Universal fixation system for pad printing of plastic parts

JOSE ALEJANDRO FERNANDEZ RAMIREZ (2023, [Artículo])

Pad printing is used in automotive, medical, electrical and other industries, employing diverse materials to transfer a 2D image onto a 3D object with different sizes and geometries. This work presents a universal fixation system for pad printing of plastic parts (UFSP4) in response to the needs of small companies that cannot afford to invest in the latest technological advances. The UFSP4 comprises two main subsystems: a mechanical support system (i.e., support structure, jig matrix and braking system) and a control system (i.e., an electronic system and an electric-hydraulic system). A relevant feature is the combination of a jig matrix and jig pins to fixate complex workpieces with different sizes. Using finite element analysis (FEA), in the mesh convergence, the total displacement converges to 0.00028781 m after 12,000 elements. The maximum equivalent stress value is 1.22 MPa for the polycarbonate plate in compliance with the safety factor. In a functionality test of the prototype performed in a production environment for one hour, the jigs fixed by the plate did not loosen, maintaining the satisfactory operation of the device. This is consistent with the displacement distribution of the creep analysis and shows the absence of the creep phenomenon. Based on FEA that underpinned the structural health computation of the braking system, the prototype was designed and built, seeking to ensure a reliable and safe device to fixate plastic parts, showing portability, low-cost maintenance and adaptability to the requirements of pad printing of automotive plastic parts.

Use of AI tools declaration: The authors declare they have not used Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the creation of this article.

Acknowledgments: To the company Plásticos Decorados and Centro de Tecnología Avanzada (CIATEQ A.C.) for the facilities and support to carry out this work. To the Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías (CONAHCYT) for a Ph.D. scholarship support number 500839 and CONAHCYT SNI.

Conflict of interest: The authors declare there are no conflicts of interest.

Modular fixtures Jig matrix Prototype design Pad printing Fixture methods INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS TECNOLÓGICAS OTRAS ESPECIALIDADES TECNOLÓGICAS OTRAS OTRAS

Socio-technological responses to COVID-19 in Mexico: Spin-offs, repositories and 3D printing

Max Matus (2023, [Artículo, Artículo])

The objective of the article is to analyze two sociotechnical initiatives, one citizen and the other governmental, that were configured in Mexico as a response to the shortage and hoarding of medical devices in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The citizen response analyzed is the coronavirus_maker_mx movement, while the governmental initiative under scrutiny are the Gätsy and Ehecátl 4T ventilators developed under the coordination of the National Council on Science and Technology. The methodology used involved online tracking of coronavirus_maker groups, open interviews with community members, and review of second-hand sources in the case of the government initiative. By unraveling the networks of actors that were behind the design and production or printing of devices to address COVID-19, we conclude that the cases analyzed represent different models of technological development that invite us to think about some alternatives for the promotion of "sovereign" technology in Mexico.

Impresión 3D manufactura aditiva makers ciencia abierta CIENCIAS SOCIALES CIENCIAS SOCIALES 3D printing additive manufacture open science

Tensile behavior of 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) based composites reinforced with natural fiber

Eliana M Agaliotis BALTAZAR DAVID AKE CONCHA ALEJANDRO MAY PAT Juan Pablo Morales Arias Celina Bernal Alex Valadez González Pedro Jesús Herrera Franco Gwenaelle Proust JUAN FRANCISCO KOH DZUL José Gonzalo Carrillo Baeza Emmanuel Alejandro Flores Johnson (2022, [Artículo])

Natural fiber-reinforced composite (NFRC) filaments for 3D printing were fabricated using polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced with 1–5 wt% henequen flour comprising particles with sizes between 90–250 μm. The flour was obtained from natural henequen fibers. NFRCs and pristine PLA specimens were printed with a 0° raster angle for tension tests. The results showed that the NFRCs’ measured density, porosity, and degree of crystallinity increased with flour content. The tensile tests showed that the NFRC Young’s modulus was lower than that of the printed pristine PLA. For 1 wt% flour content, the NFRCs’ maximum stress and strain to failure were higher than those of the printed PLA, which was attributed to the henequen fibers acting as reinforcement and delaying crack growth. However, for 2 wt% and higher flour contents, the NFRCs’ maximum stress was lower than that of the printed PLA. Microscopic characterization after testing showed an increase in voids and defects, with the increase in flour content attributed to particle agglomeration. For 1 wt% flour content, the NFRCs were also printed with raster angles of ±45° and 90° for comparison; the highest tensile properties were obtained with a 0° raster angle. Finally, adding 3 wt% content of maleic anhydride to the NFRC with 1 wt% flour content slightly increased the maximum stress. The results presented herein warrant further research to fully understand the mechanical properties of printed NFRCs made of PLA reinforced with natural henequen fibers. © 2022 by the authors.

POLYLACTIC ACID (PLA) NATURAL FIBER HENEQUEN FIBER NATURAL FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITE (NFRC) ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 3D PRINTING MECHANICAL PROPERTY INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS TECNOLÓGICAS TECNOLOGÍA DE MATERIALES PROPIEDADES DE LOS MATERIALES PROPIEDADES DE LOS MATERIALES

Design and finite element analysis of a 3D-printed packaging insert

Diseño y análisis de elemento finito de un inserto paraempaque manufacturado por impresión 3D

Ismael Alejandro Muñoz Salazar ISAIAS EMMANUEL GARDUÑO OLVERA MAYRA DEL ANGEL MONROY (2023, [Artículo])

Packaging inserts play a crucial role in protecting products during transportation. However, their design and production processes often rely on conventional methods limiting equipment capabilities. Moreover, the empirical nature of their design can result in a lack of reliability in the final product. To address these challenges, this study aimed to validate the design of a packaging insert using the finite element method and subsequently create it using 3D printing. The chosen material is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) filament commonly used in fused deposition filament printers for 3D printing. This process demonstrates the feasibility of using 3D printing to create cushioning inserts for packaging and employing finite element analysis to simulate the insert behavior. The main findings of this research highlight the potential benefits of numerical simulation, revealing the areas where the insert is primarily impacted by weight. Furthermore, the forces load and displacement simulation results confirm that the TPU elastic limit (3.9x106 MPa) is sufficient to handle the weight this insert intends to hold. These tools determine the viability of the proposed design for its intended application. Therefore, this study verifies that 3D printing is a reliable option for producing packaging inserts, offering significant advantages over traditional methods. These advantages include increased design flexibility and the ability to create custom inserts on demand.

