Design for Six Sigma and TRIZ for Inventive Design Applied to Recycle Cigarette Butts

A deep research and analysis of a “critical waste” object has been carried out, understood as a subject that does not fare high on the separate collection and recycling system yet: the cigarette butt. This acknowledged social waste is the first among all the garbage detected everywhere around neighborhoods worldwide, and is therefore the epicenter of a situation so worrying that it is necessary to find a solution concerning the environmental pollution. The present exercise was developed, by means of proper product design methods like TRIZ and QFD driven by DFSS rulings, to conceive of new products and services in order to create incentive for the smokers to lessen the environmental pollution problem. The social implications are about the possibility of modifying the bad habits of the smokers and making the user act consciously towards the environment. Throwing the cigarette-stub in the new collection device, rather than on the ground, enables users to enjoy both moral and economic returns. The “Buttalo” service is aimed to incentivize the population to fight against environmental pollution whilst helping smokers to be conscious about it

A structured index describing the ease of disassembly for handcrafted product

Both economic and environmental aspects significantly influence the design process since the early phases of preliminary design. The total Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the End of Life (EoL) of products have to be defined in the early design phases too but, for industrial products that are not feasible to automatic production, they are hard issues. However, the EoL of products can be assessed by evaluating the disassembly of joints assembling the product, even when the production process is subject to an important contribute of workmanship. In this paper, a useful method is proposed to analyze the disassembly plant of products, in order to optimize the design process in the early preliminary phases. The method quantitatively evaluates a Disassembly Index that describes the attitude of a product to be disassembled. A case study describes the disassembly attitude of structural subassemblies of a sailboat. In order to test the applicability of the model described to both manual and automated disassembly, a further application of the method is proposed on a Computer CPU. As result, the model demonstrated good sensitiveness to the testing of products quite different for dimensions, number of components, manufacturing processes and, in all cases, it quantified the disassembly easiness with good relevance

Developing innovative crutch using IDeS (industrial design structure) methodology

The present study wants to bring to light a new type of crutch designed for a chronic patient with perennial limited mobility, who must use this support every time a move is needed. The main purpose of the project consists in recommending a correct use of the crutch through technology, limiting the damage normally caused by a bad use of crutches and giving a support both for the patient and for the doctor. All of the features of the crutches were defined through relationship matrices and a benchmarking, which helped us for defining the requirements; other important features were defined, taking a look to the technological progresses applied to new, patented crutches. The result is a sensorized crutch, functional and oriented to meet the user's needs in order to prevent an incorrect use of the support avoiding the growth of other pains

Quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) studies of bisbenzamidines with antifungal activity

This paper describes 2D-QSAR and 3D-QSAR studies against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neofarmans for a set of 20 bisbenzamidines. In the studies of 2D-QSAR with C. albicans it was obtained a correlation between log MIC-1 and lipolo component-Z (r² = 0.68; Q² = 0.51). In the case of C. neofarmans a correlation between log MIC-1 and lipolo component-Z and of Balaban index (r² = 0.85; Q² = 0.6) was obtained. 3D-QSAR studies using CoMFA showed that the steric fields contributed more to the predicted activities for Candida albicans (94.9%) and Cryptococcus neofarmans (97.9%).FAPEMIGCoordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)CNP

Representative volume element (Rve) analysis for mechanical characterization of fused deposition modeled components

Additive manufacturing processes have evolved considerably in the past years, growing into a wide range of products through the use of different materials depending on its application sectors. Nevertheless, the fused deposition modelling (FDM) technique has proven to be an eco-nomically feasible process turning additive manufacture technologies from consumer production into a mainstream manufacturing technique. Current advances in the finite element method (FEM) and the computer-aided engineering (CAE) technology are unable to study three-dimensional (3D) printed models, since the final result is highly dependent on processing and environment parame-ters. Because of that, an in-depth understanding of the printed geometrical mesostructure is needed to extend FEM applications. This study aims to generate a homogeneous structural element that accurately represents the behavior of FDM-processed materials, by means of a representative volume element (RVE). The homogenization summarizes the main mechanical characteristics of the actual 3D printed structure, opening new analysis and optimization procedures. Moreover, the linear RVE results can be used to further analyze the in-deep behavior of the FDM unit cell. Therefore, industries could perform a feasible engineering analysis of the final printed elements, allowing the FDM technology to become a mainstream, low-cost manufacturing process in the near future

