Computing power that used to be available only in supercomputers decades ago especially their parallelism is currently available in standard personal computer CPUs even in CPUs for mobile telephones. We show how to effectively utilize the computing power of modern multi-core personal computer CPU to solve the complex combinatorial problem of object arrangement and scheduling for sequential 3D printing. We achieved this by parallelizing the existing CEGAR-SEQ algorithm that solves the sequential object arrangement and scheduling by expressing it as a linear arithmetic formula which is then solved by a technique inspired by counterexample guided abstraction refinement (CEGAR). The original CEGAR-SEQ algorithm uses an object arrangement strategy that places objects towards the center of the printing plate. We propose alternative object arrangement strategies such as placing objects towards a corner of the printing plate and scheduling objects according to their height. Our parallelization is done at the high-level where we execute the CEGAR-SEQ algorithm in parallel with a portfolio of object arrangement strategies, an algorithm is called Porfolio-CEGAR-SEQ. Our experimental evaluation indicates that Porfolio-CEGAR-SEQ outperforms the original CEGAR-SEQ. When a batch of objects for multiple printing plates is scheduled, Portfolio-CEGAR-SEQ often uses fewer printing plates than CEGAR-SEQ.
Electrospun nanofiber membranes (NFMs) have high porosity and a large specific surface area, which provide a suitable environment for the complex and dynamic wound healing process and a large number of sites for carrying wound healing factors. Further, the design of the nanofiber structure can imitate the structure of the human dermis, similar to the natural extracellular matrix, which better promotes the hemostasis, anti-inflammatory and healing of wounds. Therefore, it has been widely studied in the field of wound dressing. This review article overviews the development of electrospinning technology and the application of electrospun nanofibers in wound dressings. It begins with an introduction to the history, working principles, and transformation of electrospinning, with a focus on the selection of electrospun nanofiber materials, incorporation of functional therapeutic factors, and structural design of nanofibers and nanofiber membranes. Moreover, the wide application of electrospun NFMs containing therapeutic factors in wound healing is classified based on their special functions, such as hemostasis, antibacterial and cell proliferation promotion. This article also highlights the structural design of electrospun nanofibers in wound dressing, including porous structures, bead structures, core-shell structures, ordered structures, and multilayer nanofiber membrane structures. Finally, their advantages and limitations are discussed, and the challenges faced in their application for wound dressings are analyzed to promote further research in this field.
Biodegradable starch films are promising candidates for short-life packaging but often suffer from moisture sensitivity and limited strength. This study solvent-cast films made from two starch sources (potato, maize), two plasticizers (sorbitol, glycerol), and a natural reinforcer (yellow pea fiber) under identical processing, enabling direct, formulation-level structure – property evaluation. Across 16 formulations, nine yielded testable films; potato-starch systems dominated the successful set. Mechanical testing revealed that potato starch plasticized with sorbitol achieved the highest tensile performance (FH up to 58.45 N) with a Young’s modulus clustered near 1.0–1.14 GPa – within the range of polypropylene copolymers – while glycerol-rich systems favored ductility at the expense of strength. Contact-angle measurements confirmed high surface hydrophilicity (all < 71° per ASTM D5946 levels), underscoring moisture susceptibility relative to polyethylene. Optical/microscopic inspection exposed thickness variability and air-void defects arising from manual casting, highlighting scalability limits without controlled film forming. Overall, the results clarify how starch source and plasticizer choice govern the strength – ductility balance and surface wettability and identify sorbitol-plasticized potato starch as a promising baseline for sustainable packaging provided that barrier properties and processing uniformity are improved (e.g. through controlled extrusion and nanofiller strategies).
Science, Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
Cynthia Akua Chichi, Benjamin Kwablah Asinyo, Eunice Owusu-Antwi
et al.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the collaborative efforts that were utilised in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, where industries worldwide faced unparalleled challenges that disrupted standards and demanded rapid adjustment. This study examines how public-private collaboration enhanced operational resilience in Ghana's apparel industry during COVID-19 supply chain disruptions, using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) production as a critical adaptive response.
Methodology/Design: This study employed a descriptive case study approach that analysed 38 semi-structured interviews across three enterprise tiers (5 T1, 7 T2, 26 T3) and 1 (one) representative from The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry (MOTAI), supplemented by documentary analysis of production records and policy documents. This approach was used to examine the powerful collaboration between the apparel industry in Ghana. Data obtained was analysed using thematic analysis and themes related to products manufactured before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaboration, resilience strategies, and outcomes were identified and categorised based on the research objectives.
