Engineering Commons^™

Capstone Review: Filament Unit Multiplexing Engine, Gal Cohen

University Honors Theses

The Filament Unit Multiplexing Engine (FUME) is a Mechanical Engineering capstone project sponsored by Portland State University's Electronic Prototyping Lab (EPL). The project addresses the need for an automated system to manage 3D printing operations. The current manual process of selecting and routing a spool of filament to one of the available 3D printers is labor-intensive and limits the efficiency of the lab's 3D printing farm. FUME aims to create a custom solution tailored for a multi-user, multi-spool, and multi-printer environment. The designed system includes key components: a spool holder, an engine, a track and shuttle system, and a funnel. …

Feasibility And Characterization Of Leak-Tight Single-Track Thin Walls Produced By Laser Powder Bed Fusion In 316l Stainless Steel, Peyton J. Archibald

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the optimization of process parameters for producing single-track thin walls using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing. Using two different coupon designs, the study assesses the feasibility of creating the thinnest possible leak-tight structures within LPBF and evaluating their mechanical properties, including burst pressure and modulus of elasticity under pressure loads. A series of experimental iterations were conducted, varying laser power and laser speed to identify optimal conditions. The findings indicate that a narrow range of process parameters can produce consistently leak-tight thin walls. The results contribute to understanding how to achieve high quality, reliable thin …

Predicting Rheology Of Uv-Curable Nanoparticle Ink Components And Compositions For Inkjet Additive Manufacturing, Cameron D. Lutz

Master's Theses

Inkjet additive manufacturing is the next step toward ubiquitous manufacturing by enabling multi-material printing that can exhibit various mechanical, electronic, and thermal properties. These characteristics are realized in the careful formulation of the inks and their functional materials, but there are many constraints that need to be satisfied to allow optimal jetting performance and build quality when used in an inkjet 3-D printer. Previous research has addressed the desirable rheology characteristics to enable stable drop formation and how the metallic nanoparticles affect the viscosity of inks. The contending goals of increasing nanoparticle-loading to improve material deposition rates while trying to …

Mechanical Properties And Microstructure Of Multi-Materials Fabricated Through A Combination Of Lpbf And Ded Additive Manufacturing Techniques, Christopher J. Bettencourt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This research explores the use of different metals combined through 3D-printing to enhance the performance of materials, with a focus on making heat exchangers more cost-effective for renewable energy. The goal is to replace a costly high-temperature alloy with a more affordable low-temperature alloy, using metal additive manufacturing for its benefits such as less material waste, faster production, reduced weight, and the ability to print entire assemblies in one go. The study delves into a unique combination of two 3D-printing techniques, Directed Energy Deposition and Laser Powder-Bed Fusion, to create a multi-material composed of stainless steel 316L and a nickel-based …

Analysis Of Additively Manufactured Inconel 718 Combustion Behavior In Promoted Oxygen Environments, Dominic George Dieguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Promoted combustion testing is a vital tool for engineers to establish the combustion and flammability characteristics of materials (metallic or otherwise) in oxygen enriched environments. Historically, much of the established data for metallic promoted combustion has been with regards to materials in their cast and wrought forms. However, with the emergence of additive manufacturing as a preferred method of fabrication, the need exists to evaluate how metals in that form behave. Recent testing has demonstrated that even if a metal or alloy is nominally the same with regards to chemistry, flammability between samples in the wrought form can differ significantly …

A Comparison Of Beamforming Characteristics In Isotropic And Composite Plate Structures For Use In Structural Health Monitoring, Sarah Ketchersid

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Structural health monitoring in plate-like simple structures using phased array beamsteering of guided Lamb waves is useful in damage detection and evaluation efforts. Lamb waves can be effectively used for beamsteering using a linear array. The experimentation primarily focuses on beamsteering in the aluminum panel, which involves developing a simulation based on extracted data to visualize the dispersion of waves across the panel. By evaluating parameters such as slowness, velocity, and amplitude direction and variation for a specific metallic plate, the wavefront generated by a single wave source can be represented as a function of propagation angle and distance from …

