Journal
VIRTUAL AND PHYSICAL PROTOTYPING
Volume 16, Issue 2, Pages 146-159Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/17452759.2021.1890986
Keywords
Additive manufacturing; fused filament fabrication; compression rolling; tensile strength; infrared thermometry
Funding
- University of Texas at Arlington
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This study explores in situ compression of deposited filaments using a roller during Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), showing a significant reduction in void formation and improvements in part performance. The technique of compressive rolling may help enhance the functionality and quality of 3D printed parts.
The rastering of discrete polymer filaments during Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) results in the formation of voids between filaments, leading to poor properties and performance of the printed part. Minimising voids and improving filament-to-filament adhesion remains a key technological challenge for FFF. While mechanical rolling is commonly used in traditional manufacturing, its use in polymer 3D printing has not been explored much. This paper discusses the in situ compression of just-deposited filament using a roller that is integrated with the filament-dispensing nozzle. The roller travels with the filament nozzle, and compresses the filament immediately after deposition when it is still soft. The rolling process is characterised using high speed imaging and infrared (IR) thermography. The effects of compression force and roller temperature on print quality is investigated. In situ compression of the filaments is shown to result in 10X reduction in void formation. Tensile test results show 154% improvement in Ultimate Tensile Stress (UTS) and 417% improvement in material toughness due to compressive rolling. It is expected that implementation of the rolling technique discussed in this work may help print parts with improved properties and functionality.
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