Molds with advanced materials for carbon fiber manufacturing with 3d printing technology

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing is the most widespread technology in additive manufacturing worldwide that thanks to its low costs, finished component applications, and the production process of other parts. The need for lighter and higher-performance components has led to an increased usage of polymeric matrix composites in many fields ranging from automotive to aerospace. The molds used to manufacture these components are made with different technologies, depending on the number of pieces to be made. Usually, they are fiberglass molds with a thin layer of gelcoat to lower the surface roughness and obtain a smooth final surface of the component. Alternatively, they are made from metal, thus making a single carbon fiber prototype very expensive due to the mold build. Making the mold using FDM technology can be a smart solution to reduce costs, but due to the layer deposition process, the roughness is quite high. The surface can be improved by reducing the layer height, but it is still not possible to reach the same degree of surface finish of metallic or gelcoat molds without the use of fillers. Thermoplastic polymers, also used in the FDM process, are generally soluble in specific solvents. This aspect can be exploited to perform chemical smoothing of the external surface of a component. The combination of FDM and chemical smoothing can be a solution to produce low-cost molds with a very good surface finish

Disassembly sequence planning validated thru augmented reality for a speed reducer

The lifecycle of a product is getting shorter in today’s market realities. Latest developments in the industry are heading towards achieving products that are easy to recycle, by developing further technological advances in raw materials ought to include input from End of Life (EOL) products so a reduction of natural harm could be achieved, hence reducing the overall production environmental footprint. Therefore, the approach taken as a design for environment, a key request nowadays in order to develop products that would ease the reverse manufacturing process leading to a more efficient element recycling for later use as spare parts or remanufacturing. The methodology proposed compares three probable disassembly sequences following a comparison of literature-found procedures between genetic algorithms and as a “state space search” problem, followed by a hybrid approach developed by the authors. Time and evaluation of these procedures reached to the best performing sequence. A subsequent augmented reality disassembly simulation was performed with the top-scored operation sequence with which the user is better able to familiarize himself with the assembly than a traditional paper manual, therefore enlightening the feasibility of the top performing sequence in the real world

New methodology for diagnosis of orthopedic diseases through additive manufacturing models

Our purpose is to develop the preoperative diagnosis stage for orthopedic surgical treatments using additive manufacturing technology. Our methods involve fast implementations of an additive manufactured bone model, converted from CAT data, through appropriate software use. Then, additive manufacturing of the formed surfaces through special 3D-printers. With the structural model redesigned and printed in three dimensions, the surgeon is able to look at the printed bone and he can handle it because the model perfectly reproduces the real one upon which he will operate. We found that additive manufacturing models can precisely characterize the anatomical structures of fractures or lesions. The studied practice helps the surgeon to provide a complete preoperative valuation and a correct surgery, with minimized duration and risks. This structural model is also an effective device for communication between doctor and patient

GD (Generative design) applied to a plastics recovery drone (PRD) using IDeS (industrial design structure)

The evolution of innovative and systematic design methodologies over time has widened the design concept involvement from the product development phase, which also includes the production and start-up phases. Literature findings have presented to accomplish a Generative Design (GD) approach through the application of an innovative method called Industrial Structure Design (IDeS), a systematic design method able to discover the customer’s needs and the fundamental technical solutions to obtain a good innovative product, involving the whole organization for this achievement. Nevertheless, there is a social demand for solutions to the dramatic and growing problem of marine pollution from plastic materials, encouraging the designers to conceive a new innovative drone for waste collection at sea. Therefore, this study aims to merge all the most advanced design technologies with IDeS in an integrated way, by generating a structure that can also be adopted to plan the organization of a production company. The approach is validated with the design of the Recovery Plastic Drone (RPD) obtained with the IDeS methodology, combining Design and Product development phases, leading to a better and innovative solution for the market