The present paper aims to contribute to the methodology of 3D printing in-process colouring and study its implications and impact on the tensile strength and surface quality of the obtained parts. The proposed study was based on a Taguchi L27 DOE plan using standardised EN ISO 527-2 type 1B-shaped specimens, in which four factors on three levels were considered. The obtained results highlight the possibility of using the presented in-process colouring method. Different materials (PLA, PLA+, and PETG) with varying infill densities (15%, 30%, and 50%), colour distribution (33%, 66%, and 99%), and colour pigments (blue, green, and red) were studied and the results highlighted that the most influential parameter on the tensile strength of the parts was infill density, followed by the tested material, colour pigment, and colouring percentage; regarding surface roughness, the most influential parameter was infill density, followed by colouring percentage, colour pigment, and material. Moreover, the values resulting from the Taguchi DOE were compared to uncoloured parts, from which it could be concluded that the colouring of the parts had direct implications (negative for tensile strength and positive for surface roughness).

Objective. Dental anatomy has been extensively described in numerous textbooks. Nevertheless, there are very few details about the value of the cusp radius of posterior teeth. This in vitro study used a laser profilometer to scan the occlusal surfaces of 21 molar teeth. Materials and methods. The images were analysed with µScan software and the approximate radius of curvature was measured. Results. The values varied between 0.6–2.5 mm. The radius average value was 1.25 mm bucco-lingually and 1.61 mm mesio-distally. Conclusions. These findings might serve as a guide for different dental biomechanics studies and the conception, design and manufacturing of dental prosthetics.

This paper presents the results of the profilometric analysis of wear tracks from tribological tests of a composite material made by Diamond Metallplastic GmbH, Germany. This material has a polymer matrix reinforced with Cu, Zn, Sn particles, and various allotropic forms of SiO₂. The material belongs to Multimetall Messing category and is recommended by the manufacturer for repairing brass made parts. This composite material was tribologically tested in dry friction reciprocating conditions, in ball-on-flat configuration, using the tribotester CETR-UMT-2 (Bruker Corporation). The counterpiece was a steel ball. The tests were conducted at normal loads of 20, 30, 40 and 50N, over a distance of 100 m, at an average sliding speed of 3,50 mm/s, at room temperature and relative humidity of 40-60%. The wear tracks were examined with the help of a laser profilometer and the profilometric module of the tribotester CETR-UMT-2 (Bruker Corporation). The profilometric analysis results for the composite are compared to those obtained for brass. Comparing the wear tracks of the two materials, it can be found that the composite material has a better tribological behavior than the brass.

The present paper describes a series of considerations for the occurrence of capillary boundaries in flat micro heat pipes (flat MHPs) and the conditions required for their stable operation in relation to the working circumstances and to the type of liquids inside the pipes. Particularities of heat transfer in a flat MHP are analyzed for situations of either excessive or deficient working liquid. Depending on the physical properties of the working liquids (acetone, methanol and distilled water), the maximum rate of heat flow that can be applied to a flat MHP is determined analytically. The calculus is made with the assumption that constant vaporization of the liquid is ensured in the flat MHP’s evaporator, with no overheating. The considered analytical models allow for the evaluation of the liquid film thickness and the mass flow corresponding to the vaporization region. The temperature difference between the inner and outer walls of a flat MHP is found in the case of a transient regime and a variable thermal flow is applied in the evaporation region. The interior of flat MHPs was modeled in MATLAB using an FTCS (Forward-Time Central-Space) method, which is a finite difference method used for numerically solving the heat equation.

The present paper intends to provide an analysis of how the process of calefaction occurs in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system and the mechanisms by which the deposition of AdBlue crystals on a hot surface evolve. Experimentally, two aluminium samples heated to 200 °C were used, over which AdBlue droplets with different atomisation rates were dropped, maintaining the same dynamic flow parameters, in order to observe the influence of temperature effects on the degree of deposition of crystallised sediment on the surface. The authors proposed the use of calefaction in an ultrasonic environment to prevent deposition and to increase droplet fragmentation by a break-up process. To prove the performance of this method one sample was subjected to a normal flow regime while a second sample was exposed to ultrasound. Both samples were assembled on a magneto-strictive concentrator operating at a frequency of 20 kHz. The obtained results indicated that the sample exposed to ultrasound demonstrated lower urea crystallisation compared to the sample that was not exposed to this treatment. Thus, it can be seen that the proposed method of injecting AdBlue into an ultrasonic zone gives the desired results.