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Literature has shown that 3D printed composites may have highly anisotropic mechanical properties due to variation in microstructure as a result of filament deposition process. Laminate composite theory, which is already used for composite products, has been proposed as an effective method for quantifying these mechanical characteristics. Starting with the analysis of comparing the printing orientation of premanufactured carbon fiber reinforced filament, the mechanical properties of 3D printed objects were examined. The mechanical properties changed not only as a result of machine choice, but how the sample is oriented along the printing bed. The analysis continued with looking at the dynamic properties of 3D printed composites. Results showed that the direction of the extruded strands altered the modal frequencies even for a sample with the same geometry. With the direction of the extruded strands affecting the mechanical properties, the composition of these strands is also shown to affect the mechanical properties of 3D printed composites. For commercially available fiber reinforced filaments, it was found through microscopic analysis that the fiber content stated by the manufacturer is inaccurate. In order to apply Classical Laminate Composite Theory (CLCT) the fiber volume fraction and aspect ratio need to be known. This lead to the creation of custom filament with the desired fiber content and geometry. The Halpin-Tsai model was used to predict the mechanical behavior of short fiber reinforced composites. Finally, the mechanical properties of continuous fiber composites were examined. The continuous fiber samples showed that fiber orientation had an vast effect on mechanical properties. A well oriented composite notably outperformed other fiber orientations with a drastic drop in Young's modulus even with slight misalignment in fiber direction, but also resulted in brittle responses which may not be preferable. CLCT is applied using the simulation software ansys workbench. The results showed considerable correlation for each orientation and can be an accurate predictor of mechanical characteristics for 3D printed continuous fiber composites., © 2023 Jordan Garcia

Uno de los mayores impulsadores del crecimiento económico peruano son las micro y pequeñas empresas (Mypes), dado que estas tienen un rol relevante en el Producto Interno Bruto (PBI) y empleo. Sin embargo, son las entidades con mayor dificultad para obtener fuentes de financiamiento, sobre todo en créditos bancarios, dificultando su capacidad de desarrollo y operaciones. El objetivo del presente estudio es evaluar cuáles son los elementos que más afectan la propensión de los préstamos bancarios para las Mypes en el Perú en el periodo 2011 a 2020 y proponer medidas que se podrían aplicar para una mayor inclusión de estas empresas en el sector bancario. Para ello se utilizaron datos mensuales de la SBS y se realizó una estimación mediante datos de panel. Los resultados obtenidos fueron un efecto negativo de la concentración bancaria tanto como para pequeñas y microempresas, un efecto negativo de la morosidad sobre la propensión al crédito, siendo ex ante en las microempresas y ex post en las pequeñas empresas. También se encontró que el tamaño del banco solo es realmente significativo en los créditos a microempresas y que el retorno sobre los activos tuvo un efecto negativo para las pequeñas empresas; mientras que, para las microempresas tiene un efecto positivo. Por otra parte, se encontró que en las pequeñas empresas las tasas en moneda extranjera tienen mayor significancia estadística; mientras que, en el caso de las microempresas son las tasas en moneda nacional. Por último, las variables que presentaron cambios significativos tras la pandemia fueron la rentabilidad sobre los activos, la morosidad y las tasas, esto posiblemente sea gracias al programa Reactiva, y que más bien la concentración bancaria no tuvo cambio sustancial en su impacto tras la pandemia. One of the biggest drivers of Peruvian economic growth are micro and small companies (Mypes), since they have a relevant role in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment. However, they are the entities with the greatest difficulty in obtaining financing from sources, especially in bank loans, hindering their capacity for development and operations. The objective of this study was to evaluate which are the elements that most affect the propensity of bank loans for Mypes in Peru in the period 2011 to 2020 and propose measures that could be applied for a greater inclusion of these companies in the banking sector. For this, monthly data from the SBS were used and an estimate was made using panel data. The results obtained were a negative effect of bank concentration as well as for small and microenterprises, that the default ratio has a negative effect on the propensity to credit, being ex-ante in micro companies and ex-post in small companies. It was also found that the size of the bank is only significant in loans to micro companies and that the return on assets had a negative effect on small companies, while for micro companies it has a positive effect. On the other hand, it was found that in small companies the rates in foreign currency have greater statistical significance; while, in the case of micro companies, they are the rates in national currency. Finally, the variables that showed significant changes after the pandemic were the return on assets, delinquency, and rates, this is possibly thanks to the “Reactiva” program, and that bank concentration did not have a substantial change in its impact after the pandemic.

[ES] El cuarto de baño, desde sus orígenes hasta la actualidad, ha sido un espacio donde cualquier persona ha podido cuidarse y ser ella misma. Este lugar, además, ha estado estrechamente vinculado con los conceptos de intimidad y privacidad. El problema surge cuando la historia le ha cedido, junto a estos, el derecho a la individualidad al género masculino, mientras que se le ha negado al femenino. Este trabajo busca, por tanto, diagnosticar, desde una perspectiva de género, el problema social que supone el uso de los baños en la actualidad; los públicos, sobre todo. De este modo, se genera un recorrido por diferentes culturas y civilizaciones, distintas entre sí, donde el baño público es un factor influyente en la sociedad. Por otra parte, se analizan también diferentes casos de estudio para así, mediante su comparación, extrapolar en su conjunto los beneficios y los inconvenientes y generar una serie de posibilidades y limitaciones que ayuden a combatir el conflicto social que afecta a una parte importante de los estratos sociales; o al menos a plantear una serie de dudas que sirvan para este propósito., [EN] The bathroom, from its origins to the present day, has been a space where everyone is able to take care of, and be, themselves. Moreover, it has always been closely linked with the concepts of intimacy and privacy. The problem has arisen when history yields the right to individuality to the male gender, whilst the female gender has been denied these privileges. This study, therefore, looks to analyse, from the perspective of gender, the current social issues that surround the use of bathrooms; specifically, public restrooms. In this way, it explores different cultures and civilisations in which the public bathroom is an influential factor in their society. What's more, different case studies are analysed, in order to extrapolate, through comparison, the advantages and disadvantages of the chosen cases and create a list of possibilities and limitations that could help to combat the social conflict that influences an important part of the society; or at least pose a series of queries that serve this purpose.

