Fused Deposition Modeling Setup Research Articles

Morphological evaluation of microcellular foamed composites developed through gas batch foaming integrating Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing technique

In this article, the development of microcellular structure foams has developed by integrating the two successful and existing technologies, namely CO2 gas batch foaming and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing technique. It is a novel approach to manufacture complex design porous products for customized applications. The eventual cell morphologies of the extruded 3D printing filament depends on the process parameters pertaining to both microcellular foaming and 3D printing processes. Further, morphological study has been conducted to evaluate the cell morphologies of the 3D printing filament developed through customized FDM setup. During this process, the significance of various process parameters including saturation pressure, saturation time, desorption time, feed rate and extrusion temperature were thoroughly studied. To pursue this study base material used was acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The 3D printed filaments consisted of cells with an average cell size in the range of 2.3–276 µm and the average cell density in the range of 4.7 × 104 to 4.3 × 109 cells/cm3. Finally, it has found that by controlling the process parameters different cell morphologies can be developed as per the end application.

Design and verification of enhanced CFRTPCs fabrication technique using fused deposition modeling

Research shows that mechanical properties of parts produced using fused deposition modeling (FDM) are inferior when compared to parts produced using conventional techniques such as injection molding. Efforts have been made in recent years to improve mechanical properties by reinforcing the parts with high strength fibers. This has been achieved by either modifying FDM setups to extrude fibers with thermoplastics and fabricate continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTPCs) or employing manual techniques subsequent to part production. Existing CFRTPCs fabrication procedures have limitations of fiber exposure to environment, no direct control method for volume fraction, and poor surface finish. This research work is focused on improving the process of producing CFRTPCs by addressing these limitations using a dual extruder FDM setup. The process developed was tested for its feasibility using Kevlar fiber as reinforcement for commercially available ABS, PLA, PLA-C, and PLA-Cu thermoplastic fibers. Taguchi L16 orthogonal array was used to design experiments, while tensile and flexural testing was performed to determine mechanical properties achieved. Tensile strength was improved up to 3 times the baseline value of thermoplastics, while flexural strength was improved up to 1.6 times. This technique can further the goal of developing CFRTPCs, on industrial level, using FDM with better control over volume fraction and fiber layup.

Investigations for partial denture casting by fused deposition modelling-assisted chemical vapour smoothing

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate dimensional accuracy (Δd), surface roughness (Ra) and micro hardness (HV) of partial dentures (PD) prepared with synergic combination of fused deposition modelling (FDM) assisted chemical vapour smoothing (CVS) patterns and conventional dental casting (DC) from multi-factor optimization view point.Design/methodology/approachThe master pattern for PD was prepared with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic on FDM set-up (one of the low cost additive manufacturing process) followed by CVS process. The final PD as functional prototypes was casted with nickel–chromium-based (Ni-Cr) alloy by varying Ni% (Z). The other input parameters were powder to water ratio P/W (X) and pH value (Y) of water used.FindingsThe results of this study suggest that for controlling the Δd and Ra of the PD, most important factor is X, followed by Z. For hardness of PD, the most important factor is Z. But from overall optimization viewpoint, the best settings are X-100/12, Y-10 and Z-61% (in Ni-Cr alloy). Further, based upon X-bar chart (for HV), the FDM-assisted DC process used for preparation of PD is statistically controlled.Originality/valueThis study highlights that PD prepared with X-100/12, Y-10 and Z-61% gives overall better results from multi-factor optimization view point. Finally, X-bar chart has been plotted to understand the statistical nature of the synergic combination of FDM, CVS and DC.

Mechanical characterization and comparison of additive manufactured ABS, Polyflex™ and ABS/Polyflex™ blended functional prototypes

Purpose Additive manufacturing (AM) is one of the latest and most advanced technologies that are continuously expanding into various field applications. Undoubtedly, fused deposition modeling (FDM) is one of the oldest and extensively used AM technologies not only because of the advantage of low cost, comparatively moderate production speed and negligible wastage but also due to acceptance of a wide range of thermoplastics, reinforced and blended feedstock for making the end product suitable for service. The purpose of this work to perform mechanical characterization of standard samples printed on FDM with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), shape memory polymer (SMP; make PolyflexTM) and ABS/PolyflexTM blend and a comparative study from AM view point. Design/methodology/approach A low-cost desktop-based FDM setup was used for the fabrication of the test specimens under different processing conditions. Experiments were conducted as per obtained control log, and statistical analysis was conducted to understand the effect of selected variables in response of measured properties. Further, scanning electron microscopy-based micrographs were analyzed to understand the fracture mechanisms. Findings The obtained results highlighted that the mechanical properties of FDM parts are strongly influenced by the selected process variables. However, in case of most of the measured properties, selection of suitable feedstock has dominated the other input variables. Further, the results of test parts made with in-house developed ABS/SMP blend have showed the attainment of remarkable values of both strength and elasticity. Originality/value This work is held to empower the use of FDM technology to fabricate advanced and robust components for serving highly demanding applications.

