Cloud native EDA tools & pre-optimized hardware platforms
Posted on 14 November 2021 by Thomas Spirka
N95 masks have been much in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to being breathable and highly effective at protecting the public, while also reducing environmental waste by being reusable. 3D printed N95 mask filters are also antimicrobial or sterilizable and suitable for flexible design. However, these filters have a slow production rate, something that is being tackled through a workflow involving binder-jet 3D printing, micro-CT scanning, 3D image processing, and CFD simulation. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, ExOne, Ansys, and Synopsys have worked on developing an efficient digital prototyping process to save time and resources when manufacturing 3D-printed copper and stainless-steel mask filters.
Example of a N95 mask with a filter valve.
Different approaches came together to create the filter workflow:
CFD mesh created in Simpleware software (left), and particle flow simulation in Ansys FLUENT: 1 ?m particles (58% efficiency) (middle) and 5 ?m particles (97% efficiency) (right).
Given the continued demand for N95 face masks and efficient manufacturing of filters, this combination of binder-jet 3D printing and iterative optimization of printing and post-processing parameters shows promise for increasing the reusability of sterilizable metal N95 filters. In addition, design optimization through digital prototyping only takes about four days on average, compared to approximately 21 days with physical methods, and also reduces material waste.
We were excited to take part in this project, especially given the ways this method can be adapted to study other characteristics and improve our understanding of pore behavior, with the benefit of mitigating against large-scale disposal of single-use PPE.
Read the full article published in the February/March 2021 issue of Advanced Materials & Processes (AM&P) magazine.
If you would like to know more, please contact us. Our technical specialists will be happy to show you the capabilities of Simpleware software.