Findings: By examining these unique efforts of government, stakeholders, and organisations, this study highlights the power of collaborative proposals in mitigating the extraneous effects of the pandemic and moving the industry toward sustainable growth. The study reveals the strategies and partnerships that emerged, ultimately underscoring how collaboration stood as a pillar in navigating the unacquainted terrains of the pandemic. The crisis response generated $18.7M in domestic PPE contracts, preserving 86% of pre-pandemic employment levels through three key mechanisms: 1) cross-tier production associations, 2) government-backed raw material financing, and 3) workforce reskilling enterprises.
Practical and Social Implications: This study has implications for government intervention in policy-making and investment in the apparel industry in Ghana. If these are utilised, they will enhance the capacity for expansion through local sourcing from the Textile industry in Ghana, which will create more jobs and strengthen the local economy. Improvements will be seen in the supply chain and operations of companies in the industry, helping them penetrate the global market.
Originality: This study highlights the outstanding resilience of the industry, which also serves as evidence of the capacity collaborative efforts can play in ensuring a dynamic and adjustable business in the face of unparalleled situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study presents a finite element analysis (FEA)-based numerical homogenization method for evaluating the effective thermo-mechanical properties of a large-area additively manufactured particulate-filled composite using realistic periodic representative volume elements (RVEs) generated from reconstructed X-ray µ-CT image scans of a 3D-printed bead. The numerical results of the predicted effective properties, including the elastic stiffness, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and thermal conductivity, were benchmarked with the Mori–Tanaka–Benveniste analytical estimates, which were found to be comparable. Initial sensitivity analysis using a single region of interest (ROI) extracted from the bead’s volume was performed to determine a suitable RVE size. The impact of inherent micro-porosities on the resulting composite material’s behavior was also quantified in the current investigation and was shown to reduce the composite’s effective properties. Using a suitable RVE size, the effect of anisotropy due to spatial variation in the microstructure across the bead specimen on the computed composite’s effective properties was also assessed. The results show that the regions closer to the exposed surface of the print bead with highly aligned and densely packed fiber particulates have superior properties as compared to inner regions with a more randomly oriented and less densely packed fibrous microstructure.
Chemicals: Manufacture, use, etc., Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
The modern textile industry is increasingly confronted with demands for faster delivery, greater production flexibility, and optimized inventory management. Traditional warehousing and transport systems struggle to keep pace with the dynamics of today's market, prompting a growing number of companies to adopt Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) as a solution to enhance operational efficiency and competitiveness. AMRs leverage advanced technologies such as LiDAR sensors, SLAM algorithms, artificial intelligence, and IoT systems to navigate complex industrial environments autonomously, optimize routes, and execute tasks without direct human intervention. In textile manufacturing-where materials continuously move through multiple processing stages-this form of automation brings significant advantages. The implementation of mobile robots enables real-time tracking of material flow, automated inventory control, and a reduction in production downtime. Through integration with ERP and MES systems, AMRs become part of a comprehensive digital ecosystem that facilitates precise planning and data-driven decision-making. Studies indicate that the deployment of AMR technology can improve warehouse efficiency by up to 40% and reduce operational costs by as much as 25%, while also decreasing human error and enhancing workplace safety. Global trends suggest that mobile robots will become standard components of smart textile factories, particularly in advanced economies heavily investing in digital transformation and automation. The integration of mobile robotics into logistics processes within the textile sector yields measurable benefits in terms of efficiency, flexibility, and cost reduction. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, AMR systems are emerging as key enablers of modern, agile, and sustainable production systems.
Chenyu Tang, Josée Mallah, Dominika Kazieczko
et al.
This paper presents a novel wireless silent speech interface (SSI) integrating multi-channel textile-based EMG electrodes into headphone earmuff for real-time, hands-free communication. Unlike conventional patch-based EMG systems, which require large-area electrodes on the face or neck, our approach ensures comfort, discretion, and wearability while maintaining robust silent speech decoding. The system utilizes four graphene/PEDOT:PSS-coated textile electrodes to capture speech-related neuromuscular activity, with signals processed via a compact ESP32-S3-based wireless readout module. To address the challenge of variable skin-electrode coupling, we propose a 1D SE-ResNet architecture incorporating squeeze-and-excitation (SE) blocks to dynamically adjust per-channel attention weights, enhancing robustness against motion-induced impedance variations. The proposed system achieves 96% accuracy on 10 commonly used voice-free control words, outperforming conventional single-channel and non-adaptive baselines. Experimental validation, including XAI-based attention analysis and t-SNE feature visualization, confirms the adaptive channel selection capability and effective feature extraction of the model. This work advances wearable EMG-based SSIs, demonstrating a scalable, low-power, and user-friendly platform for silent communication, assistive technologies, and human-computer interaction.
