Fused filament fabrication using stainless steel 316L‐polymer blend: Analysis and optimization for green density and surface roughness

Abstract

AbstractThis study is centered on the analysis of composite component additive manufacturing, via fused filament fabrication (FFF), comprising of 316L stainless steel particles in a polymer matrix. It examines the impact of several process factors of FFF, including extrusion speed, layer height, and extrusion temperature, on the density and surface roughness with the goal to minimize porosity. The independent and interaction impacts of these parameters were investigated using a central composite design technique. The technique of analysis of variance was utilized to determine the influence of relevant factors. Regression analysis was used to establish statistical models linking the parameters to green density and surface roughness. The green density was enhanced by reducing the layer height from 0.2 to 0.1 μm and decreasing the nozzle speed from 100 to 20 mm min−1. The surface roughness was improved by using a slow printing speed and minimum layer height. The ideal temperature range for producing favorable results in terms of green density and surface roughness during extrusion was found to be between 235 and 240°C. Significant correlations were found between the parameters and the green density and surface roughness. A genetic algorithm was used as an optimisation tool to determine the thresholds that would provide the highest green density and the lowest surface roughness values. The porosity of the samples generated with the optimized settings was evaluated using microtomography scans. The methodology presented here can be applied to composite and standard polymeric filament printing to determine optimal printing parameters.Highlights Blend of stainless steel 316L and polymer was used for fused filament fabrication. Printing speed and layer height were the dominating for density and roughness. Height 0.2 mm, speed 20 mm s−1, and temperature 239°C resulted 4.73 g cm−3 density and 21.09 μm roughness Microtomography revealed porosity of 1.7% in the optimized sample.