Optimization of extrusion-based additive manufacturing of bronze metal parts using a CuSn10/Polylactic acid composite

Abstract

As additive manufacturing gains widespread adoption across various industries, its application to traditional materials such as bronze remains relatively underexplored. Through a comprehensive assessment, this research investigates the extrusion-based additive manufacturing of bronze, utilizing a CuSn10/Polylactic Acid (PLA) composite filament for printing bronze green parts, followed by thermal debinding and sintering processes to produce metal parts. By systematically varying 3D printing, debinding, and sintering parameters, optimized conditions for manufacturing bronze metal parts are identified. The study evaluates key material properties including density, ultimate tensile strength, surface morphology, and electrical conductivity of the produced metal parts. Additionally, the influence of printing parameters on dimensional deviation and shrinkage for both bronze green and metal parts is analyzed. Overall, this research highlights the potential of additive manufacturing to revolutionize bronze production, offering valuable insights into optimized process parameters and the enhancement of bronze component properties for a wide range of industrial applications.