The printing and labeling industries are struggling to meet the need for more complex and dynamic design requirements coming from the customers. It is now crucial to implement technological advancements to manage workflow, productivity, process optimization, and continual improvement. There has never been a time when the imagery and embellishments of apparel has been more commercially viable as it is now. Images and text are fused directly to fabric by heat transfer printing and labeling. For screen development which is required for heat transfer label mass production, many industries are still using the conventional method of screen development process. A CTS (computer-to-screen) innovates the printing and labeling industries by enhancing workflow, lowering consumable consumptions and chemical usage, speeding up setup, guaranteeing flawless design, and raising the print quality of the producing screens. The study's objective is to assess how CTS machines are used and how they affect existing heat transfer screen development processes in one of Bangladesh's leading printing and labeling companies. The study's primary goal is to highlight and analyze how the use of CTS machines reduces material and operational costs by optimizing the process. Costs for CapEx and OpEx are computed and compared for using CTS technology before and after adoption. Savings data such as material, consumable, and operating cost savings versus depreciation and machine payback period analysis were taken into consideration. It is clear from this study that CTS machines in the printing and labeling industries can guarantee profitability on top of Capital Expenditures.
Diego Machain Rivera, Selen Ercan Jenny, Ping Hsun Tsai
et al.
This work proposes a Graph Neural Network (GNN) modeling approach to predict the resulting surface from a particle based fabrication process. The latter consists of spray-based printing of cementitious plaster on a wall and is facilitated with the use of a robotic arm. The predictions are computed using the robotic arm trajectory features, such as position, velocity and direction, as well as the printing process parameters. The proposed approach, based on a particle representation of the wall domain and the end effector, allows for the adoption of a graph-based solution. The GNN model consists of an encoder-processor-decoder architecture and is trained using data from laboratory tests, while the hyperparameters are optimized by means of a Bayesian scheme. The aim of this model is to act as a simulator of the printing process, and ultimately used for the generation of the robotic arm trajectory and the optimization of the printing parameters, towards the materialization of an autonomous plastering process. The performance of the proposed model is assessed in terms of the prediction error against unseen ground truth data, which shows its generality in varied scenarios, as well as in comparison with the performance of an existing benchmark model. The results demonstrate a significant improvement over the benchmark model, with notably better performance and enhanced error scaling across prediction steps.
خوردگی فلزات یک نگرانی جدی است که میتواند باعث آسیب اقتصادی شود. از دهههای گذشته استفاده از روشهای مختلف برای جلوگیری از خوردگی استفاده میشود که در میان آنها استفاده از پوششهای پلیمری از ارجحیت خاصی برخوردار است. در میان پوششها، اپوکسیها بسیار مورد توجه هستند، در حقیقت آنها در گروه رزینهای گرماسخت قرار دارند و با انواع مختلفی از مواد پخت میشوند. آنها بهدلیل خواص مکانیکی عالی، چسبندگی قوی برای بسیاری از بسترها، پایداری ابعادی و مقاومت حرارتی و شیمیایی بسیار مورد استفاده قرار میگیرند. برای بهبود خواص پوششهای اپوکسی میتوان از نانوپرکنندهها استفاده کرد. در این میان گرافن و مکسین بهدلیل خواص منحصربهفردی که دارند بسیار مورد توجه قرار گرفتهاند. در این بررسی، به سنتز گرافن و مکسین پرداخته میشود و همچنین استفاده از این دو نانوذره در پوششهای اپوکسی مورد بررسی قرار گرفته است.
