Open Source 3D Printed ISO 8655 Compliant Multichannel Pipette

Energy consumption of common desktop additive manufacturing technologies

The Desktop 3D printing is a quickly emergent additive manufacturing process due to its capacity to build complex geometry functional parts. Polymer filaments are used as a raw material for building various functional parts. 3D printing process parameters influence the mechanical properties of a built part. The present study investigate the effect of process parameters like layer thickness and layup speed on the mechanical properties of PLA, Bronze filled PLA and ABS samples manufactured with a low cost 3D printer. Tensile and flexural tests based on ASTM D638 and ASTM D760 standards were performed, respectively to determine the mechanical response of the printed specimens. With respect to the layup speed and layer thickness, it is found PLA has better tensile and flexural properties compared to ABS and Bronze filled PLA.

Now, more and more patients are suffering cerebral aneurysm. However, long training time limits the rapid growth of cerebrovascular neurosurgeons. Here we developed a novel cerebral aneurysm simulator which can be better represented the dynamic bulging process of cerebral aneurysm The proposed simulator features the integration of a hollow elastic vascular model, a skull model and a brain model, which can be affordably fabricated at the clinic (Fab@Clinic), under $25.00 each with the help of a low-cost desktop 3D printer. Moreover, the clinical blood flow and pulsation pressure similar to the human can be well simulated, which can be used to train the neurosurgical residents how to clip aneurysms more effectively.

Low-cost 3D desktop printing, although still in its infancy, is rapidly maturing, with a wide range of applications. With its ease of production and affordability, it has led to development of a global maker culture, with the design and manufacture of artefacts by individuals as a collaborative & creative hobbyist practice. This has enabled mass customization of goods with the potential to disrupt conventional manufacturing, giving more people access to traditionally expensive products like prosthetics and medical devices [1], as is the case with e-NABLE, a global community providing open source prosthetics for people with upper limb deficiencies. However one of the major barriers to proliferation of 3D printing as a major manufacturing method is the limitation of compatible materials for use with the technology [2]. This places constraints on the design approach, as well as the complexity & functionality of artefacts that can be produced with 3D printing as compared to traditional manufacturing methods. As a result, devices like the e-NABLE Raptor Reloaded prosthetic hand, which is designed specifically to be produced via a single extruder FDM desktop 3D printer, have limited functionality as compared to conventional prosthetics, leading to low active use and prosthesis abandonment [3]. However, with the advent of multi-material desktop 3D printing, and increasing availability of a broader range of compatible materials (of varying characteristics) [2], there is scope for improving capabilities of low-cost prosthetics through the creation of more sophisticated multi-material functional integrated devices. This work documents the exploration of potential applications of multi-material 3D printing to improve production, capabilities and usability of low-cost open source prosthetics. Various material combinations were initially studied and functional enhancements for current 3D printed prosthetics were prototyped using key material combinations identified. Further, a user-centered design approach was utilized to develop a novel multi-material anthropomorphic prosthetic hand ‘ex_machina’ based on a modular platform architecture, to demonstrate the scope for reduced build complexity and improved dexterity & functional customization enabled by dual extrusion FDM desktop 3D printing. A full prototype was built & tested with a lead user, and results analyzed to determine scope for optimization.

Access to vacuum systems is limited because of economic costs. A rapidly growing approach to reduce the costs of scientific equipment is to combine open-source hardware methods with digital distributed manufacturing with 3D printers. Although high-end 3D printers can manufacture vacuum components, again, the cost of access to tooling is economically prohibitive. Low-cost material extrusion 3D printing with plastic overcomes the cost issue, but two problems arise when attempting to use plastic in or as part of vacuum systems: the outgassing of polymers and their sealing. To overcome these challenges, this study explores the potential of using post-processing heat treatments to seal 3D printed polypropylene for use in vacuum environments. The effect of infill overlap and heat treatment with a readily available heat gun on 3D printed PP parts was investigated in detail on ISO-standardized KF vacuum fitting parts and with the use of computer vision-based monitoring of vacuum pump down velocities. The results showed that infill overlap and heat treatment both had a large impact on the vacuum pressures obtainable with 3D printed parts. Heat treatment combined with 98% infill reliably sealed parts for use in vacuum systems, which makes the use of low-cost desktop 3D printers viable for manufacturing vacuum components for open scientific hardware.

The growing use of drones in civilian and military applications is motivated mainly by reduced costs. Drones, along with autonomous vehicles, require lightweight structures and high dimensional accuracy to improve autonomy and spatial orientation. Additive Manufacturing (AM) enables the production of lightweight parts by controlling internal fill percentages and optimizing the density. However, there is limited research into how the type and percentage of infill affects dimensional tolerance. This study aims to assess the impact of these factors on 3D-printed parts, using low-cost FFF 3D printers with Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) filaments. Overall, the results were satisfactory and met the required tolerances, confirming the feasibility of using parts produced by low-cost 3D printers and commonly available materials in the mass production of drones and autonomous vehicles.

