Thermography based in-process monitoring of Fused Filament Fabrication of polymeric parts

Temperature management is crucial in Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). This paper presents an infrared based set-up able to record spatial and temporal variations during printing of an FFF part, with a field of view of 21.7 x 14.9 mm(2) and at spatial resolution of 30.2 mu m. The system is experimentally verified and the captured temperature profiles are compared to numerical data, obtained via an own-developed FFF numerical model. This work is a first step towards a combined experimental-numerical approach for inprocess monitoring of FFF, with implications for filament developers, machine builders and (end-) users, ultimately demanding high quality (certified) parts. (C) 2019 CIRP. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.