Improving Cast Steel Rail Coupler Fatigue Resistance Through Local Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing, Andrew M. Bunge

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Every year, thousands of cast-steel railcar couplers suffer from corrosion-initiated fatigue cracking in similar areas of the coupler’s knuckle; between 2015 and 2018 about 90,000 knuckles were replaced, otherwise these couplers would have been at risk for unexpected failures. These types of couplers have been common in industrial use as early as 1932, hence it is desirable for a countermeasure to the fatigue cracking that does not involve significantly altering the geometry or casting process. Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAM) is a developing technology which boasts the ability to produce complex near-net-shape components; however, less attention has been paid to …

Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Of Magnetic Heat Exchange Structures For Caloric Applications, Vaibhav Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, the commercial building sector accounts for 18% of total U.S. end-use energy consumption, of which almost a third was from on-site combustion of fossil fuels for space and water heating. Magnetic heat pumping (MHP) technology is an energy-efficient, sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional vapor-compression cooling technology. Several MHP designs today are predicted to be highly energy efficient, on condition that suitable working materials can be developed. This materials challenge has proven to be daunting due to issues associated with intricate synthesis/post-processing protocols and complications related to shaping the mostly brittle magnetocaloric alloys into thin-walled channeled regenerator structures to facilitate …

Materials Testing For Large Format 3d Printing, William Jenkins

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

An ABS Carbon Fiber blend was printed into single walled hexagons at a variety of settings on a Cincinnati BAAM large format 3D printer. These hexagons were then cut down into sheets and had tensile and flexural test samples cut out of them, in order for materials testing to be performed. Tensile strength, tensile strain, young’s modulus, flexural strength, deflection and elastic modulus were all determined. A desktop CNC machine and a planer were purchased for the manufacturing of these samples, and an efficient cutting procedure was designed and optimized. After all data collection concluded, this data was thoroughly analyzed, …

Short Strand Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polylactic Acid Filament For Additive Manufacturing, Dale Chenoweth, Lukas Seggi, Luke Phillips

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this design project, the additive manufacturing filament of short strand carbon fiber (SSCF) reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composite was developed. The micro-size, precision cut SSCFs were mixed with the PLA pellets through a melting homogenization process. Through this process the composite material block is cut and divided into pieces for ease of pelletizing. The material block pieces are then pelletized to be fed through the single screw extruder to develop the SSCF-PLA composite filament. The SSCF-PLA filaments were manufactured with a varying amount of SSCF ranging from 0.5% to 10% of the material block's weight. Development of a 1% …

Additively Manufactured Nature Inspired Morphology For Redesign: Advancing Next Generation Energy Systems, Vanshika Singh

Doctoral Dissertations

To meet cleaner energy goals and increasing demand, energy systems such as gas turbines and power plants are required to be operated under harsh loading conditions like higher temperatures and pressures, fluctuating loads, and corrosive environments. Advanced manufacturing techniques such as additive manufacturing (AM) have put us on the trajectory for next-generation system designs, allowing complex geometries and high-temperature alloys with tailored material properties. We need new and systematic design philosophies to use AM's unique characteristics prudently. For a given functionality, nature tends to provide similar solutions in animate and inanimate structures. We propose to take inspiration from nature's repetitive …

Evaluation Of Inconel 718 Laser Powder Bed Fusion Angled Wall Artifact, Laura Itzel Marquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research investigates the mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of Inconel 718 specimens fabricated using different additive manufacturing (AM) systems, focusing on the influence of build orientation. A total of 16 samples were constructed at 45, 60, and 90 degrees to the build platform and analyzed to ascertain variations in mechanical strength, encompassing elongation at break, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield stress, and hardness. The comprehensive statistical analysis employs robust methods to quantify the effects of printing parameters on the performance of the builds, thereby identifying the most influential factors in AM processes. Additionally, microstructural analysis through advanced imaging techniques, …

Atomistic And Mesoscale Modeling Of Microstructure Development During Solid-State Sintering, Omar Marwan Isa Hussein

