Pub Date : 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105088
James C. Haley , Chris Fancher , Gyan Shankar , Kyle Saleeby , Calen Kimmel , John Potter , Wei Tang , Ke An , Dunji Yu , Alex Plotkowski
Directed Energy Deposition (DED) offers rapid large scale fabrication, but difficulty in delivering consistent microstructures and properties hinders the use of DED fabricated components in safety or performance critical applications. Variability stems from the complex thermal cycles generated by the toolpath used to print the required geometry. Several practical methods have become established in DED to regulate overheating, such as active cooling of the baseplate structure or the use of an infrared camera to inject interlayer pauses to ensure the top layer of the component cools to a set temperature, which have been shown to affect microstructure. However, no critical assessment has been performed as to how effective these controls are in promoting microstructural uniformity in the context of complex layer timing commonly generated by non-prismatic geometries. Here we show how controls influence the thermal field, phase transformations, and dynamic annealing of a low-temperature transformation steel using infrared imaging and operando neutron diffraction. Counterintuitively, common thermal homogenization process controls can reduce microstructural uniformity because these approaches stabilize peak temperature while overlooking temperatures near the solid-state phase transformation fronts. Instead, the cyclic reheating induces spatially-variant dynamically annealed regions which can be modulated via control parameters. We show that these controls have spatially linked effects centimeters away from the active weld, which implies that microstructure control must co-optimize thermal input across many subsequent layers. Our results demonstrate the pressing need for higher order controls that integrate predictive elements of simulation data to stabilize printed properties for future qualification of DED components.
{"title":"Infrared triggered dwell and active cooling thermal control effects on microstructural uniformity in DED","authors":"James C. Haley , Chris Fancher , Gyan Shankar , Kyle Saleeby , Calen Kimmel , John Potter , Wei Tang , Ke An , Dunji Yu , Alex Plotkowski","doi":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105088","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105088","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Directed Energy Deposition (DED) offers rapid large scale fabrication, but difficulty in delivering consistent microstructures and properties hinders the use of DED fabricated components in safety or performance critical applications. Variability stems from the complex thermal cycles generated by the toolpath used to print the required geometry. Several practical methods have become established in DED to regulate overheating, such as active cooling of the baseplate structure or the use of an infrared camera to inject interlayer pauses to ensure the top layer of the component cools to a set temperature, which have been shown to affect microstructure. However, no critical assessment has been performed as to how effective these controls are in promoting microstructural uniformity in the context of complex layer timing commonly generated by non-prismatic geometries. Here we show how controls influence the thermal field, phase transformations, and dynamic annealing of a low-temperature transformation steel using infrared imaging and operando neutron diffraction. Counterintuitively, common thermal homogenization process controls can reduce microstructural uniformity because these approaches stabilize peak temperature while overlooking temperatures near the solid-state phase transformation fronts. Instead, the cyclic reheating induces spatially-variant dynamically annealed regions which can be modulated via control parameters. We show that these controls have spatially linked effects centimeters away from the active weld, which implies that microstructure control must co-optimize thermal input across many subsequent layers. Our results demonstrate the pressing need for higher order controls that integrate predictive elements of simulation data to stabilize printed properties for future qualification of DED components.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7172,"journal":{"name":"Additive manufacturing","volume":"118 ","pages":"Article 105088"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105077
Hannes Panzer , David L. Wenzler , Dominik Rauner , Josef Spachtholz , Stefan Dopfer , Stefan Hermann , Christian Yankacar , Fabian Hackl , Michael F. Zaeh
Additive manufacturing enables the production of complex geometries with a high material efficiency, making it a key technology in modern manufacturing. However, in powder bed fusion of metals using a laser beam (PBF-LB/M), an inhomogeneous thermal energy input can lead to residual stresses and microstructural irregularities, resulting in inconsistent mechanical properties. Addressing these issues in advance requires an efficient predictive modeling and localized process parameter adaptations. While sole numerical simulations offer insights into the thermal field, their computational cost limits a scalability, making methods based on artificial intelligence (AI) a promising alternative. In this study, an AI-driven approach to predict and homogenize the thermal behavior and, therefore, the microstructure in PBF-LB/M was designed. The approach is based on a style-based generative adversarial network (sbGAN) considering process statistics while remaining consistent with the underlying process physics. Optical tomography (OT) data along with finite element simulations were used to train, to validate, and to test the sbGAN model for Inconel 718 in terms of OT image predictions. The predicted images were then utilized to apply a laser power modification approach to reduce two types of overheating. These are characterized by a geometry-induced overheating, caused by part shapes with a reduced heat flux towards the build platform, and a vector-induced overheating, arising from short scan paths and low laser beam return times within individual layers. The effectiveness of this approach was assessed through the degree of OT signal uniformity and the microstructural homogeneity. The findings of this study proved the operational performance of the sbGAN model in predicting OT data both qualitatively and quantitatively. Overheated regions were reliably predicted, and the results agreed well with the experimental observations. For various test build jobs, the predicted mean values deviated by a maximum of 1.64% from the experimental values, while the standard deviation values differed by a maximum of 15.72%. The subsequent homogenization approach was demonstrated to be useful in reducing overheating. This approach contributed to a homogenization of the thermal signals and, by this, of the microstructure in PBF-LB/M. These findings advance AI-driven thermal modeling and process optimization, improving the final part quality and enhancing the reliability of PBF-LB/M.