Building construction, Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
This research examines screening of the factors affecting cotton-sized yarn gain strength, elongation, stretch, size pick-up, and yarn abrasion resistance. The factors considered in this research are sizing machine parameters like sizing machine speed, squeezing roller pressure, warp yarn tension of various sizing machine zones, warp yarn twist, and viscosity of the size paste. Taguchi design with Minitab software has been used to design and analyze the results of the experiments. The study revealed that viscosity, yarn twist, sizing machine speed, and wet tension affected sized yarn gain strength significantly. Viscosity has maximum contribution to gain strength (34.57%) compared to other factors and has a positive effect on the gain strength of the sized yarn. For stretch percentage and the loss elongation of sized yarn, the wet tension is the most significant factor with 50.30% and 52.13% contribution respectively. Moreover, for the size pick-up and yarn abrasion resistance of sized yarn, the speed of the sizing machine is the most effective parameter with 44.45% and 56.29% contribution, respectively. The screening experimental result revealed the most significant factor that must be further optimized using response surface methods of experimental design.
Science, Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
Electronic textiles (E-textiles) offer great wearing comfort and unobtrusiveness, thus holding potential for next-generation health monitoring wearables. However, the practical implementation is hampered by challenges associated with poor signal quality, substantial motion artifacts, durability for long-term usage, and non-ideal user experience. Here, we report a cost-effective E-textile system that features 3D microfiber-based electrodes for greatly increasing the surface area. The soft and fluffy conductive microfibers disperse freely and securely adhere to the skin, achieving a low impedance at the electrode-skin interface even in the absence of gel. A superhydrophobic fluorinated self-assembled monolayer was deposited on the E-textile surface to render it waterproof while retaining the electrical conductivity. Equipped with a custom-designed motion-artifact canceling wireless data recording circuit, the E-textile system could be integrated into a variety of smart garments for exercise physiology and health monitoring applications. Real-time multimodal electrophysiological signal monitoring, including electrocardiogram (ECG) and electromyography (EMG), was successfully carried out during strenuous cycling and even underwater swimming activities. Furthermore, a multi-channel E-textile was developed and implemented in clinical patient studies for simultaneous real-time monitoring of maternal ECG and uterine EMG signals, incorporating spatial-temporal potential mapping capabilities.
Md. Omarsany Bappy, Qiang Jiang, Stephanie Atampugre
et al.
Integrating multiple sensing capabilities into a single multimodal sensor greatly enhances its applications for in-situ sensing and structural health monitoring. However, the fabrication of multimodal sensors is complicated and limited by the available materials and existing manufacturing methods that often involve complex and expensive fabrication processes. In this study, a high-temperature multimodal sensor is demonstrated by aerosol jet printing of gold and ITO nanoparticle inks. The printed multimodal sensor for concurrent strain and temperature sensing possesses a high gauge factor of 2.54 and thermopower of 55.64 V/°C combined with excellent high-temperature thermal stability up to 540 °C. Compared to traditional single-modality sensors, the printed multimodal sensor significantly increases sensing capacity and improves spatial resolution using microscale printed patterns. The study also demonstrates that the strain sensor with integrated thermocouple enables in-situ compensation of the temperature effect on strain sensing, significantly improving strain measurement accuracy at high temperatures. By combining aerosol jet printing with nanomaterial inks, a wide range of multifunctional devices can be developed for a broad range of emerging applications.
Freeform thin-shell surfaces are critical in various fields, but their fabrication is complex and costly. Traditional methods are wasteful and require custom molds, while 3D printing needs extensive support structures and post-processing. Thermoshrinkage actuated 4D printing is an effective method through flat structures fabricating 3D shell. However, existing research faces issues related to precise deformation and limited robustness. Addressing these issues is challenging due to three key factors: (1) Difficulty in finding a universal method to control deformation across different materials; (2) Variability in deformation influenced by factors such as printing speed, layer thickness, and heating temperature; (3) Environmental factors affecting the deformation process. To overcome these challenges, we introduce FreeShell, a robust 4D printing technique that uses thermoshrinkage to create precise 3D shells. This method prints triangular tiles connected by shrinkable connectors from a single material. Upon heating, the connectors shrink, moving the tiles to form the desired 3D shape, simplifying fabrication and reducing material and environment dependency. An optimized algorithm for flattening 3D meshes ensures precision in printing. FreeShell demonstrates its effectiveness through various examples and experiments, showcasing accuracy, robustness, and strength, representing advancement in fabricating complex freeform surfaces.
