Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is an additive manufacturing (AM) process that is often used to fabricate geometrically complex shaped prototypes and parts. It is gaining popularity as it reduces cycle time for product development without the need for expensive tools. However, the commercialization of FDM technology in various industrial applications is currently limited due to several shortcomings, such as insufficient mechanical properties, poor surface quality, and low dimensional accuracy. The qualities of FDM-produced products are affected by various process parameters, for example, layer thickness, build orientation, raster width, or print speed. The setting of process parameters and their range depends on the section of FDM machines. Filament materials, nozzle dimensions, and the type of machine determine the range of various parameters. The optimum setting of parameters is deemed to improve the qualities of three-dimensional (3D) printed parts and may reduce post-production work. This paper intensively reviews state-of-the-art literature on the influence of parameters on part qualities and the existing work on process parameter optimization. Additionally, the shortcomings of existing works are identified, challenges and opportunities to work in this field are evaluated, and directions for future research in this field are suggested.

Traffic congestion is a perpetual problem for the sustainability of transportation development. Traffic congestion causes delays, inconvenience, and economic losses to drivers, as well as air pollution. Identification and quantification of traffic congestion are crucial for decision-makers to initiate mitigation strategies to improve the overall transportation system’s sustainability. In this paper, the currently available measures are detailed and compared by implementing them on a daily and weekly traffic historical dataset. The results showed each measure showed significant variations in congestion states while indicating a similar congestion trend. The advantages and disadvantages of each measure are identified from the data analysis. This study summarizes the current road traffic congestion measures and provides a constructive insight into the development of a sustainable and resilient traffic management system.

Prognostic and health management (PHM) can ensure that a lithium-ion battery is working safely and reliably. The main approach of PHM evaluation of the battery is to determine the State of Health (SoH) and the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of the battery. The advancements of computational tools and big data algorithms have led to a new era of data-driven predictive analysis approaches, using machine learning algorithms. This paper presents the preliminary development of the data-driven prognostic, using a Deep Neural Networks (DNN) approach to predict the SoH and the RUL of the lithium-ion battery. The effectiveness of the proposed approach was implemented in a case study with a battery dataset obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Prognostics Center of Excellence (PCoE) database. The proposed DNN algorithm was compared against other machine learning algorithms, namely, Support Vector Machine (SVM), k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN), Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), and Linear Regression (LR). The experimental results reveal that the performance of the DNN algorithm could either match or outweigh other machine learning algorithms. Further, the presented results could serve as a benchmark of SoH and RUL prediction using machine learning approaches specifically for lithium-ion batteries application.

A resilient system is a system that possesses the ability to survive and recover from the likelihood of damage due to disruptive events or mishaps. The concept that incorporates resiliency into engineering practices is known as engineering resilience. To date, engineering resilience is still predominantly application-oriented. Despite an increase in the usage of engineering resilience concept, the diversity of its applications in various engineering sectors complicates a universal agreement on its quantification and associated measurement techniques. There is a pressing need to develop a generally applicable engineering resilience analysis framework, which standardizes the modeling, assessment, and improvement of engineering resilience for a broader engineering discipline. This paper provides a literature survey of engineering resilience from the design perspective, with a focus on engineering resilience metrics and their design implications. The currently available engineering resilience quantification metrics are reviewed and summarized, the design implications toward the development of resilient-engineered systems are discussed, and further, the challenges of incorporating resilience into engineering design processes are evaluated. The presented study expects to serve as a building block toward developing a generally applicable engineering resilience analysis framework that can be readily used for system design.

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is one of the most popular additive manufacturing (AM) processes that utilize thermoplastic polymers to produce three-dimensional (3D) geometry products. The FFF filament materials have a significant role in determining the properties of the final part produced, such as mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity. This article intensively reviews the state-of-the-art materials for FFF filaments. To date, there are many different types of FFF filament materials that have been developed. The filament materials range from pure thermoplastics to composites, bioplastics, and composites of bioplastics. Different types of reinforcements such as particles, fibers, and nanoparticles are incorporated into the composite filaments to improve the FFF build part properties. The performance, limitations, and opportunities of a specific type of FFF filament will be discussed. Additionally, the challenges and requirements for filament production from different materials will be evaluated. In addition, to provide a concise review of fundamental knowledge about the FFF filament, this article will also highlight potential research directions to stimulate future filament development. Finally, the importance and scopes of using bioplastics and their composites for developing eco-friendly filaments will be introduced.