All Dissertations

Interfaces are ubiquitous in materials systems, and they influence the processing and properties of nearly all engineering and functional materials. Examples include grain boundaries (GBs) in polycrystalline materials, free surfaces in nanoparticles, and phase boundaries in multiphase materials. Therefore, understanding and controlling interfacial processes is a key aspect of materials design and discovery efforts. Recent developments in advanced manufacturing and synthesis techniques have enabled the fabrication of materials architectures with intricate nanoscale features. Of particular interest is solid-state sintering, known for creating complex and high-precision geometries with controlled microstructures. While sintering science has been the subject of active research, very …

Additive Manufacturing Of Magnetic Materials For Electric Motor And Generator Applications, Haobo Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

This work details the research into the 3D Printing, also known as Additive Manufacturing (AM), of both impermanent and permanent magnets. This work also details the research in enabling such AM magnets in electrical machine applications, primarily motors and generators. The AM processes of many types of magnets are described in detail. The material properties of such AM magnets are also described. The two main types of AM magnets that are discussed in detail are AM NdFeB, and AM Silicon Steel. The implementation of AM NdFeB as rotor magnets, and the implementation of AM Silicon Steel as rotor and stator …

Laser Assisted Direct Writing Of Liquid Metal For Microprinting Applications, Olga Vargas Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents a research study for potential printing of a Liquid Metal (LM) Eutectic Gallium Indium alloy (EGaIn) through the applications of the innovative additive manufacturing technology LIFT (Laser Induced Forward Transfer). LIFT is a precise printing technology that allows to create small, detailed printing. The liquid metal in study, EGaIn, has demonstrated great potential for microelectronics applications due to its minimum toxicity and high conductivity. Throughout this research different printing parameters are studied to comprehend the behavior of EGaIn printing with LIFT technique, these include laser energy, laser pulse, receiver material substrate, donor layer thickness, and …

Atomistic And Mesoscale Modeling Of Microstructure Development During Solid-State Sintering, Omar Hussein

All Dissertations

Interfaces are ubiquitous in materials systems, and they influence the processing and properties of nearly all engineering and functional materials. Examples include grain boundaries (GBs) in polycrystalline materials, free surfaces in nanoparticles, and phase boundaries in multiphase materials. Therefore, understanding and controlling interfacial processes is a key aspect of materials design and discovery efforts.

Recent developments in advanced manufacturing and synthesis techniques have enabled the fabrication of materials architectures with intricate nanoscale features. Of particular interest is solid-state sintering, known for creating complex and high-precision geometries with controlled microstructures. While sintering science has been the subject of active research, very …

Ti-6al-4v Β Phase Selective Dissolution: In Vitro Mechanism And Prediction, Michael A Kurtz

All Dissertations

Retrieval studies document Ti-6Al-4V β phase dissolution within total hip replacement systems. A gap persists in our mechanistic understanding and existing standards fail to reproduce this damage. This thesis aims to (1) elucidate the Ti-6Al-4V selective dissolution mechanism as functions of solution chemistry, electrode potential and temperature; (2) investigate the effects of adverse electrochemical conditions on additively manufactured (AM) titanium alloys and (3) apply machine learning to predict the Ti-6Al-4V dissolution state. We hypothesized that (1) cathodic activation and inflammatory species (H₂O₂) would degrade the Ti-6Al-4V oxide, promoting dissolution; (2) AM Ti-6Al-4V selective dissolution would occur …

An Investigation Into The Challenges Of Contemporary Additive Manufacturing: Insights Into The Metallurgical Response Of Materials And Relevant Solution, Huan Ding

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has gained attention in recent years due to its unique capabilities in the fabrication of complex parts. As with any new research, there is still a lack of sufficient understanding in the field of additive manufacturing, and further investigation is needed to solve existing problems. Ultimately, the aim is to enable the widespread use of AM components across various industries.