{"title":"Prediction and homogenization of optical tomography images and microstructure during powder bed fusion of metals using a laser beam by means of a style-based generative adversarial network","authors":"Hannes Panzer , David L. Wenzler , Dominik Rauner , Josef Spachtholz , Stefan Dopfer , Stefan Hermann , Christian Yankacar , Fabian Hackl , Michael F. Zaeh","doi":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105077","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105077","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Additive manufacturing enables the production of complex geometries with a high material efficiency, making it a key technology in modern manufacturing. However, in powder bed fusion of metals using a laser beam (PBF-LB/M), an inhomogeneous thermal energy input can lead to residual stresses and microstructural irregularities, resulting in inconsistent mechanical properties. Addressing these issues in advance requires an efficient predictive modeling and localized process parameter adaptations. While sole numerical simulations offer insights into the thermal field, their computational cost limits a scalability, making methods based on artificial intelligence (AI) a promising alternative. In this study, an AI-driven approach to predict and homogenize the thermal behavior and, therefore, the microstructure in PBF-LB/M was designed. The approach is based on a style-based generative adversarial network (sbGAN) considering process statistics while remaining consistent with the underlying process physics. Optical tomography (OT) data along with finite element simulations were used to train, to validate, and to test the sbGAN model for Inconel 718 in terms of OT image predictions. The predicted images were then utilized to apply a laser power modification approach to reduce two types of overheating. These are characterized by a geometry-induced overheating, caused by part shapes with a reduced heat flux towards the build platform, and a vector-induced overheating, arising from short scan paths and low laser beam return times within individual layers. The effectiveness of this approach was assessed through the degree of OT signal uniformity and the microstructural homogeneity. The findings of this study proved the operational performance of the sbGAN model in predicting OT data both qualitatively and quantitatively. Overheated regions were reliably predicted, and the results agreed well with the experimental observations. For various test build jobs, the predicted mean values deviated by a maximum of 1.64% from the experimental values, while the standard deviation values differed by a maximum of 15.72%. The subsequent homogenization approach was demonstrated to be useful in reducing overheating. This approach contributed to a homogenization of the thermal signals and, by this, of the microstructure in PBF-LB/M. These findings advance AI-driven thermal modeling and process optimization, improving the final part quality and enhancing the reliability of PBF-LB/M.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7172,"journal":{"name":"Additive manufacturing","volume":"116 ","pages":"Article 105077"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105076
Lars Eisele, Anselm Heuer, Wilfried V. Liebig
In the context of lightweight design and functional integration, the generation of foamed structures in additive manufacturing represents a key technological objective. Conventional foaming methods often rely on chemical blowing agents or physical foaming in downstream processes such as autoclaves, which require complex process chains and high energy input. To address these limitations, this work presents a first feasibility demonstration of a process-integrated mechanical foaming approach for material extrusion, ensuring continuous production in an in-line foaming process. A modular nozzle was developed, in which carbon dioxide is injected into the polymer melt under high pressure during extrusion. Gas enters the melt through a porous medium embedded in the nozzle, enabling controlled gas transfer while preventing melt backflow. This mechanism facilitates mechanical foaming within the nozzle itself, eliminating the need for separate process stages. Systematic material screening showed that metallic porous media with submicron pore diameters provide sufficient resistance to melt intrusion while allowing stable gas injection. Extrusion trials with polylactic acid confirmed that the resulting foam morphology depends on the gas-to-melt mass flow ratio, yielding uniform microcellular structures with porosities up to 25 % and mean pore diameters around 100 µm. The presented results demonstrate that stable foam extrusion based on mechanical foaming through in-nozzle gas injection is feasible, and they establish the foundation for further investigations aimed at process refinement towards finer microcellular structures and fully additively manufactured foamed components.
{"title":"In situ mechanical foaming in fused filament fabrication","authors":"Lars Eisele, Anselm Heuer, Wilfried V. Liebig","doi":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105076","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105076","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the context of lightweight design and functional integration, the generation of foamed structures in additive manufacturing represents a key technological objective. Conventional foaming methods often rely on chemical blowing agents or physical foaming in downstream processes such as autoclaves, which require complex process chains and high energy input. To address these limitations, this work presents a first feasibility demonstration of a process-integrated mechanical foaming approach for material extrusion, ensuring continuous production in an in-line foaming process. A modular nozzle was developed, in which carbon dioxide is injected into the polymer melt under high pressure during extrusion. Gas enters the melt through a porous medium embedded in the nozzle, enabling controlled gas transfer while preventing melt backflow. This mechanism facilitates mechanical foaming within the nozzle itself, eliminating the need for separate process stages. Systematic material screening showed that metallic porous media with submicron pore diameters provide sufficient resistance to melt intrusion while allowing stable gas injection. Extrusion trials with polylactic acid confirmed that the resulting foam morphology depends on the gas-to-melt mass flow ratio, yielding uniform microcellular structures with porosities up to 25<!--> <!-->% and mean pore diameters around 100<!--> <!-->µm. The presented results demonstrate that stable foam extrusion based on mechanical foaming through in-nozzle gas injection is feasible, and they establish the foundation for further investigations aimed at process refinement towards finer microcellular structures and fully additively manufactured foamed components.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7172,"journal":{"name":"Additive manufacturing","volume":"117 ","pages":"Article 105076"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-08DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2025.105054
Nathaniel Wood , Edwin Schwalbach , Sean Donegan , Andrew Gillman , David J. Hoelzle
This paper reports on the application of the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) as an Instantiated Digital Twin to estimate the temperature field inside a part being manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) for the purposes of in-process quality control and validation. The EnKF assimilates a physics-based model with experimental data for a feedback correction that compensates for model uncertainty. The paper describes the EnKF architecture and model development and demonstrates the effectiveness of EnKF under three subsets of PBF process physics: low temperature lasing which only induces heat conduction, nominal temperature lasing that introduces meltpool convection and radiation, and the full L-PBF processes thus introducing all modes of heat transfer for L-PBF. In comparison to the physics-based model without EnKF feedback, the EnKF demonstrates a reduction in temperature estimation error at the top surface of at least 94% for all tests. At higher temperature processing, and thus increased EnKF model uncertainty, the EnKF exhibits spurious non-physical temperature estimates at isolated spatial locations, which must be filtered out and systematic methods to eliminate this issue are reserved for future work.
{"title":"Experimental validation of the Ensemble Kalman Filter as a Laser Powder Bed Fusion digital twin","authors":"Nathaniel Wood , Edwin Schwalbach , Sean Donegan , Andrew Gillman , David J. Hoelzle","doi":"10.1016/j.addma.2025.105054","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addma.2025.105054","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper reports on the application of the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) as an Instantiated Digital Twin to estimate the temperature field inside a part being manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) for the purposes of in-process quality control and validation. The EnKF assimilates a physics-based model with experimental data for a feedback correction that compensates for model uncertainty. The paper describes the EnKF architecture and model development and demonstrates the effectiveness of EnKF under three subsets of PBF process physics: low temperature lasing which only induces heat conduction, nominal temperature lasing that introduces meltpool convection and radiation, and the full L-PBF processes thus introducing all modes of heat transfer for L-PBF. In comparison to the physics-based model without EnKF feedback, the EnKF demonstrates a reduction in temperature estimation error at the top surface of at least 94% for all tests. At higher temperature processing, and thus increased EnKF model uncertainty, the EnKF exhibits spurious non-physical temperature estimates at isolated spatial locations, which must be filtered out and systematic methods to eliminate this issue are reserved for future work.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7172,"journal":{"name":"Additive manufacturing","volume":"117 ","pages":"Article 105054"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-08DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105078
Xiangyu Wang , Sizhe Wang , Beifang Deng , Zhenbang Liu , Mingyang Li , Kah Jun Yam , Quoc Nghia Vuong , Teck Neng Wong , Bak Koon Teoh , Ming Jen Tan
This study explores vertical insertion of steel rebars into 3D printed concrete (3DPC) using a robotic arm, enabling reinforcement during the printing process. A robotic system comprising a mobile base, a 6-axis robotic arm, a force/torque sensor, and a gripper was employed, alongside a dedicated algorithm for self-calibrating surface detection and force-controlled insertion. To enhance bond performance, grouting with epoxy or high-flowability cementitious materials was investigated. A total of 19 specimens were fabricated for the pull-out test, while 3 specimens were reserved for visual inspections. Pull-out tests identified four failure modes: concrete splitting, rebar pull-out with or without splitting, and rebar fracture. Steel cable confinement prevented splitting failure and increased bond strengths. Grouting improved bond strength up to 24–42 %, whereas 0.5 vol% PVA fibers in the printed matrix reduced bond performance by 11.55 %. Confined specimens with 100 mm bond lengths and grouting exhibited rebar fracture without concrete damage, indicating sufficient bond capacity for structural applications. Visual inspections of specimens indicated that non-grouted specimens exhibited minor voids in the upper region, while grouting effectively filled voids along the insertion path. Existing bond–slip models were evaluated for robotically inserted rebars, showing reasonable predictions for splitting failure but limited accuracy for pull-out failure. An analytical model was developed based on thick-walled cylinder and fictitious crack models. Overall, robotic rebar insertion (combined with grouting) achieved an acceptable bond performance by observing rebar fracture during the pull-out test, demonstrating the feasibility and potential of this automated reinforcement strategy in 3DPC.
{"title":"Robotic rebar insertion and grouting for reinforcement of 3D printed concrete: Technique development and bond behavior characterization","authors":"Xiangyu Wang , Sizhe Wang , Beifang Deng , Zhenbang Liu , Mingyang Li , Kah Jun Yam , Quoc Nghia Vuong , Teck Neng Wong , Bak Koon Teoh , Ming Jen Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105078","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105078","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores vertical insertion of steel rebars into 3D printed concrete (3DPC) using a robotic arm, enabling reinforcement during the printing process. A robotic system comprising a mobile base, a 6-axis robotic arm, a force/torque sensor, and a gripper was employed, alongside a dedicated algorithm for self-calibrating surface detection and force-controlled insertion. To enhance bond performance, grouting with epoxy or high-flowability cementitious materials was investigated. A total of 19 specimens were fabricated for the pull-out test, while 3 specimens were reserved for visual inspections. Pull-out tests identified four failure modes: concrete splitting, rebar pull-out with or without splitting, and rebar fracture. Steel cable confinement prevented splitting failure and increased bond strengths. Grouting improved bond strength up to 24–42 %, whereas 0.5 vol% PVA fibers in the printed matrix reduced bond performance by 11.55 %. Confined specimens with 100 mm bond lengths and grouting exhibited rebar fracture without concrete damage, indicating sufficient bond capacity for structural applications. Visual inspections of specimens indicated that non-grouted specimens exhibited minor voids in the upper region, while grouting effectively filled voids along the insertion path. Existing bond–slip models were evaluated for robotically inserted rebars, showing reasonable predictions for splitting failure but limited accuracy for pull-out failure. An analytical model was developed based on thick-walled cylinder and fictitious crack models. Overall, robotic rebar insertion (combined with grouting) achieved an acceptable bond performance by observing rebar fracture during the pull-out test, demonstrating the feasibility and potential of this automated reinforcement strategy in 3DPC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7172,"journal":{"name":"Additive manufacturing","volume":"117 ","pages":"Article 105078"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105080
