Performance Analysis of Colored PLA Products with a Fused Filament Fabrication Process.

Roberto Spina

doi:10.3390/polym11121984

Abstract

The objective of the present work is to study the influence of color additives used for the polylactic acid (PLA) filament on the final quality of fused filament fabrication (FFF) parts. The main processing parameters of FFF parts were evaluated, identifying the significant correlations between PLA properties and part performance, using a commercial FFF machine. The quality of the products was evaluated in terms of thermo-mechanical properties such as mechanical strength, principal material temperatures, and viscosity. These last properties were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for the thermal measurements and a rotational rheometry (RHEO) for viscosity measurements. Cylindrical specimens were then produced for the compression test. The experimental activity and related testing of products are fully described, pointing out a significant difference in performance between parts made of different colored filaments.

Highlights

Additive manufacturing (AM) is defined in the ISO/ASTM 52900:2015 standard as the “process of joining materials to make parts from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing and formative manufacturing methodologies” (Lee at al. [1])
The goal of the present study is to investigate the thermo-mechanical behaviors of fused filament fabrication (FFF) parts, evaluating polylactic acid (PLA) suitability for a given application
The filaments were characterized with different colors

Summary

Introduction

Additive manufacturing (AM) is defined in the ISO/ASTM 52900:2015 standard as the “process of joining materials to make parts from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing and formative manufacturing methodologies” (Lee at al. [1]). New opportunities are nowadays offered by AM processes in terms of innovative production paradigms and manufacturing possibilities to fabricate moderate to mass-produced quantities of individually customized products. A reduction can be achieved in manufacturing lead times, new design developments, and time to market, as well as an increase in meeting customer demand. The growing interest in developing AM-based systems over conventional paradigms is related to several advantages over traditional processes such as fabrication of very complex geometries with high precision, maximum material savings, flexibility in design and personal customization (Ngo et al [2]). Among essential technological requirements that needed to be satisfied is the fabrication of robust end-user products with high strength and long-term stability, and a substantial advance in the knowledge of the part behavior under real working conditions. Mechanical properties must be well-known in advance and included in the early design stage to achieve these goals (Attaran [3])

Objectives

Discussion

Conclusion