The combination of multiple electrode materials and their reasonable structural design are conducive to the preparation of composite electrodes with excellent performance. In this study, based on carbon nanofibers grown with Ni(OH)2 and NiO (CHO) prepared by electrospinning, hydrothermal growth, and low-temperature carbonization, five transition metal sulfides (MnS, CoS, FeS, CuS, and NiS) were hydrothermally grown on their surfaces, exhibiting that CHO/NiS had the optimal electrochemical properties. Subsequently, the effect of hydrothermal growth time on CHO/NiS revealed that the electrochemical performance of CHO/NiS-3h was optimal, with a specific capacitance of up to 1717 F g−1 (1 A g−1), due to its multistage core–shell structure. Moreover, the diffusion-controlled process of CHO/NiS-3h dominated its charge energy storage mechanism. Finally, the asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with CHO/NiS-3h as the positive electrode demonstrated an energy density of 27.76 Wh kg−1 at a maximum power density of 4000 W kg−1, and it still maintained a power density of 800 W kg−1 at a maximum energy density of 37.97 Wh kg−1, exhibiting the potential application of multistage core–shell composite materials in high-performance supercapacitors.
Recently, the production of organic fibres and the recycling of textile waste have become essential global issues due to the decrease in non-renewable resources and the increase in disposal costs. The aim of this work was to identify changes in the properties of single jersey knitwear produced from conventional and sustainable fibres after 20 washes. The samples were knitted from different conventional and sustainable yarns. The selected conventional fibres were 100% cotton, 50% cotton-50% polyester and 100% polyester, while the sustainable fibres were 100% better cotton, 100% recycled polyester, and 50% organic cotton-50% recycled polyester. Measurements were taken before and after 20 washes according to the relevant standards. It was found that fabric produced from 100% recycled polyester is suitable for active sportswear due to its high air permeability, and resistance to heat and water vapor. In addition, the fabric with 50% organic cotton-50% recycled polyester fibres was more suitable for cold environmental conditions due to its lowest water vapor resistance, good air permeability and high thermal resistance.
A rapid and efficient photo-bleaching process was demonstrated with a high-energy nanosecond pulse to recover existing and/or revealed color centers on 10 kGy Gamma-irradiated Yb-doped optical fiber. Multi-mJ pulsed laser based on an optical parametric amplifier system operating at wavelengths of 532 nm, 680 nm and 793 nm was used. The photo-bleaching performance is investigated as a function of the wavelength and energy of the pulsed light source. It was observed that the photo-bleaching level of the Yb-doped optical fiber increased when the exposure time of the pulsed laser light and the photon energy was increased. The results show that the recovery levels of color centers in the Yb-doped optical fibers reached up to 96 % in a shorter time by using the pulsed laser compared to that of the studies by using the continuous laser.
Jianwei Yang, Xiangpeng Tan, Muhammad Shaaban
et al.
Biochar/nano-zero-valent iron (BC-nZVI) composites are currently of great interest as an efficient remediation material for contaminated soil, but their potential to remediate Cr-contaminated soils and effect on soil microecology is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of BC-nZVI composites on the removal of Cr(VI) from soil, and indigenous microbial diversity and community composition. The results showed that after 15 days of remediation with 10 g/kg of BC-nZVI, 86.55% of Cr(VI) was removed from the soil. The remediation of the Cr-contaminated soil with BC-nZVI resulted in a significant increase in OTUs and α-diversity index, and even a significant increase in the abundance and diversity of indigenous bacteria and unique bacterial species in the community by reducing the toxic concentration of Cr, changing soil properties, and providing habitat for survival. These results confirm that BC-nZVI is effective in removing Cr(VI) and stabilizing Cr in soil with no significant adverse effects on soil quality or soil microorganisms.
Ferdausee Rahman Anannya, Farhana Afroz, Golam Kibria
et al.
This study attempted to produce a cheap polyester composite material using an agricultural waste banana peel in the structure. Banana fibre has been used in composites as reinforcements, but banana peel has never been used with polyester before. The possibility of improved thermal and flammability properties of a composite due to increased moisture in the structure, and the char-forming ability of the cellulosic part of banana peel or the production of highly flammable material due to the presence of carbohydrates in the structure were the assumptions. To tackle the second assumption, aluminium trihydrate (ATH) was added. The handmade composites showed a drastic drop in tensile strength from 38.02 MPa to 16.72 MPa due to a lack of chemical bonding between the constituents. The impact and flexural strength showed some improvement with the addition of banana peel, along with ATH, to record results of 10.92 kg/cm and 49 MPa, respectively, after the initial drop that occurred when only ATH was added. However, these results were still inferior to the properties of pure polyester. The results of flammability and thermal resistance matched the second assumption, as flame retardancy was kept under control by the presence of ATH. The absorbency properties remained almost unaffected.