Hyeok Bin Lee , Soo Wan Kim , Hyeon Yun Jeong , Young Jin Yang , Sung Hyun Park , Chul Ung Kang , Hyeon Beom Kim
The fabrication of flexible pressure sensors with micro-structured dielectric layers typically involves complex, costly, and time-consuming processes such as photolithography and molding, which also limit the design of complex three-dimensional geometries. This study presents an l approach to fabricating flexible capacitive pressure sensors by directly manufacturing an arch structure dielectric layer using photocurable 3D printing. By employing a commercial photopolymer (Agilus30), we monolithically fabricated a dielectric layer with an architecture inspired by structural arches. The resulting sensor exhibits excellent responsiveness and stability due to the optimized structure and the inherent durability of the material. As a result of the performance comparison with the non-structured (bulk) sensor fabricated from the same material, arch structure sensor demonstrates a sensitivity approximately 30 times higher than the bulk-structured counterpart, particularly in the low-pressure regime (≤ 100 kPa). The fabricated pressure sensor features high sensitivity (0.116 kPa⁻¹), a low limit of detection (20 Pa), a response time of approximately 300 ms, and excellent stability over 3500 cycles. These characteristics demonstrate potential for applications in wearable devices, and health monitoring systems, presenting a new pathway for optimizing sensor performance through direct additive manufacturing of complex dielectric architectures, thereby decoupling performance enhancement from novel material synthesis.
{"title":"A flexible capacitive pressure sensor with a monolithically 3D-Printed arch-structured dielectric layer","authors":"Hyeok Bin Lee , Soo Wan Kim , Hyeon Yun Jeong , Young Jin Yang , Sung Hyun Park , Chul Ung Kang , Hyeon Beom Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105080","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105080","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The fabrication of flexible pressure sensors with micro-structured dielectric layers typically involves complex, costly, and time-consuming processes such as photolithography and molding, which also limit the design of complex three-dimensional geometries. This study presents an l approach to fabricating flexible capacitive pressure sensors by directly manufacturing an arch structure dielectric layer using photocurable 3D printing. By employing a commercial photopolymer (Agilus30), we monolithically fabricated a dielectric layer with an architecture inspired by structural arches. The resulting sensor exhibits excellent responsiveness and stability due to the optimized structure and the inherent durability of the material. As a result of the performance comparison with the non-structured (bulk) sensor fabricated from the same material, arch structure sensor demonstrates a sensitivity approximately 30 times higher than the bulk-structured counterpart, particularly in the low-pressure regime (≤ 100 kPa). The fabricated pressure sensor features high sensitivity (0.116 kPa⁻¹), a low limit of detection (20 Pa), a response time of approximately 300 ms, and excellent stability over 3500 cycles. These characteristics demonstrate potential for applications in wearable devices, and health monitoring systems, presenting a new pathway for optimizing sensor performance through direct additive manufacturing of complex dielectric architectures, thereby decoupling performance enhancement from novel material synthesis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7172,"journal":{"name":"Additive manufacturing","volume":"117 ","pages":"Article 105080"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145969400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105083
Ruben del Olmo , Reynier I. Revilla , Floriane Debuisson , Kitty Baert , Brecht Van Hooreweder , Anne des Rieux , Iris De Graeve , Ana Santos-Coquillat
Additive manufacturing (AM) of Ti alloys, particularly for complex-shaped prosthetics in biomedicine, offers a promising solution for improving biomaterial applications in the human body. However, as-printed titanium alloys often present defects, such as partially molten particles and surface heterogeneities, which can hinder implant integration and cell-material interactions. This study investigates, for the first time, the impact of two surface treatments combined - chemical etching and electropolishing - on a scaffold-shaped Ti-6Al-4V alloy fabricated via laser powder bed fusion. While neither treatment achieved an optimal finish, their combination (etching + electropolishing) significantly reduced surface roughness and promoted a thicker, more homogeneous TiO₂ layer, resulting in a surface free of unmelted particles and a smooth finish. The materials were biocompatible with stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAP) in direct contact assays. While all scaffolds supported cell viability, the surface-modified candidate allowed a monolayer formation after 15 days in contact with the cells. Also, when seeded onto the material, an enhanced tissue-like matrix development was found after 28 days. An increased expression of CD90 and a conserved expression of CD73 and CD105 (positive stem cell markers) were observed after 28 days of culture, whereas osteogenic differentiation markers (Collagen I, alkaline phosphatase, and Runx2) were also increased, presenting a mixed population within the 3D structure. Additionally, no signs of oxidative stress were observed after 24 h with macrophages. These results demonstrate that combining etching and electropolishing for AM Ti alloys is a promising strategy for enhancing the biomedical performance of 3D-printed Ti alloys.
