Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly referred to as 3D printing, is an innovative manufacturing technology that has the potential of disrupting the manufacturing industry on a scale not seen since the industrial revolution. It has the potential to move the current manufacturing paradigm of mass production of a single product to mass customization of products to meet individual customer needs. The rapid growth of interest in the additive manufacturing technologies is prompting the question of how to finance such unprecedented potential growth and use of the AM technology especially at the consumer, entrepreneurial and small and medium (SME) sized business level. In this paper, the authors propose a financing alternative that matches the democratizing of manufacturing process by additive manufacturing technologies. It focuses on the heavy consumer, entrepreneurial and SME involvement in the co-creation process of manufacturing using AM technologies. We emphasize crowdfunding as a viable funding vehicle for AM due to its similarity in character to AM. We show how AM innovators are utilizing crowdfunding that is fast democratizing the financing of innovation and allows consumers to become financiers and provide input to development of a product or service. Innovative crowdfunding matches well with the needs and the mass customization nature of characteristics of additive manufacturing technologies.
Additive manufacturing (AM) is an umbrella term for various layer-based manufacturing processes which are often portrayed as a new technological revolution. Despite impressive AM process developments the revenue of the AM industry is still a fraction of that of other manufacturing processes. This AM based revenue discrepancy raises many questions. They include: (1) What makes AM so special? and (2) How could the disruptive potential of AM be unlocked? We seek to add to the literature by providing an answer to elements of these questions through the development of a framework we call the 'Magic Cube'. We utilize the concept of vertical and horizontal innovation theory as one basis for this framework. Further we adopt a tension perspective on automation and individualisation drawn from operations research to develop a theoretical framework. The result is the 'Magic Cube', a tool that is designed to support researchers and practitioners in demonstrating the unique strengths of AM and its potential areas of application.
Stretchable strain sensors that can detect and monitor human motion have attracted enormous attention in the field. To realize fully the translation of materials for stretchable strain sensors, it is important to make the fabrication way less complex and lessen the production cost. This paper investigated low-cost graphite-VHB strain sensors prepared by simple friction-transfer method. Designed by friction-transfer method, the graphite-VHB strain sensor possesses good flexibility, light weight, high stretchability and tunable range of GF. The gauge factor of the sample was 20 when strain rate was 3% and could be over 1000 when the strain rate was 50%. The addition of protection layer and pre-aging process have contributions to expand the GF of the sample. By attaching our strain sensor to the sample of mechanical arm, the resistance change of the sensor perfectly fitted to the deformation of the arm, which shows its potential in application of soft robotics and mechanical fields. The results showed the friction-transfer method is a simple and low-cost method, featured with environmental advantage that avoids chemical wastes.
When research is undertaken with the aim of creating a product to address real-world problems, incorporating considerations for manufacturing early in the creative process is important to reduce the barriers to translation later in development. A general description of the product development process is provided within the context of design for manufacturing. Building technologies on existing infrastructure for manufacturing can dramatically reduce the cost and time to create a product. The trade off of such an approach is that the work may not be deemed novel and may, thus, be harder to publish. A brief overview of recent work by several groups to develop a point-of-care test for Zika virus illustrates the repercussions of different approaches to novelty versus manufacturability. Actionable guidance is given for both researchers and those that support the research endeavor, such as funders and editors of peer-reviewed journals, on how to incorporate manufacturing into early research.
The Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) attempts to fuse together basic research, battery design, and pathways to market, bypassing the high-risks, high-costs, and market entry-challenges of sustainable energy technology. Focusing on JCESR's publications record, this paper highlights qualities of the Triple Helix model of government-university-firm interactions, particularly the nearly ten thousand instances of research collaboration, the nearly three thousand collaborative instances among JCESR's affiliated institutions and beyond, and the expanding disciplinary focus. These findings are confirmed with the first-ever survey of lithium-ion battery researchers. Despite intentions to commercialize battery technology in line with the tenets of the Triple Helix paradigm, battery storage research under JCESR remains primarily basic in orientation, thus diminishing opportunities for public-private research collaboration and commercialization. Nonetheless, JCESR provides a foundation for continued efforts to leverage synergies across the Triple Helix of battery storage research.