Many previous studies have shown that open-source technologies help democratize information and foster collaborations to enable addressing global physical and societal challenges. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has imposed unprecedented challenges to human society. It affects every aspect of livelihood, including health, environment, transportation, and economy. Open-source technologies provide a new ray of hope to collaboratively tackle the pandemic. The role of open source is not limited to sharing a source code. Rather open-source projects can be adopted as a software development approach to encourage collaboration among researchers. Open collaboration creates a positive impact in society and helps combat the pandemic effectively. Open-source technology integrated with geospatial information allows decision-makers to make strategic and informed decisions. It also assists them in determining the type of intervention needed based on geospatial information. The novelty of this paper is to standardize the open-source workflow for spatiotemporal research. The highlights of the open-source workflow include sharing data, analytical tools, spatiotemporal applications, and results and formalizing open-source software development. The workflow includes (i) developing open-source spatiotemporal applications, (ii) opening and sharing the spatiotemporal resources, and (iii) replicating the research in a plug and play fashion. Open data, open analytical tools and source code, and publicly accessible results form the foundation for this workflow. This paper also presents a case study with the open-source spatiotemporal application development for air quality analysis in California, USA. In addition to the application development, we shared the spatiotemporal data, source code, and research findings through the GitHub repository.

Desktop 3D printers have revolutionized how designers and makers prototype and manufacture certain products. Highly popular fuse deposition modeling (FDM) desktop printers have enabled a shift to low-cost consumer goods markets, through reduced capital equipment investment and consumable material costs. However, with this drive to reduce costs, the computer numerical control (CNC) systems implemented in FDM printers are often compromised by poor accuracy and contouring errors. This condition is most critical as users begin to use 3D-printed components in load-bearing applications or to perform mechanical functions. Improved methods of low-cost 3D printer calibration are needed before their open-design potential can be realized in applications, including 3D-printed orthotics and prosthetics. This paper applies methodologies associated with high-precision CNC machining systems, namely, kinematic error modeling and compensation coupled with standardized test methods from ISO230-4, such as the ballbar for kinematic and dynamic error measurements, to examine the influence and feasibility for use on low-cost CNC/3D printing platforms. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “Technical considerations for additive manufactured medical devices” highlighted the need to develop standards specific to additive manufacturing in regulated manufacturing environments. This paper shows the benefits of the methods described within ISO230-4 for error assessment, alongside applying kinematic error modeling and compensation to the popular kinematic configuration of an Ultimaker 3D printer. A Renishaw ballbar QC10 is used to quantify the Ultimaker’s errors and thereby populate the error model. This method quantifies machine errors and populates these in a mathematical model of the CNC system. Then, a post-processor can be used to compensate the printing code. Subsequently, the ballbar is used to demonstrate the dramatic impact of the error compensation model on the accuracy and contouring of the Ultimaker printer with 58% reduction in overall circularity error and 90% reduction in squareness error.

BackgroundInnovation through an open source model has proven to be successful for software development. This success has led many to speculate if open source can be applied to other industries with similar success. We attempt to provide an understanding of open source software development characteristics for researchers, business leaders and government officials who may be interested in utilizing open source innovation in other contexts and with an emphasis on drug discovery.MethodsA systematic review was performed by searching relevant, multidisciplinary databases to extract empirical research regarding the common characteristics and barriers of initiating and maintaining an open source software development project.ResultsCommon characteristics to open source software development pertinent to open source drug discovery were extracted. The characteristics were then grouped into the areas of participant attraction, management of volunteers, control mechanisms, legal framework and physical constraints. Lastly, their applicability to drug discovery was examined.ConclusionsWe believe that the open source model is viable for drug discovery, although it is unlikely that it will exactly follow the form used in software development. Hybrids will likely develop that suit the unique characteristics of drug discovery. We suggest potential motivations for organizations to join an open source drug discovery project. We also examine specific differences between software and medicines, specifically how the need for laboratories and physical goods will impact the model as well as the effect of patents.