{"title":"Synergistic effects of etching and electropolishing on additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds for biomedical implants","authors":"Ruben del Olmo , Reynier I. Revilla , Floriane Debuisson , Kitty Baert , Brecht Van Hooreweder , Anne des Rieux , Iris De Graeve , Ana Santos-Coquillat","doi":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105083","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105083","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Additive manufacturing (AM) of Ti alloys, particularly for complex-shaped prosthetics in biomedicine, offers a promising solution for improving biomaterial applications in the human body. However, as-printed titanium alloys often present defects, such as partially molten particles and surface heterogeneities, which can hinder implant integration and cell-material interactions. This study investigates, for the first time, the impact of two surface treatments combined - chemical etching and electropolishing - on a scaffold-shaped Ti-6Al-4V alloy fabricated via laser powder bed fusion. While neither treatment achieved an optimal finish, their combination (etching + electropolishing) significantly reduced surface roughness and promoted a thicker, more homogeneous TiO₂ layer, resulting in a surface free of unmelted particles and a smooth finish. The materials were biocompatible with stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAP) in direct contact assays. While all scaffolds supported cell viability, the surface-modified candidate allowed a monolayer formation after 15 days in contact with the cells. Also, when seeded onto the material, an enhanced tissue-like matrix development was found after 28 days. An increased expression of CD90 and a conserved expression of CD73 and CD105 (positive stem cell markers) were observed after 28 days of culture, whereas osteogenic differentiation markers (Collagen I, alkaline phosphatase, and Runx2) were also increased, presenting a mixed population within the 3D structure. Additionally, no signs of oxidative stress were observed after 24 h with macrophages. These results demonstrate that combining etching and electropolishing for AM Ti alloys is a promising strategy for enhancing the biomedical performance of 3D-printed Ti alloys.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7172,"journal":{"name":"Additive manufacturing","volume":"116 ","pages":"Article 105083"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105082
Joana Zúquete , Simão Santos , Manuel F.R.P. Alves , Isabel Duarte , Krzysztof Naplocha , Susana M. Olhero , Georgina Miranda
Hydroxyapatite-Wollastonite/Magnesium alloy (HAp-Wol/Mg3Zn) Interpenetrating Phase Composites (IPCs) were developed by combining two different fabrication technologies, giving rise to a hybrid route for manufacturing innovative biomedical composites. A triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) geometry was modeled, exploring two different volume fractions to control ceramic/metal ratio and interconnectivity. HAp-Wol structures were manufactured using additive manufacturing vat photopolymerization, specifically Digital Light Processing technology. The thermal debinding and sintering process of the printed HAp-Wol ceramic were optimized to allow a subsequent infiltration of the TPMS structures with a Mg3Zn alloy via investment casting, materializing the designed interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs). This approach enabled an effective infiltration of the alloy without the presence of major defects. The compressive strength of the HAp-Wol/Mg3Zn IPCs was significantly higher than that of the ceramic counterparts, increasing from 6.5 MPa to 162.5 MPa for the IPCs having the lowest ceramic ratio. The ceramic phase evidenced the formation of an apatite-like layer at their surface upon in vitro dissolution tests, evidencing bioactivity, being the calcium-rich silicate phase strongly responsible for this behavior. IPCs revealed a higher dissolution rate than the ceramic counterpart. This study demonstrates the feasibility of this hybrid manufacturing route to fabricate HAp-Wol/Mg3Zn IPCs that can be tailored by design to meet the requirements of bone substitutes, namely the mechanical performance and absorption rate.
