant foot. An extrusion rate of about 95% to 100% of the standard rate is typically sufficient for the first layer.</p><p dir="ltr">The first layer fan speed can also help prevent elephant foot, as cooling helps the first layers solidify faster. However, as with lowering the bed temperature, this can have the negative effect of reducing bed adhesion, so consider implementing other techniques like build surface preparation to maintain good adhesion.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Expansion Compensation</h3><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjg2MTU2NTU5Mjc0LWN1cmEuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="expansion compensation"><span class="fr-inner">Expansion compensation is a feature of Cura (credit: Ultimaker)</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr">Most slicers offer a printer setting that is specifically designed to offset the effect of elephant&rsquo;s foot. In Cura, this setting is called &ldquo;initial layer horizontal expansion&rdquo; and is found under wall settings. The setting has different names in different slicers:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Cura: Initial Layer Horizontal Expansion</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Slic3r: Elephant Foot Compensation</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">PrusaSlicer: Elephant Foot Compensation</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Simplify3D: Horizontal Side Compensation (must be tuned to first layer only)</p></li></ul><p dir="ltr">The function of this setting is to compensate for the deformation of printed plastic in the first layer. To reduce elephant&rsquo;s foot, a negative value should be input, as this will effectively decrease the XY dimensions of the first layer. Measure the distance of your existing elephant foot. If it is 0.1 mm, use a value of -0.1 mm for the expansion compensation parameter.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Rafts</h3><p dir="ltr">A raft is an extra layer of material that is printed underneath the object, effectively serving as a platform, that is later removed from the print and discarded. Using a raft means the negative effects of elephant foot are applied to the raft, rather than the print itself. However, rafts require extra material and therefore increase the cost of the print.</p><p dir="ltr">When setting up a raft, users should be mindful of the air gap between the raft and the model, which is typically between 0.1 mm and 0.3 mm. This gap allows the raft to be easily removed after printing while still providing the necessary support. For the raft layers, a 0.3 mm layer height is often used, as it provides a good balance between print time and quality.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Environment</h2><h3 dir="ltr">Ambient Temperature</h3><p dir="ltr">The ambient temperature around the printer can affect the cooling rate of the extruded filament. A higher ambient temperature might slow down the cooling rate, causing the base layers to remain soft for longer. This softened state allows the weight of the upper layers to push down on the base layers, leading to the elephant foot effect.</p><p dir="ltr">Ideally, the ambient temperature should be stable and within a range that allows the filament to cool sufficiently without solidifying too quickly. For example, PLA prints well at an ambient temperature of 20-25&deg;C, whereas ABS might require a slightly higher temperature due to its higher melting point. This range varies with the type of filament material used.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Airflow</h3><p dir="ltr">Airflow around the 3D printer can also influence the cooling rate of the filament. It is therefore important to maintain a controlled and steady airflow around the printer. This can be achieved through careful placement of the 3D printer and the use of enclosures for printers that do not have built-in covers.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Post-Processing Techniques</h2><h3 dir="ltr">Sanding</h3><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1686230110460-abrasive_sandpaper.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="sanding"><span class="fr-inner">Sanding can be used to manually remove elephant foot</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr">One of the most common post-processing techniques is sanding, which can effectively reduce the prominence of elephant foot on a printed object. Sanding involves the use of sandpaper or other abrasive materials to smooth out the uneven bottom layers of the print. For best results, start with a lower grit (rougher) sandpaper, such as 100 grit, to remove the bulk of the elephant foot. Then, progressively move to higher grit (finer) sandpapers, such as 400 and then 800, to refine the surface and achieve a smooth finish.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Filing</h3><p dir="ltr">A file can be used for a more aggressive removal of the elephant foot, especially for larger prints or those made from tougher materials. When filing, it&#39;s essential to maintain a consistent angle and pressure to avoid creating new deformities. Files come in various sizes and coarseness levels, so choosing the right one for your specific needs can impact the final result.