Biopharma Is Going Digital … Bit by Bit

This paper reviews different approaches to modelling the energy transition towards a zero carbon economy. It identifies a number of limitations in current approaches such as a lack of consideration of out-of-equilibrium situations (like an energy transition) and non-linear feedbacks. To tackle those issues, the new open source integrated assessment model pymedeas is introduced, which allows the exploration of the design and planning of appropriate strategies and policies for decarbonizing the energy sector at World and EU level. The main novelty of the new open-source model is that it addresses the energy transition by considering biophysical limits, availability of raw materials, and climate change impacts. This paper showcases the model capabilities through several simulation experiments to explore alternative pathways for the renewable transition. In the selected scenarios of this work, future shortage of fossil fuels is found to be the most influential factor of the simulations system evolution. Changes in efficiency and climate change damages are also important determinants influencing model outcomes.

The uncertainty of mechanical assembly process usually brings great challenge to product quality control and assurance. The systematic approach should be employed in the research to find a comprehensive solution. The quality assurance model for assembly (QAMA), based on the analysis of the major problems in the mechanical assembly process and the factors that affect the quality of products, is established by means of three working models: the assembly process model (APM), the activity control model (ACM), and the quality data model (QDM). The APM formulates the assembly process starting with the analysis of process flow, logical scheme, and key factors. The ACM is built by defining the attributes of control activity, mapping relationship between the control activities and its objects in the multiview space and layers. The ACM presents the control flow with the logical relations among control activities as well as the control rules. Based on the two models mentioned above, the QDM supports the acquisition of quality data through data-collecting carriers along assembly process and defines the data structure to support the system model. All of the three models are grouped into a framework which integrates the technical approaches and solutions for quality assurance in mechanical assembly. Based on modeling studies, a computer-integrated and internet-based system called quality assurance system in mechanical assembly (QAS/MA) has been developed. And the development of QAS/MA proves that APM, ACM, QDM, and QAMA are practical and feasible.

This chapter is an investigation of open source, crowdsourcing, and public engagement in the public and nonprofit sectors through four cases: (1) Changemakers competitions, (2) Peer to Patent in the U.S., (3) Future Melbourne 2020 in Australia, and (4) Idea Box in Japan. Macintosh’s (2004) case analytical framework is adopted to systematically document the four cases for comparisons. From the literature three components are identified to understand the open source and crowdsourcing models: initiator, mechanism for information selection, and beneficiary. Three components are used to examine how governments or nonprofits adopt the open source model or crowdsourcing model to facilitate public engagement. The conclusion is that different designs of the projects might lead to different scales of public engagement, defined by Savar & Denhardt (2010). Finally, some potential issues and challenges of implementing the open source and crowdsourcing models to facilitate engagement in public affairs are discussed.

This study presents sector-coupled PyPSA-Earth: a novel global open-source energy system optimization model that incorporates major demand sectors and energy carriers in high spatial and temporal resolution, to enable energy transition studies worldwide. The model includes a workflow that automatically downloads and processes the necessary demand, supply and transmission data to co-optimize investment and operation of energy systems of countries or regions of Earth. The workflow provides the user with tools to forecast future demand scenarios and allows for custom user-defined data in several aspects. Sector-coupled PyPSA-Earth introduces novelty by offering users a comprehensive methodology to generate readily available sector-coupled data and model of any region worldwide, starting from raw and open data sources. The model provides flexibility in terms of spatial and temporal detail, allowing the user to tailor it to their specific needs. The capabilities of the model are demonstrated through two showcases for Egypt and Brazil. The Egypt case quantifies the relevant role of PV, exceeding 35 GW, and electrolysis in Suez and Damietta regions, for meeting 16% of the EU hydrogen demand. Complementarily, the Brazil case confirms the model’s ability in handling hydrogen planning infrastructure, including repurposing of existing gas networks which results in 146 M€ lower costs than building new pipelines. The results prove the suitability of sector-coupled PyPSA-Earth to meet the needs of policymakers, developers, and scholars in advancing the energy transition. The authors invite the interested individuals and institutions to collaborate in the future developments of the model within PyPSA meets Earth initiative. • Open-source sector-coupled energy model with global coverage and high resolution. • Readily available workflow for supply, demand and transmission data worldwide. • Future demand scenario forecast tool with the option of custom data integration. • Global sub-national demand database with assets geo-locations, based on open data. • Showcases for hydrogen export and infrastructure expansion in Egypt and Brazil.

Open source technologies are free to use, making them challenging to value in economic terms. While the reasons for contributing to open source code have been extensively studied, the reasons for adopting open source, and the value of that adoption, have received less attention. Professor Henry Chesbrough, a pioneer on the subject of open innovation, conducted a survey to measure the economic value of open source, analyzing where and to what extent companies experience benefits of open source adoption. Aggregating the findings of this survey, this report discusses the perceived economic benefits of open source software, including cost savings, faster development, open standards, and interoperability. To learn more about how individuals value open source from an economic perspective, and gain evidence-based insight on the value of supporting open source adoption, read the full report!