Flexural, pull-out, and fractured surface characterization for multi-material 3D printed functionally graded prototype

This paper reports the flexural, pull-out, and fractured surface characterization for multi-material three-dimensional printed functionally graded prototypes, which is prepared on fused deposition modeling setup. The work is an extension of previously reported study in which different thermoplastic matrices of polylactic acid blended with polyvinyl chloride, wood dust, and Fe3O4 powder (as multiple blended feedstock filaments) have been prepared separately with twin screw extrusion for possible three-dimensional printing. Finally, functionally graded prototypes with alternative layers of polylactic acid (01 layer), polylactic acid + polyvinyl chloride (01 layer), polylactic acid + wood dust (02 layers), and polylactic acid + Fe3O4 (02 layers) were three-dimensional printed on fused deposition modeling for flexural samples as per ASTM D790. With regard to process parameters of fused deposition modeling (in this case study), infill density of 100%, infill angle of 45°, and infill speed of 50 mm/s were the optimized processing conditions. The results of study suggest that maximum flexural strength 26.92 MPa and pull-out strength 18.11 MPa were observed for functionally graded multi-material three-dimensional printed prototypes. From fractured surface analysis and hardness result, it has been ascertained that higher infill density and lower infill angle lead to better diffusion of material in layer-by-layer fashion resulting into less void formation and better flexural and pull-out performances. The novelty of this work lies in accessing the behavior of three-dimensional printed prototypes having different functional ability for each layer, with a potential to replace hybrid blend-based prototypes.

Investigations for tensile, compressive and morphological properties of 3D printed functional prototypes of PLA-PEKK-HAp-CS

This article reports the experimental investigations for tensile, compressive and morphological properties of 3D printed functional prototypes composed of polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced with poly ether ketone ketone (PEKK), hydroxyapatite (HAp) and chitosan (CS). The PLA-PEKK-HAp-CS composite has wide applications as scaffolds in orthopaedics and clinical dentistry. The tensile and compressive specimens were printed (as per ASTM D638 type IV and ASTM D695) with in-house prepared feedstock filament on commercial fused deposition modelling setup by following Taguchi-based design of experiment. The results are also supported by hardness data and photomicrographs.

Multimaterial printing and characterization for mechanical and surface properties of functionally graded prototype

In this work, an effort has been made for multimaterial three-dimensional printing of functionally graded prototypes of polylactic acid matrix (tensile specimens as per ASTM D638 type IV) followed by characterization of mechanical and surface properties. The work is an extension of previous reported studies on twin-screw extrusion process for the preparation of multimaterial wires as feedstock filaments in possible three-dimensional printing applications. The results of the study suggest that the highest peak strength (46.28 MPa) and break strength (41.65 MPa) was obtained for multimaterial three-dimensional printed samples at infill density 100%, infill angle 45°, and infill speed of 90 mm/s on commercial open source fused deposition modeling setup. Further surface hardness measurements performed on two extreme surfaces (top surface comprising magnetite (Fe3O4)-reinforced polylactic acid and bottom with polylactic acid without any reinforcement) revealed that the hardness for the bottom layer was more than the hardness for the top layer. From fractured surface analysis (using photomicrographs), it has been observed that the three-dimensional printed samples with low infill density resulted into more void formation due to which the performance while mechanical testing was poor in comparison to samples printed with higher infill density. The results are also supported by rendered images of photomicrographs, which revealed that high roughness value of samples printed with low infill density was also one of the reasons for poor mechanical performance of multimaterial three-dimensional printed functionally graded prototypes.

