Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-v5vhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-30T19:37:00.209Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

REDUCING PROTOTYPE FABRICATION TIME THROUGH ENHANCED MATERIAL EXTRUSION PROCESS CAPABILITY

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 June 2023

Georgia Rose Parry ,
Harry James Felton ,
Robert Ballantyne ,
Shuo Su  and
Ben Hicks
Georgia Rose Parry
Affiliation:
University of Bristol
Harry James Felton*
Affiliation:
University of Bristol
Robert Ballantyne
Affiliation:
University of Bristol
Shuo Su
Affiliation:
University of Bristol
Ben Hicks
Affiliation:
University of Bristol
*
Felton, Harry James, University of Bristol, United Kingdom, harry.felton@bristol.ac.uk

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

3D printing is a widely used technology for automating the fabrication of prototypes. The benefits are wide reaching, and include low required expertise, accurate geometric form and the processibility of many materials. However, production of certain forms – especially large forms – can be slow. From review of the sub-systems, the hotend is commonly found to be the limiting factor. To improve this, a modified nozzle design is considered that incorporates a flat copper plate within the flow stream. Analytical simulation was used to guide this design before experimental methods validated the modifications. The maximum volumetric rate for the standard hotend nozzle is 14 mm3/s. The best performing modified nozzle increased the maximum volumetric flow rate to 26 mm3/s – an 86% increase. A series of popular parts were further considered, demonstrating a maximum ∼48% fabrication time reduction, and a mean of ∼23%. This enables 3D printed prototypes to be made more efficiently – both with regards to the design cycle and energy use – and allows designers to use the technology more rapidly than previously possible. By extension, this improves the efficiency of the design process.

Keywords

Prototyping3D printingAdditive ManufacturingNew product development
Type
Article
Information
Proceedings of the Design Society , Volume 3: ICED23 , July 2023 , pp. 3025 - 3034
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