Many see additive manufacturing (AM) and the internet of things (IoT) as two of the harbingers of the next Schumpeterian Cycle or Industry 4.0 (I 4.0). We use business cycle theory to demonstrate the technology basis for these technologies commercial interactions. We describe how AM techniques are poised to assist in overcoming hurdles in the IoT infrastructure technologies and how the IoT technologies are assisting AM based techniques. We discuss a model for AM application, and how international collaboration is speeding their co-development. We set the bases for the importance of emerging techniques in AM and the IoT that which are now helping to form the basis of I 4.0.
Nano-glues rely on surface chemistry to intimately bond two surfaces together. The bond can be removable, which means it has to weaken, usually with temperature, or it can be a permanent bond, valued for strength, with a covalent bond yielding the highest strength. A practical covalent nanoglue based upon self-assembled monolayers (SAM) with amine and carboxyl termination is demonstrated, and applicable to any surface that bonds these SAM layers. For bonding flat or deformable layers, the SAM layers on each surface bond directly to each other with a peptide or nylon-like bond. For a removable bond or longer covalent structure, nylon chains are grown between the layers to bridge the gap for non-flat and non-flexible substrates. Bond strength and reliability are measured for several preparation schemes for the intermediate layer. A crystallization process is developed to pre-align the intermediate layer precursors and drive off the solvent to improve bond reliability and insure covalent bonding from wafer to wafer (W2W). Both covalent and removable bonds are created. Temperature dependence of the removable bond strength is measured, while the covalent bonds are stronger than our measurement process. The nanoglue does not bond until activated by (modest) heating, so alignment is enabled, and it is directly compatible with a wafer level fluid-self-alignment (FSA) process described elsewhere.
Detecting dynamic multi-scale human motion requires the stretchable strain sensor to possess outstanding properties in every aspect. Unlike conventional strain sensors which focus on changing conductive materials and preparing methods, we introduce a novel mechanical structure design to control the performance of the strain sensor. The performance of the device can be simply controlled by the structural design rather than complex materials adjustments. So the complexity of the material preparation will be greatly reduced, thus promotes the materials translation and production. By designing an asymmetric structure of elastomer substrate and protect layer with different adjustable parameters, the strain distribution in elastomer can be controlled, which finally change the performance of strain sensors. The experiment results illustrated our works on changing the stretchablity and sensitivity of the strain sensors. Application tests on human body including subtle-scale strain like pulse and large-scale strain like elbow bending are conducted to prove our capability for multi-scale motion detecting.
Redox-active organic molecules (ROMs) are an attractive alternative to the inorganic, charge-storing compounds typically used in modern batteries as they exhibit potentially superior electrochemical properties, a wide materials design space, and an abundance of raw constituent materials, which, in turn, may open pathways to inexpensive energy storage. However, as most of these molecules are not produced on a commercial scale, assessing the cost proposition of new ROMs is a challenging but critical task for projecting the economic viability of incipient battery technologies. Here, we evaluate different cost estimation methods, explain their application, and determine their practicality for newly developed materials. For this purpose, we use anthraquinone disulfonic acid as a benchmark material, as this compound has been proposed for redox flow batteries and is already produced on an industrial scale. Our results show that simple cost estimation methods are easy to apply but ultimately fail to provide reliable cost information due to their limited accuracy. In contrast, more advanced methods offer more consistent and precise cost estimates but depend on detailed process knowledge rarely obtainable for new organic molecules. Furthermore, our cost analysis proves the feasibility of ROMs at the costs necessary to enable grid storage technologies that meet established cost targets.
Nanoparticle delivery systems are gaining traction in their clinical utility and are investigated for the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs, siRNAs and other agents, and also as diagnostic and imaging applications. As research focused on improving the delivery of nanoparticles progresses, it is clear that the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles play an important role in their biological performance. Nanoparticles of various sizes, shapes, elasticities, and surface chemistries are becoming more widely used; however, this presents a number of translational challenges from a materials point of view. Specifically, as nanoparticle delivery systems become more advanced, methods for their synthesis, scale-up, and characterization need to follow suit. Furthermore, as advancements in technology allow for precise control over all nanoparticle parameters, approaches to systematically analyze the effects these parameters have on nanoparticle performance are essential. Here, we broadly highlight the material challenges associated with nanoparticle translation with specific emphasis on synthesis, scale-up, characterization, and analysis of biological performance.
