Search Results (32)

There is a lack of knowledge concerning the interlaminar fracture toughness of 3D-printed composite materials using both commercial filament composites and fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology from Markforged^®. In this investigation, additive manufacturing (AM) continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (cFRT) specimens have been tested to characterize the initiation and propagation of interlaminar fracture toughness in mode I (G_I). Unidirectional glass fiber (GF)-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA) laminates were characterized by means of the double cantilever beam (DCB) test. These specimens were manufactured using a MarkTwo^® printer and tested without doublers, following a laminate configuration selected according to appropriate experimental findings reported in the state of the art, ensuring reliable fracture characterization. The experimental results exhibited repeatability and strong agreement between the modified compliance calibration (MCC) and modified beam theory (MBT) reduction methods. The resistance curve (R-curve) indicated a progressive increase in fracture resistance during crack propagation. To analyze the experienced failure mechanism during testing, the fracture surfaces of representative post-mortem DCB specimens were observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), revealing characteristic morphological features at two magnification levels. Moreover, representative cross-sections of the tested DCB specimens were electronically observed to analyze the interlaminar morphologies, showing an irregular and random distribution of the matrix, fiber, and voids between consecutive plies and adjacent deposited rasters. Compared with previously reported Markforged^® continuous fiber-reinforced systems, the GF/PA composite material exhibited intermediate initiation fracture toughness but lower propagation toughness. This study contributes to filling the existing gap in fracture toughness data for glass fiber-reinforced additively manufactured composites. Full article

In maritime electronic support measures (ESMS), multipath-scattered pulses are often suppressed during pulse sorting, although their delay, amplitude, and angular differences may provide information for passive scatterer localization. This paper investigates a front-end path-classification task positioned after emitter-level clustering and before multipath-assisted passive localization. Pulses produced by the same non-cooperative emitter but received through different propagation paths are classified as direct-path or multipath-scattered pulses. The task is formulated as supervised binary classification over PDW sequences. Five representative solution families are evaluated under a common protocol: FCM, DBSCAN, temporal sequence analysis (TSA), Single-LSTM, and a residual two-layer unidirectional LSTM with residual fusion. The input features are RF, PA, PW, PRI, TOA, DOA, and ΔTOA; the recurrent models use class-weighted training to address the direct/scattered class imbalance. Across 36 coupled scenarios with pulse-loss rates from 0% to 50% and parameter-jitter levels from 0.0 to 1.0, the residual LSTM obtains the highest average macro-F1 score (0.8717), compared with Single-LSTM (0.7726), DBSCAN (0.7686), TSA (0.6511), and FCM (0.5917). Repeated training over four random seeds yields a validation macro-F1 of 0.9821 ± 0.0007 on the original validation set. The ablation results indicate that ΔTOA is the principal temporal cue in this setting, while LayerNorm, residual fusion, class weighting, and augmentation mainly contribute to optimization stability and perturbation robustness. Measured-data verification suggests that the learned temporal representation can provide usable inputs for subsequent scatterer localization. The current validation is limited to a one-emitter simulation and rule-assisted measured-data annotation; mixed-emitter validation and quantitatively calibrated localization evaluation remain subjects for future study. Full article

Background: Escherichia coli remains a critical multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen, driving interest in bacteriophage-based biocontrol. The genus Kayfunavirus (family Autotranscriptaviridae) exhibits obligately lytic replication cycles and favorable biosafety profiles, yet each new phage requires comprehensive genomic characterization to expand therapeutic candidate pools. This study aimed to isolate and genomically characterize a novel Kayfunavirus from an environmental reservoir in Vietnam. Methods: Escherichia phage vB_EcoA-Sparklingdew was isolated from Can Tho River water using host E. coli AgE9. The genome was assembled using SPAdes. The termini were resolved with PhageTerm. The annotation was done via the Pharokka pipeline and HHpred. Taxonomic classification was performed using taxMyPhage, VIRIDIC intergenomic comparisons, and maximum likelihood phylogeny of concatenated structural proteins. Results: The complete genome comprises a 37,944 bp linear dsDNA molecule (49.9% GC), encoding 51 open reading frames in a predominantly unidirectional arrangement. Key features include a virion-encoded T7-like RNA polymerase, a 723-residue T7-like DNA polymerase, a canonical lysis triad, and two putative tailspike proteins. A 212 bp direct terminal repeat and coverage profiles support a headful (pac) packaging mechanism. Comprehensive screening confirmed the absence of lysogeny, virulence, and antibiotic resistance determinants. A single synonymous SNP indicated high clonal purity. Intergenomic identity peaked at 87.7% against ICTV references, confirming placement in a novel species. Conclusions: Phage Sparklingdew represents a strictly lytic Kayfunavirus with a compact genomic architecture. Its favorable safety profile and absence of temperate markers support further evaluation for targeted therapeutic applications against pathogenic E. coli. Full article