Study on barium titanate and graphene reinforced PVDF matrix for 4D applications

This article reports the experimental investigations of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix-based composite feedstock filament (reinforced with barium titanate (BTO) and graphene (Gr) for possible 4-D printing applications) using fused deposition modeling (FDM). The mechanical, rheological, thermal, and morphological properties of in-house prepared FDM filament are also reported. The FDM feedstock filament was prepared with a twin-screw extruder (TSE). The process parameters of TSE for preparation of smart material-based filament with uniform dispersion of reinforcement (BTO and Gr) in the PVDF matrix have also been explored. Finally, the prepared filament has been used on FDM setup (without any change in hardware/software) for printing piezoelectric sensor with 4-D capabilities. The results of the study suggest that BTO and Gr have significant effect on the melt flow index of PVDF. The composite prepared with reinforcement of BTO and Gr shows a continuous flow, along with better thermal stability (based upon differential scanning calorimetry analysis), when 10–20 wt% BTO was added to the PVDF matrix. The observed maximum peak and break strength of the PVDF composite was 29.57 MPa and 26.50 MPa, respectively. The scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis results reveal that the filament prepared with 20% BTO and extruded at 200°C with a screw speed of 40 r/min has better dispersion of reinforcement among the selected parametric settings. Finally, a piezoelectric response of 20 pC/N has been measured on the FDM-printed thermally stable sample suitable for 4-D applications.

Mechanical and morphological investigations of 3D printed recycled ABS reinforced with bakelite–SiC–Al2O3

The utilization of thermosetting waste is a serious issue as it is not recycled commercially due to inherent molecular properties and high technology cost. This research details the study of the mechanical behavior and surface analysis with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope of three-dimensional printed parts of the waste thermosetting polymer, bakelite (BAK) as the reinforcement along with ceramic particles (SiC and Al2O3) in recycled thermoplastic acrylonitrile butadiene styrene matrix for sustainability. The process involves twin-screw extrusion for the preparation of filament, followed by 3D printing of functional prototypes on fused deposition modeling setup. The 3D printed parts prepared with fused deposition modeling were used for the testing of mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties. The results of the present study suggests that for commercial applications recycling of thermoplastic up to 10 wt% can be easily performed without a change in any hardware/ software configuration of the fused deposition modeling setup and the ceramic concentration in thermoplastic-thermosetting blends further led to better mechanical and surface properties.

Investigations on joining of orthopaedic scaffold with rapid tooling.

Poly lactic acid reinforced with hydroxyapatite and chitosan is one of the commonly used thermoplastic composite materials in three-dimensional printing of orthopaedic scaffolds. This article is an extension of work reported on hydroxyapatite- and chitosan-reinforced, poly lactic acid-based biocompatible feedstock filament for three-dimensional printing of functional prototypes on low cost commercial fused deposition modelling setup. In this work, joining of orthopaedic scaffolds has been performed with rapid tooling by using friction stir welding process. Finally, the mechanical properties (such as tensile strength and hardness) of the orthopaedic scaffolds joints were studied with support of the photomicrographs and thermal images. The results of study suggest that best settings for joining of micro cracks in orthopaedic scaffolds of poly lactic acid-hydroxyapatite-chitosan are rotational speed of 1000 r/min with length of consumable tool as 4 mm and staring time as 40 s.

Investigations for In-house prepared Biocompatible Feed Stock Filament of Fused Deposition Modelling: A Process Capability study

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is one of the low cost additive manufacturing (AM) process. The feed stock filament of FDM is the only consumable in the process and by preparing (in-house) bio compatible feed stock filament the application domain can be increased. Some studies have reported the use of twin screw extrusion (TSE) process for preparation of bio compatible feed stock filament (comprising of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene (PP) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) particles) with improved mechanical, dimensional and thermal properties, for commercial FDM setup. But hitherto very less has been reported on process capability of in-house prepared biocompatible feed stock filament. In the present work statistical analysis (for tensile strength, hardness and dimensional accuracy) has been performed for investigations of process capability. The results have been also supported by control charts (X-chart and R-chart) based upon the best feedstock filament wire.

Multiresponse Optimization of Fused Deposition Modeling Process Using Utility-Based Taguchi Approach

Rapid Prototyping (RP) technology has become the powerful tool for product development in almost every branch of engineering. Many new and upcoming processes offer means for the fast creation of models with steadily increasing accuracy, built speed, other model properties and economic advantages. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is the most famous and commercially available RP system. This paper presents the application of Utility concept with Taguchi method for multiresponse optimization of the FDM process. Stratatys Fortus 400[Formula: see text]mc FDM setup is used to conduct experiments as per Taguchi’s L9 orthogonal array. FDM parameters: Layer thickness, part orientation and raster angle were optimized based on multiple responses, i.e. tensile, flexural, impact and compressive strength. The optimum process parameters are calculated using utility concept. The Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is applied to find out the most significant factor. It has been found that layer thickness is the most significant factor, followed by part orientation and raster angle. The confirmation tests with optimal levels of process parameters are conducted to illustrate the efficacy of the proposed method. It is found that optimum combination of process parameters gives the highest utility value, which indicates that multiresponses of the FDM process can be improved through this approach.

On Development of Functionally Graded Material Through Fused Deposition Modelling Assisted Investment Casting from Al2O3/SiC Reinforced Waste Low Density Polyethylene

The recycling of packaging materials such as low density polyethylene (LDPE) into useful product is one of the challenging tasks. Since waste LDPE has some issues like low mechanical strength and thermal degradation; some studies have been reported in recent past to improve these properties with ceramic/metallic reinforcements. In this work reusability of LDPE has been ascertained as functionally graded material (FGM) through aluminum (Al) matrix based investment casting (IC). This study highlights the use of SiC and Al2O3 as reinforcement in LDPE for IC applications as a novel method for development of FGM. The master patterns for IC were prepared from reinforced LDPE based feed stock filament (prepared on conventional screw extruder) on open source fused deposition modelling setup. The in-house prepared filament wire was subjected to mechanical and thermal testing to ensure recyclability and stability of the material. The photo micrographs and SEM images were collected to ensure the dispersion of SiC and Al2O3 reinforcements in Al based FGM.

Effect of hybrid reinforcement of SiC and Al2O3 in Nylon-6 matrix on mechanical properties of feed stock filament for FDM

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) process is used extensively for modelling and prototyping applications. But under dynamic loading conditions the FDM based prototypes usually fails due to limited material properties. Further selective material availability in market for commercial FDM setup is another big problem. Some researchers have highlighted the use of reinforced composite wires as FDM filament to improve the mechanical properties. But hitherto no work has been reported on the effect of hybrid reinforcement of SiC and Al2O3 in Nylon-6 matrix to be used as feed stock filament for FDM. In this paper, effect of hybrid reinforcement in Nylon-6 matrix on mechanical properties (like: percentage elongation, yield strength, Young’s modulus) has been studied. Further, mathematical relations have been developed and verified for these mechanical properties.

On the wear properties of Nylon6-SiC-Al 2 O 3 based fused deposition modelling feed stock filament

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is one of the commonly used additive manufacturing (AM) technologies. In commercial FDM setup a plastic material based filament (usually of ABS) is unwound from a coil to produce functional/non-functional prototypes. The application domain of FDM is limited presently, because of selective material availability in commercial market as regards to the wear of functional prototypes is concerned. In order to enhance the application domain of commercial FDM setup, an effort has been made to develop new polymer composite (with hybrid reinforcement) wire of Nylon6-SiC-Al2O3 with enhanced wear resistant properties. In this research work experimental investigations has been carried out for optimizing wear properties of Nylon6-SiC-Al2O3 based feed stock filament of FDM. Further mathematical model for above mentioned property has been developed and counter verified as a case study.

Effect of single particle size, double particle size and triple particle size Al2O3 in Nylon-6 matrix on mechanical properties of feed stock filament for FDM

Fused Deposition modelling (FDM) is one of the additive manufacturing (AM) technologies used extensively for modelling and prototyping applications. In commercial FDM setup, filament wire is uncoiled from wire spools and plastic based material is supplied to produce the part. The application area of FDM is limited presently due to selective material availability in market. Some researchers have highlighted the use of reinforced composite wires as FDM filament. But hitherto no work has been reported on the effect of Single particle size (SPS), Dual particle size (DPS), Triple particle size (TPS) of Al2O3 (as reinforcement) in Nylon-6 matrix to be used as feed stock filament for FDM. In this paper, effect of SPS, DPS, and TPS of Al2O3 (as reinforcement) in Nylon-6 matrix on mechanical properties (like: percent age elongation, tensile strength, yield strength, Young's modulus) has been studied. Further, empirical relations have been developed for above mentioned properties and a surface characteristic of developed wires has been observed with SEM image.

