Fiber-Reinforced Clay: An Exploratory Study on Automated Thread Insertion for Enhanced Structural Integrity in LDM
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This paper reports “fiber-reinforced clay: an exploratory study on automated 2 thread insertion for enhanced structural integrity in IDM”. The topic is novel and in line with Ceramics. However, it still has some problems that require further additions or explanations. Consequently, revision is necessary before publication. Detailed comments are given below.
1. L11-12、L444-445: Is this a new function that comes with updating the 3D printing instrument?
2. L22-24: The concept of clay and ceramics needs to be clarified.
3. L27-29: References on "shrinkage and inconsistency in clay deposition" are suggested to be added.
4. L29-31: "these material-related limitations". However, it seems that only one limitation was mentioned above.
5. L44-45: Is there any research done on the technology of automatically inserting spinning threads into clay during printing?.
6. L212-214: 1)What is formed after the pyrolysis of natural fibers during the sintering process? What effect does it have on the material? 2) Does the formation of so many pores in the material not affect the ceramic properties? Please add relevant content to explain.
7. L225-226: Many images in the article are used for a sample comparison, and the scale is at the millimeter or centimeter level. However, the samples lack morphological characterization in terms of microstructure, and adding SEM or TEM morphological analysis results is recommended.
8. L231-232: Should it be Figure 4?
9. L396-397: 1) Is the shape in picture 7c standing without external support? 2) Are the lines on the surface of these shapes in the article generated by the automatic introduction of fibers during 3D printing? 3) How to remove them later? What about the holes left by fiber pyrolysis that are exposed during the removal?
Generally speaking, the English level of this article is good.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
Thank you for your valuable feedback and your time in reviewing our paper. We have carefully gone through your comments and suggestions and have the following answers to your points:
This paper reports “fiber-reinforced clay: an exploratory study on automated 2 thread insertion for enhanced structural integrity in IDM”. The topic is novel and in line with Ceramics. However, it still has some problems that require further additions or explanations. Consequently, revision is necessary before publication. Detailed comments are given below.
- L11-12、L444-445: Is this a new function that comes with updating the 3D printing instrument?
Response: Regarding your query on whether this is a new feature resulting from an upgrade to the 3D printing instrument, we want to clarify that these are novel additions developed for our research, not updates to an existing system. The custom extruder module and support structure were developed to automate the fiber thread insertion process into the clay body and stabilize the 3D print during drying.
- L22-24: The concept of clay and ceramics needs to be clarified.
Response: We have taken your suggestion to clarify the concept of clay and ceramics. This has been addressed more comprehensively in the introduction and throughout our paper.
- L27-29: References on "shrinkage and inconsistency in clay deposition" are suggested to be added.
Response: We have followed your advice and integrated references into the manuscript accordingly.
- L29-31: "these material-related limitations". However, it seems that only one limitation was mentioned above.
Response: We thank you for pointing out the phrasing inconsistency in relation to the limitations discussed. You are correct that the challenges mentioned encompass not only the material but also the printer itself. Therefore, we have amended the text from "these material-related limitations" to simply "limitations" to reflect the broader scope of the issues being addressed.
- L44-45: Is there any research done on the technology of automatically inserting spinning threads into clay during printing?.
Response: To address your query on research related to automatically inserting spinning threads into clay during printing, as we have mentioned in our manuscript, existing research has been limited to manual insertion. The challenge of integrating spun threads automatically into clay during printing has not been explored in detail, which is the gap our research aims to fill.
- L212-214: 1)What is formed after the pyrolysis of natural fibers during the sintering process? What effect does it have on the material? 2) Does the formation of so many pores in the material not affect the ceramic properties? Please add relevant content to explain.
Response: 1) When the clay body undergoes the sintering process, the natural fiber threads embedded in the clay undergo thermal decomposition, which we can refer to as pyrolysis. This process results in solid residues, which are loosely bound and can disintegrate upon touch. These residues create voids within the sintered clay body. We acknowledge that this is an area that may warrant further investigation in future studies. 2) As for the impact of these voids on the material properties, we conducted a three-point bending test on two sample scenarios: (1) a sample without fiber thread, and (2) a sample with fiber thread. The results from these tests showed similar material strengths in both scenarios (refer to section 3.1. and Figure 4 in our resubmitted manuscript). Nonetheless, your point is well taken, and further research can indeed explore the potential impacts of these voids on the microstructure of the sintered material.
- L225-226: Many images in the article are used for a sample comparison, and the scale is at the millimeter or centimeter level. However, the samples lack morphological characterization in terms of microstructure, and adding SEM or TEM morphological analysis results is recommended.
Response: Your suggestion to include SEM or TEM morphological analysis is greatly appreciated. In response, we have included additional images and achieved a 50-fold magnification of our samples. Unfortunately, due to financial and time constraints, we were unable to conduct analysis beyond a 50-fold magnification for this study. However, we acknowledge the importance of such analysis and plan to incorporate it in our future work.
- L231-232: Should it be Figure 4?
Response: We have made the necessary revisions to correctly refer to the diagrams as figures instead of tables. Thank you for pointing out this error.
- L396-397: 1) Is the shape in picture 7c standing without external support? 2) Are the lines on the surface of these shapes in the article generated by the automatic introduction of fibers during 3D printing? 3) How to remove them later? What about the holes left by fiber pyrolysis that are exposed during the removal?