We developed a three-degree-of-freedom touch trigger probe integrated with two optical sensors. The probe includes an XY-axis cantilever stylus and a Z-axis structure supported by four parallel leaf springs. A laser diode combined with 1D and 2D position-sensing detectors (PSDs) detects angular shifts and displacement when the probe tip touches the measured surface. The optical path change amplifies the PSD response, enhancing sensitivity. Finite-element analysis verifies structural performance, and experimental validation shows the probe achieves a unidirectional repeatability of 0.18 μm. Full article

In-plane shear is the dominant deformation mode during thermoforming of fiber-reinforced composites, and accurate characterization of shear behavior is essential for reliable forming simulations. The present work investigates the shear response of a unidirectional cross-ply UHMWPE material system (DSM Dyneema^® HB210) using the picture-frame test, with emphasis on sample configuration, normalization methods, and shear rate effects. Three cruciform sample sizes were tested at 120 °C, along with a configuration in which cross-arm material was removed to isolate the gage region. Finite element analyses using LS-DYNA^® were performed to evaluate the shear rate distribution during forming and to validate the experimental characterization. To maintain a constant shear rate during testing, a decreasing crosshead speed profile was implemented in the test software. Results showed that normalizing by the full specimen area yielded consistent shear stiffness curves across sample sizes, indicating that the arm region contributes equally to the load. Samples with cross-arm material removed exhibited greater scatter than those specimens without cross-arm material removed, confirming that preparation of cross-arm removal complicates repeatability. Rate dependence was observed at room temperature but not at elevated processing temperatures, suggesting that rate-dependent shear models are unnecessary for forming simulations of this material system. These findings provide a practical methodology for shear characterization of UHMWPE cross-ply laminates suitable for thermoforming analyses. Full article

Prepreg tack is an important process quality parameter for prepregs during laying. Aiming at the current lack of standardized testing for prepreg tack, this paper established a quantitative testing method for prepreg tack—a compression-to-tension method—and proposed a parameter of Compression Tack Index as a quantitative evaluation index for prepreg tack. The prepreg/prepreg tack and prepreg/metal tack of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy prepregs were evaluated and the applicability of this compression-to-tension method was verified, comparing it with the qualitative testing method by vertical metal plates. The results show that the compression-to-tension method is suitable for quantitative testing of the tack for unidirectional prepregs and fabric prepregs, with good repeatability and stability of test results, and is not affected by personnel changes. Considering that tack characterization based only on the separation process cannot accurately evaluate the tack of different materials, Compression Tack Index is an accurate parameter that characterizes the prepreg tack because it can reflect the process of tack formation and tack separation. Compared with the vertical metal plate method, the discrimination of the test results by the compression-to-tension method is significant. The tack of the slitting prepreg without polyethylene film coating is lower than that of the mother prepreg (one-meter-width prepreg) with polyethylene film. Full article

In this study, a new fibre combination for an interlayer hybrid fibre-reinforced polymer laminate was investigated to achieve pseudo-ductile behaviour in tensile tests. The chosen high-strain fibre for this purpose was S-Glass, and the low-strain fibre was flax. These materials were chosen because of their relatively low environmental impact compared to carbon/carbon and carbon/glass hybrids. An analytical model was used to find an ideal combination of the two materials. With that model, the expected stress–strain relation could also be predicted analytically. The modelling was based on preliminary tensile tests of the two basic components investigated in this research: unidirectional laminates reinforced with either flax fibres or S-Glass fibres. Hybrid specimens were then designed, produced in a heat-assisted pressing process, and subjected to tensile tests. The strain measurement was performed using distributed fibre optic sensing. Ultimately, it was possible to obtain repeatable pseudo-ductile stress–strain behaviour with the chosen hybrid when the specimens were subjected to quasi-static uniaxial tension in the direction of the fibres. The intended damage-mode, consisting of a controlled delamination at the flax-fibre/glass-fibre interface after the flax fibres failed, followed by a load transfer to the glass fibre layers, was successfully achieved. The pseudo-ductile strain averaged 0.52% with a standard deviation of 0.09%, and the average load reserve after delamination was 145.5 MPa with a standard deviation of 48.5 MPa. The integrated fibre optic sensors allowed us to monitor and verify the damage process with increasing strain and load. Finally, the analytical model was compared to the measurements and was partially modified by neglecting the Weibull strength distribution of the high-strain material. Full article