Surface roughness improvement of cast components in vacuum moulding by intermediate barrel finishing of fused deposition modelling patterns

In this work, investigations have been made for surface roughness (Ra) improvement of vacuum moulding (VM) components by introducing barrel finishing (BF) on fused deposition modelling patterns at preliminary stage (i.e. before being used as master patterns). The Ra improvement will help to avoid/reduce post machining/finishing operations for green manufacturing. The VM master patterns were prepared using P-430 grade acrylonitrile butadiene styrene material on commercial fused deposition modelling setup. Further, Ra of VM master pattern prepared was improved by using BF process (as intermediate process). The controllable parameters of BF and VM process (namely, media weight, cycle time, vacuum pressure and grain size of refractory sand) were studied at three levels by using Taguchi L9 orthogonal array to explore their affects on Ra of the final cast components. The results of study suggest that media weight of BF and sand grain size of VM process contribute significantly for improving Ra.

Modelling the Peak Elongation of Nylon6 and Fe Powder Based Composite Wire for FDM Feedstock Filament

In the present work, to increase the application domain of fused deposition modelling (FDM) process, Nylon6–Fe powder based composite wire has been prepared as feed stock filament. Further for smooth functioning of feed stock filament without any change in the hardware and software of the commercial FDM setup, the mechanical properties of the newly prepared composite wire must be comparable/at par to the existing material i.e. ABS, P-430. So, keeping this in consideration; an effort has been made to model the peak elongation of in house developed feedstock filament comprising of Nylon6 and Fe powder (prepared on single screw extrusion process) for commercial FDM setup. The input parameters of single screw extruder (namely: barrel temperature, temperature of the die, speed of the screw, speed of the winding machine) and rheological property of material (melt flow index) has been modelled with peak elongation as the output by using response surface methodology. For validation of model the result of peak elongation obtained from the model equation the comparison was made with the results of actual experimentation which shows the variation of ±1 % only.

Tribological Properties of Fe–Nylon6 Composite Parts Prepared Using Fused Deposition Modelling

The present research work highlights the fabrication of Fe-nylon6 composite wire by varying proportion of Fe in nylon6 matrix (by weight) along with wear and friction characteristics of the composite wire. The composite wire prepared has been used as a feedstock filament in place of the existing ABS material in the fused deposition modelling (FDM) machine (without any software and hardware modifications in the existing FDM setup). Comparison of wear of three different Fe-nylon6 compositions and ABS at varying loads along with the variation of coefficient of friction and the frictional force has been carried out. The objective is to study the variation of wear and friction characteristics with the variation of the filler material (Fe) in the composite. It is concluded that all the three composite materials are highly wear resistant, having less friction coefficient, less frictional force than the recommended material (ABS) for FDM system. The surface morphology shows even distribution of Fe particles in the matrix which increases with the increase in percentage of Fe in the composite.

Development of rapid tooling using fused deposition modeling: a review

Purpose The purpose of this study is to highlight the direct fabrication of rapid tooling (RT) with desired mechanical, tribological and thermal properties using fused deposition modelling (FDM) process. Further, the review paper demonstrated development procedure of alternative feedstock filament of low-cost composite material for FDM to extend the range of RT applications. Design/methodology/approach The alternative materials for FDM and their processing requirements for fabrication in filament form as reported by various researchers have been summarized. The literature demonstrates the role of various post-processing techniques on surface finish of FDM prints. Further, low-cost materials for feedstock filament have been investigated experimentally to check their adaptability/suitability for commercial FDM setup. The approach was to realize the requirements of FDM (melt flow rate, flexibility, stiffness, glass transition temperature and mechanical strength), necessary for the successful run of an alternative filament. The effect of constituents (additives, plasticizers, surfactants and fillers) in polymeric matrix on mechanical, tribological and thermal properties has been investigated. Findings It is possible to develop composite material feedstock as filament for commercial FDM setup without changing its hardware and software. Surface finish of the parts can further be improved by applying various post-processing techniques. Most of the composite parts have high mechanical strength, hardness, thermal stability, wear resistant and better bond formation than standard material parts. Research limitations/implications Future research may be focused on improving the surface quality of parts fabricated with composite feedstock, solving issues related to the uniform distribution of filled materials during the fabrication of feedstock filament which in turns further increases mechanical strength, high dimensional stability of composite filament and transferring the technology from laboratory scale to various industrial applications. Practical implications Potential applications of direct fabrication with RT includes rapid manufacturing (RM) of metal-filled parts and ceramic-filled parts (which have complex shape and cannot be rapidly made by any other manufacturing techniques) in the field of biomedical and dentistry. Originality/value This new manufacturing methodology is based on the proper selection and processing of various materials and additives to form high-performance, low-cost composite material feedstock filament (which fulfil the necessary requirements of FDM process). Finally, newly developed feedstock filament material has both quantitative and qualitative advantage in RT and RM applications as compared to standard material filament.