Simulation by coupling of the level set and thermal methods to extruded material flow in 3D printed polymers

Abstract

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) in polymers provides new opportunities for the manufacturing of components with customizable geometries and mechanical properties, with high speed and low cost. To this end, we propose a computational framework for the simulation of the printing process of the flow during low density polyethylene (LDPE) material extrusion, coupled to thermal, level set method and CFD phenomena. This work presents an FEM (finite element method) mathematical model that describes as result of the melt parameters of the polymer flow, such as, the volume fraction, temperature field, the pressure distribution of the mixed phase, velocity distribution, temperature gradient field and viscosity dynamic in different times, in different parts of the extruder geometry of a 3D printer, based on FDM technique. The result of the melt parameters in the process are not uniform; they vary across in the cross-section area of the nozzle and in the form area for depositing the material. The result was coherent with the literature.