3D printing is a revolutionary manufacturing method that allows the productions of engineering parts almost directly from modeling software on a computer. With 3D printing technology, future manufacturing could become vastly efficient. However, it is observed that the procedures used in 3D printing differ substantially among the printers and from those used in conventional manufacturing. In this thesis, the mechanical properties of engineering products fabricated by 3D printing were comprehensively evaluated and then compared with those made by conventional manufacturing. Three open-source 3D printers, i.e., the Flash Forge Dreamer, the Tevo Tornado, and the Prusa, were used to fabricate the identical parts out of the same material (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). The parts were printed at various positions on the printer platforms and then tested in bending. Results indicate that there exist substantial differences in mechanical responses among the parts by different 3D printers. Specimens from the Prusa printer exhibit the best elastic properties while specimens from the Flash Forge printer exhibit the greatest post-yield responses. There further exist noticeable variations in mechanical properties among the parts that were fabricated by the same printer. Depending on the positions that the parts were placed on a printer platform, the properties of resultant parts can vary greatly. For comparison, identical parts were fabricated using a conventional manufacturing method, i.e., compression molding. Results show that compression molded parts exhibit more robust and more homogeneous properties than those from 3D printing. During 3D printing, the machine code (e.g., the Gcode) would provide the processing instructions (the x, y, and z coordinates and the linear movements) to the printer head to construct the physical parts. Often times the default processing instructions used by commercial 3D printers may not yield the optimal mechanical properties of the parts. In the second part of this thesis, the orientation-dependent properties of 3D printed parts were examined. The multi-layered composite theory was used to design the directions of printing so that the properties of 3D printed objects can be optimized. Such method can potentially be used to design and optimize the 3D printing of complex engineering products. In the last part of this thesis, the printing process of an actual automobile A-pillar structure was designed and optimized. The finite element software (ANSYS) was used to design and optimize the filament orientations of the A-pillar. Actual parts from the proposed designs were fabricated using 3D printer and then tested. Consistent results have been observed between computational designs and experimental testing. It is recommended that the filament orientations in 3D-printing be “designed” or “tailored” by using laminate composite theory. The method would allow 3D printers to produce parts with optimal microstructure and mechanical properties to better satisfy the specific needs., Copyright © Jordan Garcia 2019

The aim of this project is to study the viability of creating a telecom company in Brisbane - Australia. To do so, I have been studying the different services that companies currently offer to their clients, and how it is possible to create a company in Australia taking into account the requirements from the government. I decided to move to Australia two years ago, and have been preparing for this change in my life since then. The initiative to move in this country is the result of personal as well as professional factors, which are thoroughly explained in this Master´s project. Only a few weeks after my arrival in Australia, I realised the immense opportunities that this country offered to new businesses, and the incredible growth the telecommunications industry was experiencing. Looking deeper in this matter, I decided to write this project and balance the feasibility of starting a telecom company in Brisbane. Australia is within the Asia-Pacific region, the fastest growing ICT region in the world according the Queensland government. I have had a look at the different companies located in Queensland through the web portal "http://directories.deedi.qld.gov.au/ictcapability/", where it is possible to compare and check all the companies in Australia classified by the kind of business they are. Our company, which will be called Telenet, will be located in the surroundings of Brisbane – Queensland. Telenet will be classified as Telecommunications Hardware and Infrastructure, and according to information provided by Queensland government, there are currently 117 telecommunications hardware and infrastructure companies. There are only 7 companies classified as large companies over 117. An analysis of these competitors is made in order to compare their strength and weaknesses. Telenet is a two steps project. The first step is the one developed all along this Master Final Project, and consists in starting the company in Australia with the aim to provide telecommunication infrastructure to small and medium companies and make a portfolio of clients. In this one, we will need to keep in mind the second step and final aim of the project, which is to create a Data Centre where our existing and new clients will be able to rent our services such as: renting storage "data", renting space "racks", and renting internet service "as we will also be an ISP". This second part of the project will be developed one or two years after the beginning of the company´s operations, due to its huge investment, which has to be done by our investor. Both parts (the investor and partners) have agreed to start a company about installing telecommunication infrastructures and see if the company becomes profitable. The products and service we will offer are divided in three main sections: audits and diagnostics, consulting engineering and design, and management and implementation of the project. A study of the possible clients we will achieve the first year, as well as the number of clients will hire our service has been done, taking into account that not all of them will perform the three phases/service we offer. Furthermore, a business model about how the company works has been explained in a business model canvas in order to describe the value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. The business model canvas consists in 9 blocks where the operability of the company Telenet is explained in detail. Finally, the last part of the project is an analysis of the return on investment and profitability calculated according to our expectations of the first year of operation. You will find our sales forecast for the first year, as well as our expected profits for the first year.