Response: 1) Regarding the shape in Figure 7c, it indeed required a temporary string support to maintain its position during the display. This has been further clarified in the revised caption of Figure 7. 2) The visible lines on the surfaces of the printed shapes are inherent to the process of clay deposition during 3D printing, as they represent the individual layers of extruded clay. They are not a result of the automatic fiber introduction. 3) After the clay body reaches a state where it can maintain its shape without additional support, but before it is completely dry, the fiber threads are severed from the tensioning structure. Subsequently, during the sintering process, the natural fiber threads undergo pyrolysis, effectively "disappearing" and leaving small voids on the surface of the sintered body. As for potential solutions regarding these voids, we acknowledge the importance of considering this aspect and will seek to address it in future research.
We hope that these revisions are in alignment with your suggestions and that the manuscript now meets your approval for publication.
Kind regards,
Hui-Qin Yang
Reviewer 2 Report
The article submitted for review entitled " Fiber-reinforced Clay: An Exploratory Study on Automated Thread Insertion for Enhanced Structural Integrity in LDM" raises the problem of fiber-reinforced clay printing in the construction industry and related disciplines.
The findings obtained in the reviewed article on the basis of the experiment are a novelty:
1) The article considers the problem of material compatibility and durability in the liquid state and material strength of the sintered ceramic body after pyrolysis of the natural fibers.
2) The content of the article is an original scientific approach and a kind of novelty in this issue.
3) The novelty that can be noticed in the publication is that the results of the research work pave the way for further development in the field of liquid 3D printed ceramics - the novel addition of the automated Fiber Insertion Module (FIM) to the Delta WASP 40100 clay printer.
4) Probably it would be appropriate to use computed tomography during the testing of finished products to analyze the quality of embedding fibers in clay.
5) the conclusions are adequate with the evidences and research results presented in the article and they address to the main argument of the work.
6) All references are appropriate to the text.
7) The tables and figures are legible and clear.
The conclusions are shortly formulated, highlighting the most important insights from the research. The authors of the article presented the results of their own research in a clear, transparent and exhaustive way.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
Thank you for your time and effort in reviewing our manuscript titled "Fiber-reinforced Clay: An Exploratory Study on Automated Thread Insertion for Enhanced Structural Integrity in LDM." We are grateful for your positive comments and your recognition of the novelty of our research and findings.
Your constructive suggestion regarding using computed tomography for analyzing the quality of fiber embedding in clay is appreciated. While we did not employ this method in the current study due to resource constraints, we recognize its potential value and will consider it for future research efforts.
We are pleased to hear that you found our conclusions adequately supported by the evidence and that our tables, figures, and references are clear and appropriate. We have revised the manuscript in response to the review reports and hope that the revisions adequately address your concerns and enhance the quality of our manuscript.
Once again, thank you for your insightful review and supportive comments. They will undoubtedly contribute to improving our work and our future research endeavors. We kindly request your final approval for the publication of our manuscript.
Kind regards,
Hui-Qin Yang
Reviewer 3 Report
The paper by Yang et al. presents a new and innovative method for creating fiber-reinforced clay parts using liquid deposition method. The paper discusses the development of a fiber insertion module and printing of structures with significant overhangs. The paper is well-presented, and the conception of this idea is commendable.
The following minor changes are recommended,
- Line 40 is missing references
- There is some information regarding the drawbacks of the system (Section 2.1.). How does this paper overcome the challenges because of these limitations?
- Units in the scale bars need to be uniform
- Please provide information regarding where the reinforcement hemp threads were obtained from
- Provide information regarding the placement of the tensioning structures for different designs and the time associated with the process/toolpath planning
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
Thank you for your valuable feedback and your time in reviewing our paper. We have carefully gone through your comments and suggestions and have the following answers to your points:
The paper by Yang et al. presents a new and innovative method for creating fiber-reinforced clay parts using liquid deposition method. The paper discusses the development of a fiber insertion module and printing of structures with significant overhangs. The paper is well-presented, and the conception of this idea is commendable.
The following minor changes are recommended,
- Line 40 is missing references
Answer: We appreciate you pointing out this oversight. We have now added the necessary citations to provide a well-rounded context.
- There is some information regarding the drawbacks of the system (Section 2.1.). How does this paper overcome the challenges because of these limitations?
Answer: Your question about overcoming the system limitations mentioned in Section 2.1 is valid. Although this paper does not explicitly address these limitations, we have taken steps to mitigate them. This includes careful regulation of clay consistency in the cartridge and the use of computer simulations to ensure obstacle-free printing paths, particularly when the additional tensioning structure is on the building plate.
- Units in the scale bars need to be uniform
Answer: We value your observation regarding the consistency of units in scale bars across our figures. We have revised the units to ensure uniformity within their figures throughout the paper.
- Please provide information regarding where the reinforcement hemp threads were obtained from
Answer: We understand the importance of providing details on the source of the reinforcement hemp threads. The necessary information has now been incorporated into the manuscript.
- Provide information regarding the placement of the tensioning structures for different designs and the time associated with the process/toolpath planning
Answer: You highlighted the significance of providing information on the placement of tensioning structures for different designs and their associated process/toolpath planning times. We appreciate this and have added relevant information to Section 4.2, "Tensioning Structure on Building Plate." Additional images have been included in Figures 8 and 9, offering a top-down perspective of the tensioning structure's layout and detailing the extrusion path using four perspectives of the digital model.
We hope that these revisions are in alignment with your suggestions and that the manuscript now meets your approval for publication.
Kind regards,
Hui-Qin Yang
