Abstract
PurposeThe filament-based feeding mechanism employed by the majority of fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printers dictates that the materials must have very specific mechanical characteristics. Without a suitable mechanical profile, the filament can cause blockages in the printer. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to screen the mechanical properties of pharmaceutically-relevant, hot-melt extruded filaments to predetermine their suitability for FDM.MethodsA texture analyzer was used to simulate the forces a filament is subjected to inside the printer. The texture analyzer produced a force-distance curve referred to as the flexibility profile. Principal Component Analysis and Correlation Analysis statistical methods were then used to compare the flexibility profiles of commercial filaments to in-house made filaments.ResultsPrincipal component analysis showed clearly separated clustering of filaments that suffer from mechanical defects versus filaments which are suitable for printing. Correlation scores likewise showed significantly greater values with feedable filaments than their mechanically deficient counterparts.ConclusionThe screening method developed in this study showed, with statistical significance and reproducibility, the ability to predetermine the feedability of extruded filaments into an FDM printer.
Highlights
In recent years, there has been a rise in interest in utilizing 3D printing (3DP) as means to manufacture pharmaceutical dosage forms due to its ability to produce bespoke objects 151 Page 2 of 13Pharm Res (2018) 35: 151 possessing high geometrical complexity quickly with high precision and accuracy
The screening method developed in this study showed, with statistical significance and reproducibility, the ability to predetermine the feedability of extruded filaments into an fused deposition modelling (FDM) printer
The rationale of including these different categories of the pharmaceutical filaments is to test a broad range of pharmaceutical materials to validate the screening method and develop understandings of the effects of additives and drugs on the feedability and printability of the pharmaceutical polymers
Summary
Pharm Res (2018) 35: 151 possessing high geometrical complexity quickly with high precision and accuracy. This gives 3DP the potential for the manufacturing of personalized dosage forms [1,2]. The mechanical assembly of a FDM printing head consists of the feeding rollers, heating zone, and the nozzle [3,4,5]. The filament is fed to a heating zone where the filament is melted and extruded through the printing nozzle onto the build plate layer-wise to form the desired object
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