An Automated Open-Source Approach for Debinding Simulation in Metal Extrusion Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

As an alternative to powder-bed based processes, metal parts can be additively manufactured by extrusion based additive manufacturing. In this process, a highly filled polymer filament is deposited and subsequently debindered and sintered. Choosing a proper orientation of the part that satisfies the requirements of the debinding and sintering processes is crucial for a successful manufacturing process. To determine the optimal orientation for debinding, first, the part must be scaled in order to compensate the sinter induced shrinkage. Then, a finite element analysis is performed to verify that the maximum stresses due to the dead load do not exceed the critical stress limits. To ease this selection process, an approach based on open source software is shown in this article to efficiently determine a part’s optimal orientation during debinding. This automates scaling, debinding simulation, and postprocessing for all six main directions. The presented automated simulation framework is examined on three application examples and provides plausible results in a technical context for all example parts, leading to more robust part designs and a reduction of experimental trial and error. Therefore, the presented framework is a useful tool in the product development process for metal extrusion additive manufacturing applications.