RT journal article
T1 Experimental and simulated study of 3D-printed couplings’ suitability for industrial application
A1 Baladés Ruiz, Nuria
A1 Remigio Carmona, Paula
A1 Sales Lérida, David
A1 Moreno Nieto, Francisco Daniel
A1 López, Jesús M.
A1 Molina Rubio, Sergio Ignacio
A2 Ciencia de los Materiales e Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Química Inorgánica
A2 Ingeniería en AutomáticaElectrónica, Arquitectura y Redes de Computadores
A2 Ingeniería Industrial e Ingeniería Civil
K1 3D printing
K1 Additive manufacturing
K1 Field-driven design
K1 Industry 4.0
K1 Reverse engineering
K1 Simulation
K1 Spare parts
AB This paper explores the possibility of applying reverse engineering to flexible coupling spare parts through additive manufacturing. Although couplings’ simplicity makes them go unnoticed, they connect elements that transmit power between two shafts, thus being an essential component for most of the machinery currently used in the industry. In this study, flexible couplings with different infill density (60% and 80%) were 3D printed by the fused filament fabrication technique. The original and the additive manufactured couplings were modelled to compare their compressive response and energy-absorbing characteristics, and experimental tests were performed to validate finite element analysis. To derive an optimal material distribution within coupling structure, a generative design approach was conducted through nTopology software. With this novel simulation-driven design, it is possible to reduce the weight of the redesigned part up to 15.8% by defining the wall thickness of the internal structure based on the results of finite element simulation, while maintaining its functionality. Moreover, an economic-environmental study was carried out. Results ensure that the 3D printed prototypes are suitable for replacing the original one under its current operating conditions. Additionally, the economic study shows that the redesigned couplings allow companies to save more than €2700 per coupling in relation to CO2 emission payments.
PB Springer
SN 0268-3768
YR 2023
FD 2023-04-24
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/28971
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/28971
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 10-nov-2026