The present paper describes the measurement of the drift of unidirectional pose accuracy, repeatability, and static compliance of a collaborative robot employing a measurement methodology that relies on the description of a virtual ISO cube placed in the robot’s workspace. The measurements aimed to investigate and assess the suitability of the UR5 six-axis collaborative robot for its application in robotic 3D printing. An experimental laboratory measurement workstation was constructed to perform the measurements, and control measurements were performed. The measurements involved describing the TCP point of the robot tool at five measurement points located in a virtual ISO cube during a minimum of 30 repeated measurement cycles. A camera and six linear incremental sensors with assessment units were used for the measurements. The measurements were performed in compliance with the regulations of STN ISO 9283 standard for this type of measurement. As a result of the measurements, the technical specifications of the drift and static compliance of the controlled robotic arm were verified, and the results were compared with the values specified by the manufacturer. Following the measurements and assessment of the results, it was possible to assess the suitability of the used UR5 robotic arm for its application in robotic 3D printing and to propose possible recommendations for the calibration of the robot and the process settings of the printing system for the production of objects using FDM technology. Full article

In this paper, the mechanical properties and internal stress condition of the reinforcing bar sleeve connectors with ferro-tailed mineral sand cementitious grout as filler material were analyzed as research objects. Firstly, an experimental study was carried out on the reinforcing bar sleeve connectors of iron tailing sand grout with a 40% substitution rate of mechanism sand to analyze the mechanical properties of different grout types, age, and reinforcement diameters under unidirectional tensile, high stress, and large deformation of repeated tensile and compressive stresses. Next, five groups of sleeve joints with different anchorage lengths were set up for unidirectional tensile tests. The results show that, with the decrease of the diameter of the reinforcement, the grip force and bond strength of the iron tailing sand grout on the internal reinforcement gradually increase. Under conditions of large deformation and high stress due to repeated tensile loading, the residual deformation and total elongation of iron tailing sand grout sleeve joints are satisfactory. Additionally, the restraining anchorage effect of iron tailing sand grout in the end section is small. The utilization rate and integrity of iron tailing sand grout in the initial anchorage section are better. Full article

Even though the influence of the printing direction on the mechanical properties of 3D-printed samples by fused filament fabrication is established in the literature, very little is known about mechanical and electrical coupling. In this study, electrically conductive polylactic acid filled with carbon black particles undergoes monotonic and repeated progressive tensile loading to better understand the influence of the printing direction on the electro-mechanical properties of three-dimensional-printed samples. The objective is to analyse the electro-mechanical behaviour of this composite for its potential application as an actuator. The classical laminate theory is also applied to evaluate the relevance of this theory in predicting the mechanical characteristics of this material. In addition, a comprehensive damage analysis is performed using acoustic emission, infrared thermography, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray microcomputed tomography imaging. Results show that the degradation of the mechanical and electrical properties is highly influenced by the printing direction. The appearance and development of crazes in 0° filaments are highlighted and quantified. The conclusions drawn by this study underline the interest in using longitudinal and unidirectional printing directions to improve the conductive path within the samples. Furthermore, the evolution of the resistance throughout the experiments emphasizes the need to control the implemented voltage in the design of future electro-thermally triggered actuators. Full article

Trametes lactinea is a macrofungus commonly found on broadleaf tree felling piles with rich bioactivity, and its main active substances are polysaccharides, which have a certain medicinal value. Few studies have been conducted on the simultaneous study of intracellular and extracellular polysaccharides of fermented mycelia in liquid culture. In this study, T. lactinea collected from Eucalyptus stumps was subjected to liquid fermentation culturing and the extraction of intracellular and extracellular polysaccharides from the mycelium was optimized using unidirectional and orthogonal test methods. The intracellular and extracellular crude polysaccharides were isolated and purified, and polysaccharide fractions were obtained and assayed for their chemical composition. The main findings of this study are as follows: (1) The optimal conditions for the extraction of intracellular polysaccharides from T. lactinea mycelium were a material–liquid ratio of 1:40, an extraction temperature of 100 °C, a time of 5 h, and four repeats, wherein the polysaccharide extraction rate reached 5.1%. The optimal extraction conditions for the extracellular polysaccharides were a concentration ratio of 5:1, a concentration temperature of 70 °C, an ethanol concentration of 100.0%, and an alcohol settling time of 12 h. The polysaccharides could thus be extracted up to 0.63 mg/mL. (2) The intracellular and extracellular crude polysaccharides of T. lactinea mycelium were successfully isolated and purified, resulting in three homogeneous fractions of intracellular polysaccharides (IP-1, IP-2, and IP-3) and two homogeneous fractions of extracellular polysaccharides (EP-1 and EP-2). (3) The polysaccharide chemical composition resulted in the highest total sugar content of EP-1. IP-3 had the highest uronic acid content. The results of the monosaccharide composition analysis showed that the mycelial intracellular polysaccharides IP-1, IP-2, and IP-3 were all highest in glucose. Both IP-2 and IP-3 contained guluronic acid and glucuronic acid. Mannose was the most abundant extracellular polysaccharide in both EP-1 and EP-2. This study provides theoretical and technical bases for the comprehensive development and utilization of T. lactinea polysaccharides. Full article