{"title":"Hybrid manufacturing of absorbable Hydroxyapatite-Wollastonite/Mg3Zn interpenetrating phase composites for bone substitutes","authors":"Joana Zúquete , Simão Santos , Manuel F.R.P. Alves , Isabel Duarte , Krzysztof Naplocha , Susana M. Olhero , Georgina Miranda","doi":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105082","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105082","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydroxyapatite-Wollastonite/Magnesium alloy (HAp-Wol/Mg3Zn) Interpenetrating Phase Composites (IPCs) were developed by combining two different fabrication technologies, giving rise to a hybrid route for manufacturing innovative biomedical composites. A triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) geometry was modeled, exploring two different volume fractions to control ceramic/metal ratio and interconnectivity. HAp-Wol structures were manufactured using additive manufacturing vat photopolymerization, specifically Digital Light Processing technology. The thermal debinding and sintering process of the printed HAp-Wol ceramic were optimized to allow a subsequent infiltration of the TPMS structures with a Mg3Zn alloy via investment casting, materializing the designed interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs). This approach enabled an effective infiltration of the alloy without the presence of major defects. The compressive strength of the HAp-Wol/Mg3Zn IPCs was significantly higher than that of the ceramic counterparts, increasing from 6.5 MPa to 162.5 MPa for the IPCs having the lowest ceramic ratio. The ceramic phase evidenced the formation of an apatite-like layer at their surface upon in vitro dissolution tests, evidencing bioactivity, being the calcium-rich silicate phase strongly responsible for this behavior. IPCs revealed a higher dissolution rate than the ceramic counterpart. This study demonstrates the feasibility of this hybrid manufacturing route to fabricate HAp-Wol/Mg3Zn IPCs that can be tailored by design to meet the requirements of bone substitutes, namely the mechanical performance and absorption rate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7172,"journal":{"name":"Additive manufacturing","volume":"116 ","pages":"Article 105082"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105081
Xunrui Wang , Wenhua Tong , Yanru Shen , Sukun Tian , Suwei Dai , Hu Chen , Weiwei Li , Jinhong Li , Xiang Wang , Yuchun Sun
This work reports a volumetric stereolithography strategy, termed Dynamic Projection Lithography (DPL), for the rapid fabrication of thin-walled, freeform ceramic shell structures. By spatiotemporally programming a photon flux gradient and exploiting the synergistic photopolymerization of high-solid-loading ceramic slurries, DPL enables monolithic, support-free curing of thin-walled green bodies within an ultra-short single exposure cycle of 10 ± 0.5 s. In contrast to conventional layer-by-layer stereolithography, DPL integrates continuous three-dimensional energy-field modulation with curing kinetics, thereby eliminating interlayer interfaces and the associated defect sensitivity. Using complex-curvature zirconia dental veneers as a model, DPL achieves a volumetric fabrication rate of 129.57 mm3/h, representing an improvement of approximately two orders of magnitude over conventional layer-wise processes (∼ 2.58 mm3/h) and shortening the total manufacturing cycle from several hours to about 3.5 min. After sintering, the ceramic shells exhibit uniform, isotropic microstructures without discernible interlayer defects and show markedly enhanced mechanical performance. The combination of dynamic pulsed exposure and inverse geometric mapping ensures accurate reproduction of curved surfaces. These results demonstrate that DPL offers a highly efficient route for volumetric ceramic printing of ultra-thin freeform structures, with strong potential for biomedical and other high-value customized applications.