It is shown that water proton NMR can detect uncontrolled clustering of inert nanoparticles (NPs) formulated as aqueous suspensions. The clustering of NPs causes the compartmentalization of water molecules, leading to accelerated proton spin de-coherence, and hence, much faster water transverse relaxation rates. The results suggest that water proton NMR can be used to noninvasively inspect NP products by commercial end users and researchers.
Flexible electronic manufacturing based on two-dimensional (2D) materials is one of the fastest growing areas of the electronics industry. To realize full translation of these materials, it is important to reduce the production cost and make fabrication much less complex. In this research, we systematically proposed and studied a highly efficient and low cost friction method, which can generally produce 2D nanomaterials (2D nanosheets, including graphite nanosheets, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets and molybdenum disulphides (MoS2) nanosheets, and 2D atomic crystals, including graphene, h-BN atomic crystals, and MoS2 atomic crystals) on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films, in one simple process. We showed that 2D nanomaterial/PET samples have their own features and can be used for various potential applications, such as flexible heaters, flexible strain sensors, flexible respiration sensors and flexible humidity sensors. The results showed that the friction method is a fast (minutes) and low cost (cheap raw materials and room temperature procedures) method, featuring environmental advantages (transfer-free, thus avoiding chemical waste).
The application potential of silver (Ag) nanoparticles as low-emissivity (low-e) coating materials has been discussed. Ag nanoparticles with an average diameter of about 50 nm were prepared via a wet-chemical method and applied on the surface of glass by spin coating. The as-prepared Ag nanoparticle films showed a typical surface emissivity of about 0.793, compared to about 0.837 of the plain glass substrate. After a mild heat treatment at 200 °C, the annealed Ag nanoparticle films showed a substantially reduced surface emissivity value as low as 0.015. The corresponding structural evolution of Ag nanoparticle films during the heat treatment and its effect on the surface emissivity were discussed by means of scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that forming an interconnected, porous network of Ag nanoparticles is essential for achieving the low-e effect for this material. By applying such low-e coatings, the heat loss through a double-glazed window can be reduced by about 35% (U-value reduction from 2.75 to 1.78 W (m2K)−1). This work may inspire further efforts to address the energy efficiency issues in the building sector by taking the advantage of nanomaterials and nanotechnology.
Bioactive glasses are able to chemically bond to hard and soft tissues and have been proposed and used for tissue regeneration in several dentistry and medical applications. However, the majority of bioactive glass compositions do not support prolonged or repeated heat treatments, since these procedures often result in uncontrolled crystallization, which usually degrade their mechanical properties and, in most instances, substantially diminish their bioactivity. Therefore, the manufacturing of 3D devices, fibers or scaffolds, which aim to expand the usage of these materials, is a challenging task. To overcome this phenomenon, a new bioactive glass composition was recently developed at the Vitreous Materials Laboratory (LaMaV—UFSCar, Brazil) and licensed to the start-up company VETRA. This new bioactive glass composition shows high stability against crystallization coupled with high bioactivity, which allows the development of bioactive fibers, meshes and other complex 3D shapes. In addition, this bioactive glass has an elevated bioactivity, is bioresorbable and flexible (in fiber form), which makes this glass a potential alternative for soft and hard tissue regeneration. In this article, we discuss this recent development and summarize the latest advances in testing the effectiveness of this new material in in vitro and in vivo tests. To date, the results indicate that this new glass composition presents a larger workability window, which allows the development of numerous medical devices. This feature combined with the high bioactivity of this new glass delivers a promising broad spectrum of applications as a material for tissue engineering.
