Browsing by Subject "3D printers"

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    Monitoring 3D Printer Performance using Internet of Things (IoT) Application
    (2017-06-24) Li, Shuning; Freije, Elizabeth; P.e, Paul Yearling; Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology
    Most of the current desktop 3D printers are built based on open-source designs from online communities. The largest group of open-source 3D printers is the Self-Replicating Rapid Prototype (RepRap) 3D printers. A RepRap 3D printer needs to connect to a computer or a microprocessor to feed G Code and provide interface for users to control the 3D printer. However, local computer is a relatively expensive solution comparing to the cost of a RepRap 3D printer; while the microprocessor has much less computing capability comparing to a normal computer, and cannot handle computing-intensive jobs like slicing 3D objects or generating G Code. An alternate solution is to use the internet of things (IoT) application to control and monitor 3D printers. IoT is the network of physical devices, vehicles, buildings and other items, allowing objects to be sensed and controlled remotely across existing network. IoT and 3D printing are two important new technologies, which progressively impact a lot of areas of the industries and also our everyday life. Students need to be introduced to these technologies, and get ready for future career opportunities. A multidisciplinary student project is developed to provide students access to both 3D printer and IoT platform, and also learn to collaborate with engineers from other disciplines to solve complex engineering problems. The objective of the project is to design and develop an IoT application to remote monitor the performance of a RepRap 3D printer including the printing progress and the temperatures of the heated bed and hot end. Major tasks involved in the project are: to inspect and upgrade the current 3D printer to avoid any possible compliance issues between the 3D printer and the hardware components or software tools for the IoT application; to connect the 3D printer to the Raspberry Pi microprocessor; and to design and develop the IoT application. The methods and algorithms of connecting a 3D printer to an IoT application is reported, and the IoT application interface and workflow will be presented in the results section. As a pilot study, this project provides first-hand data on the requirements of time and resources to introduce IoT to undergraduate students.
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    Primary Evaluation of Shape Recovery of Orthodontic Aligners Fabricated from Shape Memory Polymer (A Typodont Study)
    (MDPI, 2021-03-10) Elshazly, Tarek M.; Keilig, Ludger; Alkabani, Yasmine; Ghoneima, Ahmed; Abuzayda, Moosa; Talaat, Sameh; Bourauel, Christoph P.; Orthodontics and Oral Facial Genetics, School of Dentistry
    As an innovative approach to overcome the rate-limiting staging of conventional aligners, using shape memory polymers (SMPs) as aligners’ materials was investigated in this in vitro study. The ability of SMPs to shape recover and consequently move tooth, upon appropriate stimuli, was evaluated on a typodont model before clinical application. The study design was to achieve 1.9 mm correction movement of an upper central incisor by one aligner after multiple steps/activation. A custom-made aligned typodont model with a movable upper central incisor was scanned. Using an orthodontic software and a 3D printer, resin-models were generated. Seven aligners of ClearX sheets (SMPs) were fabricated by thermoforming on the resin aligned model. Each aligner was tested for repositioning of the central incisor in the typodont model. The model was scanned after each step and the corrective movement was measured through the superimposition of scans. Results showed that the total correction efficiency of the SMPs’ aligner was ≈93% (1.76 mm). The corrective movement was 0.94 ± 0.04 mm after the reforming step, 0.66 ± 0.07 mm after the first activation step, and 0.15 ± 0.10 mm after the second activation step. It was concluded that aligners made of SMPs could have a promising future-use in orthodontic aesthetic treatment.