Chapter One provides a brief introduction to the background and current bottlenecks of additive manufacturing technology. Chapter two focuses on the development of high-strength 7075 aluminum alloy (Al7075) for Fused Deposition Modeling and Sintering (FDMS) technology. Al7075 …

Spall Characteristics Of Additively Manufactured Stainless Steel, Kevin Lamb

Doctoral Dissertations

Additive manufacturing (AM) has rapidly transformed from a novelty prototyping technology into a growing sector of production across a wide range of industries. Much work has been documented in literature to demonstrate the behavior of AM products under static and quasi-static loading conditions. However, the behavior of AM materials under high strain rate loading is not as well understood. This research attempts to advance the fundamental knowledge of the relationship between the unique aspects of AM and the mechanical performance under high velocity impact loading conditions.

This project examines the behavior of AM 316L stainless steel (SS) exposed to high …

Inkjet-Printed Electrochemical Sensors For Lead Detection, Annatoma Arif

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This PhD dissertation research has developed a simple, miniaturized, sensitive, selective, reproducible, and disposable 3D (inkjet printed – additive manufacturing technology) gold (Au) plated electrochemical sensor (ECS) on shape memory polymer (SMP) for aqueous lead detection. This technology has shown promising performance in the application of electrochemical sensing (lead (II) detection) due to increased effective electrode surface area (7.25 mm^2 ± 0.15 mm^2) despite miniaturizing lateral surface area (4.19 mm^2). The design, fabrication processes, optimization including bismuth functionalization, evaluation, uncertainty analysis, and cost analysis of the novel SMP based inkjet printed Au plated sensor have been delineated in this manuscript …

Metal Additive Microfabrication Of Semiconductor Packages With Inbuilt Thermal Management System, Bhushan Lohani

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Moore’s law describes the development capabilities in electronics manufacturing. Although his estimation held for decades, at present, the doubling of components every two years seems to be approaching a halt. The assessment was based on the miniaturization of transistors to create space for more. Miniaturization led to higher component density, decreased cost, lowered power consumption, and compactness. However, it also came with high current density, increased Joule heating, and reduced critical charge. One of the limiting factors is the heat generated from such devices, which is heavily discussed in International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) and International Technology Roadmap …

In Situ Process Monitoring And Machine Learning Based Modeling Of Defects And Anomalies In Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing, Eduardo Miramontes

Masters Theses

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) has made great strides in recent years however, there remain numerous persistent challenges still hindering more widespread adoption. Defects in the parts produced degrade their mechanical performance. Inconsistency in the geometry of the weld beads or undesirable anomalies such as waviness, or humps can lead to loss of geometric accuracy and in extreme cases, when anomalies propagate to subsequent layers, build failure. Such defects can be mitigated by a controls framework, which would require a model that maps undesirable outcomes to information about the process that can be obtained in real time. This thesis explores …

Consumer 3d Printing For Remote Control Aircraft Wings: Development Of Novel Wingbox Structure, Ian Clark

University Honors Theses

Remote control aircraft construction and can be a very expensive and time-consuming hobby. With 3D printer consumer adoption rates skyrocketing, there is a gap between demand for RC aircraft and suitable well-designed models available to creators and hobbyists. By creating and testing two iterations of wingbox geometries, this research aims to help close that gap by producing an easily printable wing structure. While there are improvements that can be made on this work, this research has been effective in generating a novel wingbox structure for FFF 3D printing that has distinct advantages over other designs currently available.

Additive Manufacturing Of Stretchable Strain Sensors: Fabrication, Optimization And Application, John Nady Shihat Bastawrous

Theses and Dissertations

In this project, a novel strain sensor design is fabricated employing different additive manufacturing techniques. The spring sensor's primary material is PLA-Like resin with a nanocomposite encapsulation layer as the functional material. The main principle of Straining the sensors results in a change in resistivity as the distances among the conductive carbon particles change according to the strain applied.