An extremely simple, fast, cost-effective, transfer-and chemical-free, reliable and industrially scalable non-conventional rubbing method (substrates rubbing method) for obtaining high quality and large size mono-and few layer (MFL) graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and other two-dimensional (2D) material nanostripes (NSs) consisting of arrays of quantum dots, films and hybrid nanostructures consisting of NSs and/or films on different rigid and flexible inorganic and organic substrates with atomically flat or stepped (terraced) surfaces, as well as their dispersion and powder is suggested. 2D materials are obtained manually (homemade) or mechanically (for mass production) by rubbing graphite or other layered bulk materials on dielectric, semiconducting and metallic substrates at atmospheric pressure conditions. The combination of microscopic, spectroscopic and electrical characterization techniques, i.e. optical, atomic force (AFM), scanning electron (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron (HR-TEM) microscopy, ultraviolet x-ray photoelectron (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and I-V measurements reveal the mechanism of the formation of unique 2D material NSs and films consisting of the NSs on different substrates by defining the efficient rubbing conditions, as well as the requirements to both the substrates and material being rubbed (layered bulk powder, highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), fullerene, nanotube). The suggested ecologically clean technology, in contrast to the conventional technologies, drastically decreases the production cost and time, facilitating the making process and avoiding the use of chemicals, solutions and any device, thus paving the way to industrial-scale 2D material production and new applications in next generation ultrathin, lightweight flexible, hybrid and wearable electronics, as well as 2D material enhanced products.
A major challenge in the commercialization of additive manufactured (AM) materials and processes is the ability to achieve acceptance of processes and products. Progress towards acceptance has been made by adapting legacy qualification paradigms to match with the very limited process control and monitoring offered by AM machines. The opportunity for in-situ measurement can provide process monitoring and control perhaps changing the way we qualify parts however it is limited by lack of adequate process measurement methods. New measurement techniques, sensors and correlations to relevant phenomena are needed that enable process control and monitoring for consistently producing high quality articles. Beyond process data we need to characterize uncertainties of performance in all aspects of material, process and final part. These are prerequisites to achieving articles that are indeed worthy of materials characterization efforts that establish a microstructural reference of desirable performance through process-structure-property relations. Only then can industry apply physics based understanding of the material, part and process to probabilistically predict performance of an AM part. This paper provides a brief overview, discussion of hurdles and key areas where R&D investment is needed.
Under U.S. federal regulation 31 CFR §312, medical interventions must report on a series of clinical trials phases before being submitted for approval for release to the U.S. market. Clinical trials are now being performed on medical interventions that were constructed through additive manufacturing. Serious adverse events (SAEs) in clinical trials would be the first indicator of problems in the application of additive manufacturing to medical interventions. Techniques for the visual display of aggregates of reports from clinical trials involving additive manufacturing will become more important as data becomes Big Data. Novel methods are needed for economically displaying clinical trials Big Data to industry watchers, investors and other interested parties. Aggregate indicators of additive manufacturing-based clinical trials SAEs would be of particular interest to industry watchers, investors and policy makers. In the present study, indexes are constructed comprising percents of interventional clinical trials reporting SAEs from 1997–2014, aggregated by the year in which the study commenced. The present research falls within the discipline of biomedical informatics.
Composites innovation enables new products and processes, but also involves prolonged periods of technological and market uncertainty. Composites manufacturing is dominated by tacit knowledge and the lack of standardization, and thus can be characterized as a low modularity and low maturity technology. Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) may lack the resources to undertake research and development (R&D) and may forgo promising advances because of unacceptable levels of technological uncertainty. Where such companies predominate, composites translational research centres (CTRCs), such as the Composites Research Network (CRN) studied here, can play an important role in supporting and developing industrial innovation capabilities. The primary aim of this paper is to ground anecdotal observation to established innovation management theory relating to strategies addressing technological and market uncertainty in science-based technology sectors. To do this, we examine the translation of university-based composites R&D to SMEs. Through detailed case study analysis of two regional SMEs, including interventions by CRN, we examine the technological and market uncertainties encountered by these companies in their commercialization process, and how these uncertainties can be more effectively managed with the translation of composites manufacturing science from university-based labs to SME products. We analyze the current role of CRN in helping SMEs to reduce technological uncertainty, and the potential role of CRN in helping SMEs to identify market opportunity for subsequent innovation. In both instances, we show that CRN's intervention reduced technological risk. The ability to retain manufacturing competencies in Canada and to capitalize on new market opportunities was realized in one of the cases studied. Mistakes made and lessons learned as CRN matured in working with SMEs are discussed. We demonstrate both the uncertainties faced by SMEs in composites innovation and the role a translational research centre can play in managing these uncertainties, highlighting what appears as a key difference between supporting a large company and an SME.