Los insertos de empaque juegan un papel crucial en la protección de los productos durante el transporte. Sin embargo, sus procesos de diseño y producción a menudo se basan en métodos convencionales que limitan las capacidades del equipo. Además, la naturaleza empírica de su diseño puede resultar en una falta de confiabilidad en el producto final. Para abordar estos desafíos, este estudio tuvo como objetivo validar el diseño de un inserto de empaque utilizando el método de elementos finitos y posteriormente crearlo mediante impresión 3D. El material elegido es un filamento de poliuretano termoplástico (TPU) comúnmente utilizado en impresoras de filamento de deposición fundida para impresión 3D. Este proceso demuestra la viabilidad de utilizar la impresión 3D para crear insertos acolchados para empaques y emplear el análisis de elementos finitos para simular el comportamiento del inserto. Los principales hallazgos de esta investigación destacan los beneficios potenciales de la simulación numérica, revelando las áreas donde el inserto se ve afectado principalmente por el peso. Además, los resultados de la simulación de carga y desplazamiento de fuerzas confirman que el límite elástico de TPU (3.9x106 MPa) es suficiente para manejar el peso que este inserto pretende soportar. Estas herramientas determinan la viabilidad del diseño propuesto para su aplicación prevista. Por lo tanto, este estudio verifica que la impresión 3D es una opción confiable para producir insertos de empaque, que ofrece ventajas significativas sobre los métodos tradicionales. Estas ventajas incluyen una mayor flexibilidad de diseño y la capacidad de crear insertos personalizados bajo demanda.

Tipo de documento: cases studies.

I. Muñoz gratefully acknowledges support from Posgrado de CIATEQ. I. E. Garduño acknowledges support from the Investigadores por México - CONAHCYT program through project No. 674.

Ismael Muñoz: Conceptualization; methodology; validation; writing; revision; project administration; software; investigation; display; draft writing; reviewing and editing. Isaías E. Garduño: Conceptualization; methodology; validation; writing; revision; software; reviewing and editing. Mayra del Ángel Monroy: Conceptualization; supervision; methodology; validation; writing; revision; project management; formal analysis, draft writing: writing reviewing and editing.

Packaging insert Finite element analysis 3D printing Inserto para empaque Análisis por elemento finito Impresión 3D INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS TECNOLÓGICAS OTRAS ESPECIALIDADES TECNOLÓGICAS OTRAS OTRAS

Developing micro-columns of test sockets to enable processor validation signals

Desarrollo de micro-columnas de sockets de pruebas para habilitar señales de validación del procesador

Ulises Encarnación Robles Raúl Pérez Bustamante HUGO ARCOS GUTIERREZ (2023, [Artículo])

Este estudio aborda el desafío de optimizar la interconexión entre procesadores y micro almohadillas de contacto (uADC) durante el proceso de validación. Se busca aprovechar las señales de depuración para medir y diagnosticar interfaces en los procesadores, utilizando un interposer de depuración como interfaz de medición. Las uADCs representan una alternativa para incorporar contactos adicionales en la validación al ocupar un espacio entre las almohadillas del procesador comercial. Sin embargo, su desarrollo enfrenta desafíos tecnológicos como la reducción del área de contacto y la estabilidad de resistencia eléctrica. Para abordar estos desafíos, se propone el uso de un socket de interconexión (SDI) con tecnología de micro columnas de interconexión (uCDI), capaz de cumplir con la conductividad requerida. Los resultados experimentales muestran mediciones de resistividad eléctrica por debajo de cien ohmios, el cual es el valor máximo aceptado dentro del contexto de validación de procesadores. La implementación de las uADC y el uso del SDI con uCDI ofrecen ventajas en el proceso de validación al proporcionar acceso a señales previamente inaccesibles, sentando un precedente para futuras investigaciones en la miniaturización de contactos en productos comerciales.

This study addresses the challenge of optimizing the interconnection between processors and micro contact pads (uADC) during the validation process. The aim is to leverage debug signals to measure and diagnose interfaces in the processors, using a debug interposer as a measurement interface. The uADCs represent an alternative for incorporating additional contacts in validation by occupying a space between commercial processor pads. However, the development of uADCs faces technological challenges such as reducing the contact area and ensuring electrical resistance stability. To address these challenges, the use of an inter-connection socket (SDI) with micro– column interconnect (uCDI) technology, capable of meeting the required conductivity, is proposed. Experimental results demonstrate electrical resistivity measurements below one hundred ohms which is the maximum accepted value within the context of processor validation. The implementation of uADCs and the use of SDI with uCDI offer advantages in the processor validation process by providing access to previously inaccessible signals, setting a precedent for future research in contact miniaturization in commercial products.

Micro almohadillas de contacto Procesador Interposer depuración Sockets de interconexión Micro columnas de interconexión Micro contact pads Processor Debug interposer Interconnect socket Interconnection microcolumns INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS TECNOLÓGICAS OTRAS ESPECIALIDADES TECNOLÓGICAS OTRAS OTRAS