Fernando E. Rodriguez-Umanzor

Bio: Fernando E. Rodriguez-Umanzor is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Nanotechnology & Medicine. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 5 publications receiving 8 citations.

Innovation in Additive Manufacturing Using Polymers: A Survey on the Technological and Material Developments

Abstract: This review summarizes the most recent advances from technological and physico-chemical perspectives to improve several remaining issues in polymeric materials’ additive manufacturing (AM). Without a doubt, AM is experimenting with significant progress due to technological innovations that are currently advancing. In this context, the state-of-the-art considers both research areas as working separately and contributing to developing the different AM technologies. First, AM techniques’ advantages and current limitations are analyzed and discussed. A detailed overview of the efforts made to improve the two most extensively employed techniques, i.e., material extrusion and VAT-photopolymerization, is presented. Aspects such as the part size, the possibility of producing parts in a continuous process, the improvement of the fabrication time, the reduction of the use of supports, and the fabrication of components using more than one material are analyzed. The last part of this review complements these technological advances with a general overview of the innovations made from a material perspective. The use of reinforced polymers, the preparation of adapted high-temperature materials, or even the fabrication of metallic and ceramic parts using polymers as supports are considered. Finally, the use of smart materials that enable the fabrication of shape-changing 3D objects and sustainable materials will also be explored.

Soft matter with hard skin : From skin wrinkles to templating and material characterization

Abstract: The English-language dictionary defines wrinkles as "small furrows, ridges, or creases on a normally smooth surface, caused by crumpling, folding, or shrinking". In this paper we review the scientific aspects of wrinkling and the related phenomenon of buckling. Specifically, we discuss how and why wrinkles/buckles form in various materials. We also describe several examples from everyday life, which demonstrate that wrinkling or buckling is indeed a commonplace phenomenon that spans a multitude of length scales. We will emphasize that wrinkling is not always a frustrating feature (e.g., wrinkles in human skin), as it can help to assemble new structures, understand important physical phenomena, and even assist in characterizing chief material properties.

Current and emerging trends in polymeric 3D printed microfluidic devices

Abstract: During the last two decades, 3D printing technology has emerged as a valid alternative for producing microfluidic devices. 3D printing introduces new strategies to obtain high precision microfluidic parts without complex tooling and equipment, making the production of microfluidic devices cheaper, faster, and easier than conventional fabrication methods such as soft lithography. Among the main 3D techniques used for this purpose, fused filament manufacturing (FFF), inkjet 3D printing (i3Dp) and vat polymerization (VP) are of the greatest interest since they are well-established techniques in the field and are cost-affordable both in equipment and material. However, there are still some barriers in terms of technology and materials to overtake for definitively establishing 3D printing as a truly microfluidic production method. For example, the level of resolution and precision of 3D printed microfluidic parts still does not reach the level of conventional fabrication techniques, and, from a materialistic point of view, few materials present the desired characteristics (e.g., biocompatibility, optical transparency, and mechanical properties) for target areas such as medicine, analytical chemistry, and pharmaceuticals. This review intends to evaluate and analyze the current state of polymeric 3D printing techniques and materials to manufacture microfluidic chips. The article will show and discuss the latest innovations, materials, and applications of such 3D printed microstructures. The focus of this review is to provide an overview of recent and future developments in 3D printing and materials in the branch of microfluidics fabrications, showing that the selection of the right materials together with the design freedom afforded by 3D printing will be the cornerstone for microfluidic development.

Dynamically Programmable Surface Micro-Wrinkles on PDMS-SMA Composite

Abstract: We report on the development of a PDMS-SMA composite whose surface micro wrinkles can be dynamically programmed by an electrical current supplied to the SMA wire. It is advantageous over other techniques for surface topographical modulation, including portability, real-time programmability, no requirement for specific surface chemistry, operability under ambient conditions, and relative ease of control. A simplified mechanical model is also developed to describe the force-deflection balance of the PDMS-SMA composite. The wavelengths and amplitudes of the wrinkles when different currents applied to the SMA are characterized, and the experimental results agree with the theoretical model. The developed composite device can be applied to programmable modulations of surface adhesion, friction, wettability, etc.

Buckling Modes of Elastic Thin Films on Elastic Substrates | NIST

Abstract: Two buckling modes have been observed in thin films: buckle delamination and wrinkling. This letter identifies the conditions for selecting the favored buckling modes for elastic films on elastic substrates. Transition from one buckling mode to another is predicted as the stiffness ratio between the substrate and the film or is predicted for variation of the stiffness ratio between the substrate and the film or variation of theinterfacial defect size. The theoretical results are demonstrated experimentally by observing the coexistence of both buckling modes and mode transition in one film-substrate system.