Sensor fabrication consists of two parts: spring manufacturing and development of nanocomposite encapsulation The nanocomposite matrix is developed through the dispersion of Graphene and Carbon nanotubes in Thermoplastic Polyurethane through sonication and magnetic hotplate stirring. While the spring itself is manufactured …

Improving The Tensile Mechanical Properties Of Direct Energy Deposited (Ded) Inconel 718 Aircraft Components Using A Standard Heat Treatment, Spencer Vincent Flynn

Materials Engineering

This project aimed to improve the mechanical properties of as-printed additively manufactured Inconel 718 samples using a heat treatment usually used for cast and wrought Inconel 718. The mechanical properties sought to be optimized were yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and reduction in area. The property goals were to match or exceed those of cast and heat treated Inconel 718. Wire-fed electron beam direct energy deposition (DED) was used to manufacture the samples, which were then heat treated using the AMS 5663 standard in an inert atmosphere. The samples were then tested in tension to obtain data on their …

Feasibility Of Thermoplastic Extrusion Welding As A Joining Method For Vacuum-Assisted Additively Manufactured Tooling, Chase C. Flaherty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, additive manufacturing (AM) has been successfully utilized for the production of large-scale composite tooling. Within these endeavors, however, limited research has focused on joining methods between printed sections. This work evaluates the feasibility of thermoplastic extrusion welding as a joining method for additively manufactured tooling structures. This joining method was assessed based on industry specifications of conventional thermoset tooling for wind blade manufacturing utilizing the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. The specifications include requirements for the mechanical strength, vacuum integrity, roughness, and hardness of the tool surface. The feasibility of this welded polymer joint was demonstrated …

A Study Of The Effect Of Machine Parameters On Defects Produced In Eos Additive Manufacturing Builds, Tina White Malone

Doctoral Dissertations

⁵Additive Manufacturing (AM) is defined in the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard F2792 as “a process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. It provides an advanced method for building complex geometries and parts for high performance with a significant cost savings. ⁵⁵It’s advantages include the reduced need for tools and molds commonly used in manufacturing, a large reduction in wasted material, much shorter manufacturing cycles for the building of hardware, and its uniquely inherent ability to produce much more complex shapes. …

Al-Ce-Mn Solidification Phase Selection And Solid-State Phase Transformations, Kevin Dean Sisco

Doctoral Dissertations

The design of Al alloys has become an important topic in Additive Manufacturing (AM). The adoption of Al alloys to AM has been difficult because traditional alloys are prone to processing related defects such as solidification cracking. The Al-10Si-Mg alloy was initially adopted because of its resistance to solidification cracking. However, the Al-10Si-Mg alloy has reduced tensile properties especially at high temperatures, where the silicon phase coarsens readily. Therefore, efforts have been made to design new Al alloys that can take advantage of the AM processing. The goal of new alloys is to optimize based on rapid solidification conditions, while …

On The Micro-Mechanical Property Characterization And Bulk-Volume Behavior Prediction Of Additively Manufactured 17-4 Ph Stainless Steels, David González-Niño

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Selective laser melting is an additive manufacturing technology that opens the possibility to manufacture components with complex geometries that are difficult with traditional manufacturing techniques which could benefit engineering applications such as aviation or structural engineering. However, the lack of a reliable universal predictive model for selective laser melting components could impede the full implementation in industrial applications. Therefore, this dissertation investigates the mechanical behavior of selective laser melting 17-4 PH stainless steel under ultra-low cycle fatigue regime and propose a novel micro-mechanical based modeling using statistical and representative volume element. The first phase of this project examined the mechanical …

Additive Manufacturing Of Binary And Ternary Shape Memory Polyester Blends As A Pathway Towards High Entropy Polymer Systems., Luis Eduardo Lares Carrillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this work is to incorporate additive manufacturing technology (AM) in the development of shape memory polymer blends. Two polyester blend systems were developed, one binary and the other ternary. The binary blend consisted of polycaprolactone (PCL) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and the ternary blend was composed of PCL, TPU and polylactic acid (PLA). Test specimens were fabricated with the AM technology of fused filament fabrication (FFF). Several tests were performed to characterize the mechanical and shape memory properties. A dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) was first used to establish the shape recovery temperature. Tensile testing was carried out …