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Chemical Smoothing</h3><p dir="ltr">Chemical smoothing is a more advanced technique that can remove elephant foot and improve the overall finish of a print. In this process, a solvent is used to slightly dissolve the surface of the print, effectively smoothing out any imperfections. For example, acetone can be used for ABS prints, while a mixture of 91% isopropyl alcohol and salt can be used for PLA prints.[3]</p><p dir="ltr">Although it results in a smooth finish, chemical smoothing is not the most accurate technique for removing elephant foot. The solvent must be applied manually to the protruding areas with a rag; vapor smoothing will not work as this will also remove material from the intact areas.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Heat Treatment</h3><p dir="ltr">Heat treatment is another technique that can help in reducing elephant foot. By gently heating the affected area with a heat gun, the plastic becomes soft and can be carefully reshaped. This method is particularly effective for materials with a lower glass transition temperature, such as PLA. However, it requires a steady hand and careful control of the heat gun to avoid overheating and potentially warping the print.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Recommended reading: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/3d-print-post-processing-steps-supports-sanding-smoothing-more" target="_blank"><em>3D print post-processing steps: supports, sanding, smoothing, more</em></a></strong></p><h1 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h1><p dir="ltr">3D printing, despite its many advantages, is not without its challenges, and the elephant foot phenomenon is one of them. This common defect can significantly affect the accuracy and aesthetics of a print. However, it is not an insurmountable problem. Through careful calibration and adjustment of slicer settings, it is possible to minimize and even eliminate the occurrence of elephant foot. Post-processing methods can also be employed to improve the quality of prints affected by this phenomenon. Understanding these strategies is crucial to achieving optimal results.</p><h1 dir="ltr">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</h1><p dir="ltr"><strong>1. What causes elephant foot in 3D printing?</strong></p><p dir="ltr">The elephant foot effect in 3D printing typically results from excessive pressure exerted on the first few layers of a print. This pressure can be a result of incorrect bed leveling, excessive bed temperature, or a combination of factors.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>2. How can I prevent elephant foot in 3D printing?</strong></p><p dir="ltr">Preventing 3D printing elephant foot primarily involves proper calibration of the printer, including bed leveling, z-axis calibration, and setting the correct bed temperature, as well as adjustment of slicer settings, particularly those pertaining to the first layer.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>3. Can elephant foot be fixed after a print is complete?</strong></p><p dir="ltr">Yes, elephant foot can be addressed post-print through various post-processing techniques such as sanding, filing, chemical smoothing, or heat treatment. However, these methods should be performed carefully to avoid damaging the print.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>4. How does the environment affect 3D printing and elephant foot?</strong></p><p dir="ltr">Environmental conditions, such as ambient temperature and humidity, can influence the behavior of the material during printing. An ambient temperature that&#39;s too high or too low can also affect the cooling rate of the printed layers, potentially causing elephant foot.</p><h1 dir="ltr">References</h1><p dir="ltr">[1] Skrzypczak NG, Tanikella NG, Pearce JM. Open source high-temperature RepRap for 3-D printing heat-sterilizable PPE and other applications. HardwareX. 2020 Oct 1;8:e00130.</p><p dir="ltr">[2] &Scaron;antak I, Duspara M, Cumin J, Kovačević B, Maglić L, Stoić A. Simulation of First Layer Adhesion Errors in 3D printing. TEAM2022. 2022 Sep 21:307.</p><p dir="ltr">[3] Gao H, Kaweesa DV, Moore J, Meisel NA. Investigating the impact of acetone vapor smoothing on the strength and elongation of printed ABS parts. Jom. 2017 Mar;69:580-5.</p>

Elephant foot is a common 3D printing issue

3D printing elephant foot is a common issue that most 3D printer users will have experienced. Typically caused by excessive heat or poor nozzle calibration, the issue can be solved in several ways.

Troubleshooting the 3D Printing Elephant Foot Phenomenon

Safety precautions like 3D printer enclosures can enhance the efficiency of air filters.

In this article, we look at the importance of using a 3D printer air filter to remove potentially harmful fumes from the print environment, as well as the different kinds of filter available and how to ensure proper maintenance.

Your Guide to Using and Maintaining 3D Printer Air Filters

Used for medical, aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics applications, here's what you need to know about MIM

Everything you need to know about metal injection molding (MIM), covering everything from the first step in the process, to materials, applications, and more.

materials

Technical Guides

An Advanced Guide to Metal Injection Molding

Troubleshooting the 3D Printing Elephant Foot Phenomenon

Your Guide to Using and Maintaining 3D Printer Air Filters

How PLA Temperature Resistance Compares to Other 3D Printing Materials

The Comprehensive Guide to Surface Finish Techniques, Standards and Applica...

ABS 3D Printing: A Comprehensive Guide to Materials, Techniques, and Applic...

Profiles