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Article | REF: BM7920 V1

Polymer Additive Manufacturing by Fused Filament Fabrication

Author: Franck PIGEONNEAU

Publication date: November 10, 2023

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ABSTRACT

This article describes the key stages in additive manufacturing using fused filament fabrication. It shows that heating and melting are a compromise between heat transfer from the extruder and polymer transport. Pressure drop and the force required for extrusion are reported. The morphology of extruded threads depends on extrusion and printing velocities, the distance between the nozzle and the deposit, and the nozzle diameter. Post-deposition cooling and the crystallization of semi-crystalline polymers are studied. Thread-to-thread interactions are presented, focusing on cooling and welding.

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AUTHOR

  • Franck PIGEONNEAU: Research Director - Mines Paris, Université PSL, Centre de mise en forme des matériaux (CEMEF), UMR CNRS 7635, Sophia Antipolis, France

 INTRODUCTION

According to the NF EN ISO/ASTM 52900 standard, additive manufacturing (AM) encompasses technologies enabling parts to be manufactured using successive layers of material based on a digital model. First used in the late 1980s to produce prototypes, FA is now used for most parts in everyday use or in high-tech applications. It can be applied to metals, ceramics, polymers, concrete and, more recently, glass. Its field of application is growing all the time, enabling us to produce parts for cutting-edge sectors such as aeronautics, the automotive industry and healthcare.

Of all AF techniques, 3D printing using plastic extrusion accounts for a large share of the market. Known as Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) or Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), it is fairly easy to implement and requires moderate energy and material (thermoplastic polymer) and acquisition costs. Nevertheless, properties (mechanical, thermal) remain below those of products shaped by more conventional methods. In order to improve these properties and extend the range of applications even further, the operation of DFF printers needs to be studied in greater depth. The aim of this article is therefore to detail the key stages of the process, drawing on the first principles of physics and process engineering.

Having outlined the process in section 1 , the way in which the polymer melts in the extruder is described in section 2 . Filament deposition will then be studied in section 3, where its morphology, cooling and crystallization will be discussed. At the end of these two sections, perspectives on the FDM process will be proposed.

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KEYWORDS

extrusion   |   3D printing   |   semi-crystalline polymers   |   heat transfer   |   fluid mechanics

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