This work aims to study the influence of protective coatings on the water absorption and mechanical properties of 3D printed poly–lactic acid (PLA) parts. The PLA parts were fabricated with different levels of the 3D printing process parameters, aiming to define samples with distinct strength and ductility/toughness characteristics. Water absorption tests following the standard ASTM D570–98 were performed on uncoated and coated PLA specimens. The effectiveness of two protective coatings based on acrylic and polyurethane varnish on reducing water absorption was evaluated. Both protective coatings have shown being effective on preventing water absorption by the PLA, with polyurethane presenting the best performance reducing water absorption by 38%. Tensile tests were carried out to determine the ultimate tensile strength, elastic modulus, yield tensile strength, fracture strain and toughness of specimens, before and after the application of protective coatings. The polyurethane protective coating also benefits the tensile properties of PLA parts, increasing the strength and ductility/toughness characteristics of specimens up to 24%.

Lattice structures are a prime candidate for applications in the medical implant industry due to their versatile mechanical behaviour, which can be tailored to meet specific patient needs and reduce stress shielding, while enabling the natural flow of body fluids. In this work, the mechanical properties of metallic lattices made of five different unit cell types, Cubic (C), Truncated Octahedron (TO), Truncated Cubic (TC), Rhombicuboctahedron (RCO), and Rhombitruncated Cuboctahedron (RTCO), were evaluated under uniaxial compression at three different relative densities, 5%, 15%, and 45%. The evaluation was experimental, and it was compared with previous and new finite element simulations. Specimens for the experimental tests were fabricated in stainless steel 316L by laser powder bed fusion, and stress–strain curves were obtained for the different lattices. The combination of the test results with a critical interpretation of the deformation mechanisms allowed us to confirm that two unit cell types, TO and RTCO, are stable for the whole range of relative densities evaluated. The other three unit cells exhibit more unpredictable behaviour, either due to manufacturing defects or limitations, or because their unstable compression behaviour leads to bucking. For these reasons, TO and RTCO unit cell types are mechanically more adequate for applications in the medical implant industry.

During their operation, modern aircraft engine components are subjected to increasingly demanding operating conditions, especially the high pressure turbine (HPT) blades. Such conditions cause these parts to undergo different types of time-dependent degradation, one of which is creep. A model using the finite element method (FEM) was developed, in order to be able to predict the creep behaviour of HPT blades. Flight data records (FDR) for a specific aircraft, provided by a commercial aviation company, were used to obtain thermal and mechanical data for three different flight cycles. In order to create the 3D model needed for the FEM analysis, a HPT blade scrap was scanned, and its chemical composition and material properties were obtained. The data that was gathered was fed into the FEM model and different simulations were run, first with a simplified 3D rectangular block shape, in order to better establish the model, and then with the real 3D mesh obtained from the blade scrap. The overall expected behaviour in terms of displacement was observed, in particular at the trailing edge of the blade. Therefore such a model can be useful in the goal of predicting turbine blade life, given a set of FDR data

Dental implants are in general made of titanium, since this material promotes a stable and functional connection between the bone and the surface of the implant. Efforts produced during the chewing cycles may interfere with this union, affecting the process of osseointegration and eventually compromising the stability of the implant.Given the difficulty in working with bone in vivo, in the present study two implant systems were inserted in polymer samples, known as Sawbones, which simulate the structure of trabecular bone. The performance of the implants was evaluated through experimental fatigue tests. The qualitative analysis of the damage in the structure of the samples was performed using scanning electron microscope images. Determination and comparison of stress fields and deformations at the Sawbone-implant interface using an analytical model of indentation and the finite element method (FEM) to model indentation and penetration were undertaken.The experimental results showed that the performance of the Morse taper implant was greater than the external hexagonal implant when both were tested cyclically in samples of different densities. It was shown that the diameter, length, density and type of implant-abutment interface affected the behaviour of the implants. The numerical results of indentation model were very similar to those obtained by the analytical model. The results of the FEM penetration model had the same tendency as the experimental values and the indentation analysis with increasing the density of the polymer foam. It could be concluded that, as in foams, the increase of the bone density will induce an increased stability to the implants