{"title":"Dynamic projection lithography for high-efficiency volumetric fabrication of thin-walled ceramics","authors":"Xunrui Wang , Wenhua Tong , Yanru Shen , Sukun Tian , Suwei Dai , Hu Chen , Weiwei Li , Jinhong Li , Xiang Wang , Yuchun Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105081","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105081","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work reports a volumetric stereolithography strategy, termed Dynamic Projection Lithography (DPL), for the rapid fabrication of thin-walled, freeform ceramic shell structures. By spatiotemporally programming a photon flux gradient and exploiting the synergistic photopolymerization of high-solid-loading ceramic slurries, DPL enables monolithic, support-free curing of thin-walled green bodies within an ultra-short single exposure cycle of 10 ± 0.5 s. In contrast to conventional layer-by-layer stereolithography, DPL integrates continuous three-dimensional energy-field modulation with curing kinetics, thereby eliminating interlayer interfaces and the associated defect sensitivity. Using complex-curvature zirconia dental veneers as a model, DPL achieves a volumetric fabrication rate of 129.57 mm<sup>3</sup>/h, representing an improvement of approximately two orders of magnitude over conventional layer-wise processes (∼ 2.58 mm<sup>3</sup>/h) and shortening the total manufacturing cycle from several hours to about 3.5 min. After sintering, the ceramic shells exhibit uniform, isotropic microstructures without discernible interlayer defects and show markedly enhanced mechanical performance. The combination of dynamic pulsed exposure and inverse geometric mapping ensures accurate reproduction of curved surfaces. These results demonstrate that DPL offers a highly efficient route for volumetric ceramic printing of ultra-thin freeform structures, with strong potential for biomedical and other high-value customized applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7172,"journal":{"name":"Additive manufacturing","volume":"116 ","pages":"Article 105081"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-05DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105075
Benjamin J. Ryder , John-Thomas T. Robinson , Yunxia Chen , Lillian N. Badger , Marc Sole-Gras , Gang Li , Srikanth Pilla , Yong Huang
Additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a prevailing technology for fabricating three-dimensional (3D) cellular lattices, which offer superior performance compared to bulk materials for many applications. However, printing such cellular lattice geometries remains a critical challenge across most AM processes, often requiring an external support to maintain the printed structure during printing. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the self-supported printing capability of vapor-induced phase-separation (VIPS)-enabled direct ink writing (VIPS-DIW) for 3D cellular lattice fabrication in air, and to further illustrate the necessity of using subroutine-enabled tool path generation with customized subroutines as needed for the self-supported creation of complex 3D lattices in air from strut-based designs. Notably, in addition to a conventional subroutine for the printing of struts, three unique subroutines are proposed as atypical nozzle movement commands in printing lattice structures: printing pause, nozzle lift-off, and node priming line. The customizable, subroutine-based tool path generation approach facilitates the fabrication of a wide variety of lattice geometries using simple DIW equipment, which can make features at any orientation relative to the print bed. The subroutine-enabled VIPS-DIW process demonstrates robust versatility, enabling the successful fabrication of self-supported 3D lattices with high printing fidelity, offering new possibilities for lattice manufacturing.
{"title":"Self-supported vapor-induced phase-separation direct ink writing of 3D cellular lattices with subroutine-enabled tool path generation","authors":"Benjamin J. Ryder , John-Thomas T. Robinson , Yunxia Chen , Lillian N. Badger , Marc Sole-Gras , Gang Li , Srikanth Pilla , Yong Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105075","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addma.2026.105075","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a prevailing technology for fabricating three-dimensional (3D) cellular lattices, which offer superior performance compared to bulk materials for many applications. However, printing such cellular lattice geometries remains a critical challenge across most AM processes, often requiring an external support to maintain the printed structure during printing. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the self-supported printing capability of vapor-induced phase-separation (VIPS)-enabled direct ink writing (VIPS-DIW) for 3D cellular lattice fabrication in air, and to further illustrate the necessity of using subroutine-enabled tool path generation with customized subroutines as needed for the self-supported creation of complex 3D lattices in air from strut-based designs. Notably, in addition to a conventional subroutine for the printing of struts, three unique subroutines are proposed as atypical nozzle movement commands in printing lattice structures: printing pause, nozzle lift-off, and node priming line. The customizable, subroutine-based tool path generation approach facilitates the fabrication of a wide variety of lattice geometries using simple DIW equipment, which can make features at any orientation relative to the print bed. The subroutine-enabled VIPS-DIW process demonstrates robust versatility, enabling the successful fabrication of self-supported 3D lattices with high printing fidelity, offering new possibilities for lattice manufacturing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7172,"journal":{"name":"Additive manufacturing","volume":"116 ","pages":"Article 105075"},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}