Conductive nanocomposites play a significant role in tissue engineering by providing a platform to support cell growth, tissue regeneration, and electrical stimulation. In the present study, a set of electroconductive nanocomposite hydrogels based on gelatin (G), chitosan (CH), and conductive carbon black (CB) was synthesized with the aim of developing novel biomaterials for tissue regeneration application. The incorporation of conductive carbon black (10, 15 and 20 wt.%) significantly improved electrical conductivity and enhanced mechanical properties with the increased CB content. We employed an oversimplified unidirectional freezing technique to impart anisotropic morphology with interconnected porous architecture. An investigation into whether any anisotropic morphology affects the mechanical properties of hydrogel was conducted by performing compression and cyclic compression tests in each direction parallel and perpendicular to macroporous channels. Interestingly, the nanocomposite with 10% CB produced both anisotropic morphology and mechanical properties, whereas anisotropic pore morphology diminished at higher CB concentrations (15 and 20%), imparting a denser texture. Collectively, the nanocomposite hydrogels showed great structural stability as well as good mechanical stability and reversibility. Under repeated compressive cyclic at 50% deformation, the nanocomposite hydrogels showed preconditioning, characteristic hysteresis, nonlinear elasticity, and toughness. Overall, the collective mechanical behavior resembled the mechanics of soft tissues. The electrical impedance associated with the hydrogels was studied in terms of the magnitude and phase angle in dry and wet conditions. The electrical properties of the nanocomposite hydrogels conducted in wet conditions, which is more physiologically relevant, showed a decreasing magnitude with increased CB concentrations, with a resistive-like behavior in the range 1 kHz–1 MHz and a capacitive-like behavior for frequencies <1 kHz and >1 MHz. Overall, the impedance of the nanocomposite hydrogels decreased with increased CB concentrations. Together, these nanocomposite hydrogels are compositionally, morphologically, mechanically, and electrically similar to native ECMs of many tissues. These gelatin-chitosan–carbon black nanocomposite hydrogels show great promise for use as conducting substrates for the growth of electro-responsive cells in tissue engineering. Full article

This paper presents an experimental analysis of the tensile behavior of unidirectional carbon/epoxy prepreg, focusing on the nonlinearity observed at the beginning of the stress–strain curve. Due to the material’s high viscosity, securely holding specimens during testing was challenging, prompting modifications in the gripping method to ensure reliable data. By using a longer gauge length, the slippage impact on elastic modulus measurement was minimized, resulting in good repeatability among the test samples. Experimental findings highlighted the significant interaction between fiber waviness and the viscous matrix, leading to stiffness reduction. The linear stiffness of the samples closely matched that of the fibers and remained unaffected by temperature variations. However, at higher temperatures, the epoxy matrix’s decreased viscosity caused an upward shift in the stiffness plot within the non-linear region. To support the experimental findings, a micromechanical model of prepreg tow with fiber waviness was proposed. An RVE model of periodically distributed unidirectional waved cylindrical fibers embedded within the matrix was developed to predict effective material stiffness parameters. The simulation outcomes aligned well with the uniaxial tensile test of the prepreg tow, demonstrating the proposed RVE model’s capability to accurately predict elastic properties, considering factors like fiber arrangement, waviness, and temperature. Full article

ISO 9283 is a significant guiding standard for assessing the performance characteristics of robots. The main objective of the present paper was to verify the repeatability of the Panasonic TM-2000 welding robot at a manufacturing company. The paper describes the workflow of the robot control program in the simulation software RoboDK, which created a complete welding station. The measurement, as well as the simulation, were possible thanks to designing the measuring device, the imaginary ISO cube, the measuring plane, the measuring points, and last but not least, the cycle that determined in which order the points were measured. The analytical part of the paper resulted in a direct measurement of the position repeatability of the welding robot. A total of five points were measured for the X-axis and five points for the Y-axis. Each point was recorded 30 times, with measurements taken in the positive direction of motion. The results were compared with the value given by the manufacturer, and the measured deviations were presented graphically. Full article

The aim of this work was to optimize spot welding of unidirectional tapes made of polycarbonate and carbon fibers. Three studies were performed to investigate the influences of various welding conditions on the quality of the welded spot. First, we used a full factorial experimental design to analyze the influence of temperature and time on the welds’ tensile stress at break. Second, we repeated the experiment with optimized settings and conditions. Finally, we adopted a central composite design (CCD) to investigate the stability of the process. Our results show that temperature had the greatest influence on weld quality. The maximum tensile stress achieved was 23 MPa. Using a relatively high temperature for a short welding time resulted in self-cleaning of the welding head and in a faster and more stable process, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) confirmed that these conditions caused no additional degradation. Full article