Green Design of Biomedical Prosthetic Devices in Additive Manufacturing: A Focus on Energy Method

This Ph.D. thesis presents a comprehensive study conducted over three years on the mechanical strength assessment of 3D-printed lattice structures using energy-based methods. The primary objective was to apply energy-based approaches to evaluate the mechanical behavior of lattice structures. Specifically, the Static Thermographic Method (STM) was extensively employed to monitor energy release in a wide range of scaffold designs, providing valuable insights into their failure mechanisms. To complement the thermographic investigations, finite element simulations (FEM) and DIC image correlation were conducted to predict structural failure and establish correlations with thermographic data. These numerical analyses helped in understanding the stress distribution and failure initiation points, ensuring a robust validation of experimental results. As an initial phase of the research, thermographic techniques were applied to 3D-printed openhole plates and crosshatched specimens to assess their damage initiation and failure characteristics. Subsequent studies extended this approach to various scaffold configurations, enhancing the understanding of mechanical performance and energy dissipation in porous structures. The experimental activities were conducted at the Laboratory of Mechanics at the University of Messina. Additionally, part of the research was carried out at the Polytechnical University of Timisoara, under the supervision of Prof. Liviu Marsavina. This thesis has opened several topics for future research, particularly in refining energy-based failure assessment methods for additively manufactured materials and optimizing lattice structures for biomedical and engineering applications. The author intends to further explore these research directions to advance the integration of thermographic methods in mechanical characterization and structural integrity assessments.