References

3D Printing Waste (no date) “3D Printing Waste”. Available at: https://3dprintingwaste.co.uk/about-us/ (Accessed: 25 November 2022).Google Scholar
Anderegg, D.A. et al. (2019) “In-situ monitoring of polymer flow temperature and pressure in extrusion based additive manufacturing”, Additive Manufacturing, 26, pp. 76–83. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2019.01.002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ansys (no date) “ANSYS FLUENT 12.0 User's Guide”. Ansys (12. Using the Solver). Available at: https://www.afs.enea.it/project/neptunius/docs/fluent/html/ug/main_pre.htm (Accessed: 20 March 2022).Google Scholar
Bondtech CHT® Coated Brass Nozzle (no date) Bondtech. Available at: https://www.bondtech.se/product/bondtech-cht-mk8-coated-brass-nozzle/ (Accessed: 12 March 2022).Google Scholar
Brooks, H., Rennie, A. and Abram, T. (2020) “Variable fused deposition modelling- concept design and tool path generation”, in. Available at: https://doi.org/10.13140/2.1.2280.2887.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
BSI (2021) Additive Manufacturing - General principles - Fundamentals and vocabulary. BSI Standards Publication.Google Scholar
Camburn, B. et al. (2017) “Design prototyping methods: state of the art in strategies, techniques, and guidelines”, Design Science, 3, p. e13. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/dsj.2017.10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dwamena, M. (no date) “How Much Electric Power Does a 3D Printer Use?”, 3D Printerly. Available at: https://3dprinterly.com/how-much-electric-power-does-a-3d-printer-use/ (Accessed: 25 November 2022).Google Scholar
E3D (2022) Volcano HotEnd. Available at: https://e3d-online.com/products/volcano-hotend (Accessed: 28 November 2022).Google Scholar
Felton, H., Yon, J. and Hicks, B. (2020) “Looks like but does it feel like? Investigating the influence of mass properties on user perceptions of rapid prototypes”, Proceedings of the Design Society: DESIGN Conference, 1, pp. 1425–1434. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/dsd.2020.111.Google Scholar
FilaPrint (no date) FilaPrint Magenta Premium PLA 1 75mm 3D Printer Filament. Available at: https://shop.3dfilaprint.com/ (Accessed: 17 March 2022).Google Scholar
Go, J. et al. (2017) “Rate limits of additive manufacturing by fused filament fabrication and guidelines for high-throughput system design”, Additive Manufacturing, 16, pp. 1–11. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2017.03.007.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hallgrimsson, B. (2012) Prototyping and Modelmaking for Product Design. Laurence King Publishing. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2QyeuAAACAAJ.Google Scholar
Hamad, K., Kaseem, M. and Deri, F. (2011) “Melt Rheology of Poly(Lactic Acid)/Low Density Polyethylene Polymer Blends”, Scientific Research, p. 7. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4236/aces.2011.14030.Google Scholar
Liang, J.Z. (2008) “Effects of extrusion conditions on die-swell behavior of polypropylene/diatomite composite melts”, Polymer Testing, 27(8), pp. 936–940. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2008.08.001.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mackay, M.E. (2018) “The importance of rheological behavior in the additive manufacturing technique material extrusion”, Journal of Rheology, 62(6), pp. 1549–1561. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1122/1.5037687.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mishra, A.A. et al. (2021) “Implementation of viscosity and density models for improved numerical analysis of melt flow dynamics in the nozzle during extrusion-based additive manufacturing”, Progress in Additive Manufacturing [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-021-00208-z.Google Scholar
Moldex (no date) “Moldex 3D R16 Support Manual - Viscosity Model for Thermoplastic”. (Viscosity Model for Thermoplastic). Available at: http://support.moldex3d.com/r16/en/index.html (Accessed: 8 February 2022).Google Scholar
Phan, D.D. et al. (2020) “Computational fluid dynamics simulation of the melting process in the fused filament fabrication additive manufacturing technique”, Additive Manufacturing, 33, p. 101161. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2020.101161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prusa (no date) PrusaSlicer. Available at: https://www.prusa3d.com/page/prusaslicer_424/ (Accessed: 25 November 2021).Google Scholar
Prusa Research (2021) “Original PRUSA I3 MK35S+”. Available at: https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/3d-printers/180-original-prusa-i3-mk3s-kit.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw-e2EBhAhEiwAJI5jgzl6xvBHh4hAwmkF0RZazJA89aGg9-jQ_4Mcxh7pO5lgTU_q9O9h7hoCl0YQAvD_BwE (Accessed: 12 May 2021).Google Scholar
P.Serdeczny, M., et al. (no date) “Numerical modeling of the polymer flow through the hot-end in filament-based material extrusion additive manufacturing”, 36. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2020.101454.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Redwood, B., Schöffer, F. and Garret, B. (2017) The 3D Printing Handbook: Technologies, Design and Applications. 3D Hubs B.V. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=R3OvswEACAAJ.Google Scholar
Sculpteo (2020) The State of 3D Printing 2020, p. 23.Google Scholar
Sculpteo (2021) The State Printing of 3D Printing 2021.Google Scholar
Serdeczny, M.P. (2020) Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Filament-based Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing. Denmark.Google Scholar
Shaqour, B. et al. (2021) “Gaining a better understanding of the extrusion process in fused filament fabrication 3D printing: a review”, The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 114(5–6), pp. 1279–1291. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-06918-6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vicente, J. de (2012) Viscoelasticity - From Theory to Biological Applications. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5772/3188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, K. (2012) Die Swell of Complex Polymeric Systems, Viscoelasticity - From Theory to Biological Applications. IntechOpen. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5772/50137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Youmans, R.J. (2011) “The effects of physical prototyping and group work on the reduction of design fixation”, Design Studies, 32(2), pp. 115–138. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2010.08.001.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, J. et al. (2021) “Temperature Analyses in Fused Filament Fabrication: From Filament Entering the Hot-End to the Printed Parts”, 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, p. 3dp.2020.0339. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1089/3dp.2020.0339.Google Scholar
Zhang, X. et al. (2018) “Large-scale 3D printing by a team of mobile robots”, Automation in Construction, 95, pp. 98–106. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2018.08.004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar