Mapping 3D printed part density and filament flow characteristics in the material extrusion (MEX) process for filled and unfilled polymers

ABSTRACTMaterial extrusion (MEX) 3D printing offers a promising avenue for fabricating metal and ceramic components, where highly loaded polymer filaments are 3D-printed and sintered. Achieving nearly 100% 3D-printed part density is critical in this process, as porosity during printing compromises p...

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Main Authors: Kameswara Pavan Kumar Ajjarapu, Roshan Mishra, Rajiv Malhotra, Kunal H. Kate
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Virtual and Physical Prototyping
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17452759.2024.2331206
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author Kameswara Pavan Kumar Ajjarapu
Roshan Mishra
Rajiv Malhotra
Kunal H. Kate
author_facet Kameswara Pavan Kumar Ajjarapu
Roshan Mishra
Rajiv Malhotra
Kunal H. Kate
author_sort Kameswara Pavan Kumar Ajjarapu
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACTMaterial extrusion (MEX) 3D printing offers a promising avenue for fabricating metal and ceramic components, where highly loaded polymer filaments are 3D-printed and sintered. Achieving nearly 100% 3D-printed part density is critical in this process, as porosity during printing compromises part properties after sintering. However, challenges arise due to the unfavourable mechanical and rheological properties of MEX metal filaments, leading to slow print-speeds, filament breakage, and inconsistent extrusion. This work explores these process-property correlations by developing process maps for bound metal filaments and unfilled polymer systems. This study throws light on the significance of back-flow and back-pressure in calculating the pressure drop across the nozzle, especially in a diverse set of material systems represented by hard and stiff PLA, soft and flexible TPU, and brittle and fragile bronze filaments. Additionally, ANOVA identified the effect of print conditions on measured variables, while regression models helped predict the behaviour of a given material under different process conditions. Therefore, this study enables material design and discovery for bound-metal filaments while addressing critical knowledge gaps, thereby paving the way for high-density 3D-printed components.
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spelling doaj.art-4d260320e2aa482dbbfd405c2ac127fc2024-04-09T06:11:10ZengTaylor & Francis GroupVirtual and Physical Prototyping1745-27591745-27672024-12-0119110.1080/17452759.2024.2331206Mapping 3D printed part density and filament flow characteristics in the material extrusion (MEX) process for filled and unfilled polymersKameswara Pavan Kumar Ajjarapu0Roshan Mishra1Rajiv Malhotra2Kunal H. Kate3Materials Innovation Guild, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USAMaterials Innovation Guild, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USAAdvanced Manufacturing Science Laboratory, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USAMaterials Innovation Guild, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USAABSTRACTMaterial extrusion (MEX) 3D printing offers a promising avenue for fabricating metal and ceramic components, where highly loaded polymer filaments are 3D-printed and sintered. Achieving nearly 100% 3D-printed part density is critical in this process, as porosity during printing compromises part properties after sintering. However, challenges arise due to the unfavourable mechanical and rheological properties of MEX metal filaments, leading to slow print-speeds, filament breakage, and inconsistent extrusion. This work explores these process-property correlations by developing process maps for bound metal filaments and unfilled polymer systems. This study throws light on the significance of back-flow and back-pressure in calculating the pressure drop across the nozzle, especially in a diverse set of material systems represented by hard and stiff PLA, soft and flexible TPU, and brittle and fragile bronze filaments. Additionally, ANOVA identified the effect of print conditions on measured variables, while regression models helped predict the behaviour of a given material under different process conditions. Therefore, this study enables material design and discovery for bound-metal filaments while addressing critical knowledge gaps, thereby paving the way for high-density 3D-printed components.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17452759.2024.2331206Material extrusion (MEX) 3D printingfilled polymersvolumetric flow ratepredictive mapsstatistical models
spellingShingle Kameswara Pavan Kumar Ajjarapu
Roshan Mishra
Rajiv Malhotra
Kunal H. Kate
Mapping 3D printed part density and filament flow characteristics in the material extrusion (MEX) process for filled and unfilled polymers
Virtual and Physical Prototyping
Material extrusion (MEX) 3D printing
filled polymers
volumetric flow rate
predictive maps
statistical models
title Mapping 3D printed part density and filament flow characteristics in the material extrusion (MEX) process for filled and unfilled polymers
title_full Mapping 3D printed part density and filament flow characteristics in the material extrusion (MEX) process for filled and unfilled polymers
title_fullStr Mapping 3D printed part density and filament flow characteristics in the material extrusion (MEX) process for filled and unfilled polymers
title_full_unstemmed Mapping 3D printed part density and filament flow characteristics in the material extrusion (MEX) process for filled and unfilled polymers
title_short Mapping 3D printed part density and filament flow characteristics in the material extrusion (MEX) process for filled and unfilled polymers
title_sort mapping 3d printed part density and filament flow characteristics in the material extrusion mex process for filled and unfilled polymers
topic Material extrusion (MEX) 3D printing
filled polymers
volumetric flow rate
predictive maps
statistical models
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17452759.2024.2331206
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