Additive manufacturing develops rapidly, especially, fused deposition modeling (FDM) is one of the economical methods with moderate tolerances and high design flexibility. Ample studies are being undertaken for modeling the mechanical characteristics of FDM by using the Finite Element Method (FEM). Even in use of amorphous materials, FDM creates anisotropic structures effected by the chosen manufacturing parameters. In order to investigate these process-related characteristics and tailored properties of FDM structures, we prepare FDM-printed poly(ethylene terephthalate) glycol (PETG) samples with different process parameters. Mechanical and optical characterizations are carried out. We develop 2D-digital-image-correlation code with machine learning algorithm, namely K-means cluster, to analyze microstructures (contact surfaces, the changes in fiber shapes) and calculate porosity. By incorporating these characteristics, we draw CAD images. A digital twin of mechanical laboratory tests are realized by the FEM. We use computational homogenization approach for obtaining the effective properties of the FDM-related anisotropic structure. These simulations are validated by experimental characterizations. In this regard, a systematic methodology is presented for acquiring the anisotropy from the process related inner substructure (microscale) to the material response at the homogenized length scale (macroscale). We found out that the layer thickness and overlap ratio parameters significantly alter the microstructures and thereby, stiffness of the macroscale properties. Graphical Abstract

An analytical framework which incorporates damage propagation/growth into the general structural stability analysis is presented. Therefore, the conventional total potential energy approach is extended by introducing an extended total potential energy-like functional capable of describing inelastic processes in which equilibrium holds between available and the required force for producing a change in structure. The work deals with systems which are described by I generalized coordinates and K damage parameters. The damage parameters are found to be functions of I generalized coordinates and M load parameters. The underlying variational principle for inelastic solids may be solved using discrete formulations or approximate methods such as a Rayleigh-Ritz formulation. This leads to a set of non-linear algebraic equations, comprising post-critical equilibrium paths and damage propagation. In order to verify the framework, it is applied to the well-known problem in which a delaminated composite strut/plate is subjected to an in-plane compressive load.

Additive manufacturing provides high design flexibility, but its use is restricted by limited mechanical properties compared to conventional production methods. As technology is still emerging, several approaches exist in the literature for quantifying and improving mechanical properties. In this study, we investigate characterizing materials’ response of additive manufactured structures, specifically by fused deposition modeling (FDM). A comparative analysis is achieved for four different tensile test specimens for polymers based on ASTM D3039 and ISO 527-2 standards. Comparison of specimen geometries is studied with the aid of computations based on the Finite Element Method (FEM). Uniaxial tensile tests are carried out, after a careful examination of different slicing approaches for 3D printing. We emphasize the effects of the chosen slicer parameters on the position of failures in the specimens and propose a simple formalism for measuring effective mechanical properties of 3D-printed structures.

Background Filamentous fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota are considered as an attractive source for the biotechnological production of composite materials. The ability of many basidiomycetes to accept residual lignocellulosic plant biomass from agriculture and forestry such as straw, shives and sawdust as substrates and to bind and glue together these otherwise loose but reinforcing substrate particles into their mycelial network, makes them ideal candidates to produce biological composites to replace petroleum-based synthetic plastics and foams in the near future. Results Here, we describe for the first time the application potential of the tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius for lab-scale production of mycelium composites. We used fine, medium and coarse particle fractions of hemp shives and rapeseed straw to produce a set of diverse composite materials and show that the mechanical materials properties are dependent on the nature and particle size of the substrates. Compression tests and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize composite material properties and to model their compression behaviour by numerical simulations. Their properties were compared amongst each other and with the benchmark expanded polystyrene (EPS), a petroleum-based foam used for thermal isolation in the construction industry. Our analyses uncovered that EPS shows an elastic modulus of 2.37 ± 0.17 MPa which is 4-times higher compared to the F. fomentarius composite materials whereas the compressive strength of 0.09 ± 0.003 MPa is in the range of the fungal composite material. However, when comparing the ability to take up compressive forces at higher strain values, the fungal composites performed better than EPS. Hemp-shive based composites were able to resist a compressive force of 0.2 MPa at 50% compression, rapeseed composites 0.3 MPa but EPS only 0.15 MPa. Conclusion The data obtained in this study suggest that F. fomentarius constitutes a promising cell factory for the future production of fungal composite materials with similar mechanical behaviour as synthetic foams such as EPS. Future work will focus on designing materials characteristics through optimizing substrate properties, cultivation conditions and by modulating growth and cell wall composition of F. fomentarius, i.e. factors that contribute on the meso- and microscale level to the composite behaviour.

An analytical model founded on geometric and potential energy principles for kink band deformation in laminated composite struts is presented. It is adapted from an earlier successful study on confined layered structures that was formulated to model kink band formation in the folding of geological layers. This study's principal aim was to explore the underlying mechanisms governing the kinking response of flat, laminated components comprising unidirectional composite laminae. A pilot parametric study indicates that the key features of the mechanical response are captured well and that quantitative comparisons with experiments presented in the literature are highly encouraging.

Truss-based lattice materials are cellular materials with an outstanding potential for multi-functional use. This is owing to properties of high compressive strength to density ratios combined with a periodic and open structure. However, such structures at low relative densities are particularly vulnerable to elastic buckling failure. Fibre-reinforcement that increases the buckling strength of lattice materials is proposed and the behaviour of unit cells that are tessellated within the lattice is investigated. A two-dimensional square orientated unit cell and a three-dimensional tetrahedron-shaped unit cell are both modelled discretely using energy principles with the nonlinear interactive buckling behaviour being analysed. The analytical approach, based on a perturbation method, exhibits excellent agreement for the mechanical response when compared to results from numerical continuation for moderately large displacements. A fundamental understanding of the mechanical behaviour of a unit cell can be upscaled in future work. It is postulated that this will enable the determination of the constitutive behaviour of such lattice materials.

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