Ahmed Jawad Qureshi

Tensile strength of partially filled FFF printed parts: experimental results

Purpose n n n n nThis paper aims to discuss the effect of changes of a comprehensive list of process parameters on part scalability and tensile strength of fused filament fabrication (FFF) printed parts. A number of parameters hitherto not studied such as cross-sectional area and its interaction with number of shells and infill density are presented and studied. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nFrom a preliminary investigation, results have shown that varying the process parameters affects the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of a FFF printed component, with component scale and number of shells as the two most significant parameters affecting the UTS. A further investigation based on the interactions of four process parameters, specimen width, b, specimen thickness, h, number of shells, n, and infill density, i, and their effects on the UTS was performed. Taguchi’s design of experiment was used to develop an experimental plan in this investigation. Specimens were printed and tested for their tensile strength until fracture and the results analyzed. n n n n nFindings n n n n nResults obtained support an inverse relationship between part scalability, change in cross-sectional area and the UTS of a FFF printed part. The UTS results were calculated in line with conventional method based on the gross cross-sectional area of A = (b × h). n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nThe paper investigates the effect of part scalability on the UTS of FFF printed parts and evaluates the conventional method of calculating material tensile strength of FFF printed parts using the gross cross-sectional area of A = (b × h). The results of this findings show that the conventional method cannot be used as FFF printed parts consists of partially filled parts and not a solid component.

Tensile strength of partially filled FFF printed parts: meta modelling

Purpose n n n n nThis paper aims to investigate the tensile strength of partially filled fused filament fabrication (FFF) printed parts with respect of cross-sectional geometry of partially filled test pieces. It was reported in the authors’ earlier work that the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) is inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area of a specimen, whereas the number of shells and infill density are directly proportional to the UTS with all other parameters being held constant. Here, the authors present an in-depth evaluation of the phenomenon and a parametric model that can provide useful estimates of the UTS of the printed part by accounting for the dimensions of the solid floor/roof layers, shells and infills. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nIt was found that partially filled FFF printed parts consist of hollow sections. Because of these voids, the conventional method of determining the UTS via the gross cross-sectional area given by A = b × h, where b and h are the width and thickness of the printed part, respectively, cannot be used. A mathematical model of a more accurate representation of the cross-sectional area of a partially filled part was formulated. Additionally, the model was extended to predict the dimensions as well as the lateral distortion of the respective features within a printed part using input values from the experimental data. n n n n nFindings n n n n nThe result from this investigation shows that to calculate the UTS of a partially filled FFF part, the calculation based on the conventional approach is not sufficient. A new meta-model is proposed which takes into account the geometry of the internal features to give an estimate of the strength of a partially filled printed part that is closer to the value of the strength of the material that is used for fabricating the part. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nThis paper investigates the tensile strength of a partially filled FFF printed part. The results have shown that the tensile strength of a partially filled part can be similar to that of a solid part, at a lower cost: shorter printing time and lower material usage. By taking into account the geometries within a printed part, the cross-sectional area can be accurately represented. The mathematical model which was developed would aid end-users to predict the tensile strength for a given set of input values of the process parameters.

Effects of magnetic field on the spreading dynamics of an impinging ferrofluid droplet

This paper presents a comprehensive experimental study of the effects of vertically and horizontally applied magnetic fields on the dynamics of magnetowetting and the formation of satellite droplet. Besides explaining the physics of the transient variation of different drop shape parameters, the role of a magnetic field on controlling the dynamics of spreading is also presented. Ultimately the magnetic field maneuvers the droplet spreading without altering the surface chemistry. The morphological evolution and dynamics of an impacting ferrofluid droplet has also been studied. By observing the spreading at an appropriate time scale, the contrary spreading behavior of the paramagnetic ferrofluid under the effect of magnetic field is noticed. Special attention is given to the droplet break-up and satellite droplet formation. A universal relationship is presented between the drop shape parameters before and after the impact. The destination and travel path of the satellite droplet is also analyzed in a vertical as well as horizontal magnetic field, which governs the satellite droplet merging with the already deposited parent droplet.

Set-based design of mechanical systems with design robustness integrated

This paper presents a method for parameter design of mechanical products based on a set-based approach. Set-based concurrent engineering emphasises on designing in a multi-stakeholder environment with concurrent involvement of the stakeholders in the design process. It also encourages flexibility in design through communication in terms of ranges instead of fixed point values and subsequent alternative solutions resulting from intersection of these ranges. These alternative solutions can then be refined and selected according to the designers’ preferences and clients’ needs. This paper presents a model and tools for integrated flexible design that take into account the manufacturing variations as well as the design objectives for finding inherently robust solutions using QCSP transformation through interval analysis. In order to demonstrate the approach, an example of design of rigid flange coupling with a variable number of bolts and a choice of bolts from ISO M standard has been resolved and demonstrated.