The use of 3D printing for rapid tooling and manufacturing has promised to produce components with complex geometries according to computer designs. Due to the intrinsically limited mechanical properties and functionalities of printed pure polymer parts, there is a critical need to develop printable polymer composites with high performance. 3D printing offers many advantages in the fabrication of composites, including high precision, cost effective and customized geometry. This article gives an overview on 3D printing techniques of polymer composite materials and the properties and performance of 3D printed composite parts as well as their potential applications in the fields of biomedical, electronics and aerospace engineering. Common 3D printing techniques such as fused deposition modeling, selective laser sintering, inkjet 3D printing, stereolithography, and 3D plotting are introduced. The formation methodology and the performance of particle-, fiber- and nanomaterial-reinforced polymer composites are emphasized. Finally, important limitations are identified to motivate the future research of 3D printing.

3D printing of polymer matrix composites: A review and prospective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to systematically and critically review the literature related to process design and modeling of fused deposition modeling (FDM) and similar extrusion-based additive manufacturing (AM) or rapid prototyping processes. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic review of the literature focusing on process design and mathematical process modeling was carried out. Findings – FDM and similar processes are among the most widely used rapid prototyping processes with growing application in finished part manufacturing. Key elements of the typical processes, including the material feed mechanism, liquefier and print nozzle; the build surface and environment; and approaches to part finishing are described. Approaches to estimating the motor torque and power required to achieve a desired filament feed rate are presented. Models of required heat flux, shear on the melt and pressure drop in the liquefier are reviewed. On leaving the print nozzle, die swelling and bead cooling are ...

https://forums.reprap.org/file.php?1,file=42240,filename=A_review_of_melt_extrusion_additive_manufacturing_processes_Process_design_and_modeling.pdf

A review of melt extrusion additive manufacturing processes: I. Process design and modeling

Parametric appraisal of mechanical property of fused deposition modelling processed parts

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mechanisms controlling the bond formation among extruded polymer filaments in the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process. The bonding phenomenon is thermally driven and ultimately determines the integrity and mechanical properties of the resultant prototypes.Design/methodology/approach – The bond quality was assessed through measuring and analyzing changes in the mesostructure and the degree of healing achieved at the interfaces between the adjoining polymer filaments. Experimental measurements of the temperature profiles were carried out for specimens produced under different processing conditions, and the effects on mesostructures and mechanical properties were observed. Parallel to the experimental work, predictions of the degree of bonding achieved during the filament deposition process were made based on the thermal analysis of extruded polymer filaments.Findings – Experimental results showed that the fabrication strategy, the envelope temper...

Effect of processing conditions on the bonding quality of FDM polymer filaments

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02119698/document

Mechanical properties of components fabricated with open-source 3-D printers under realistic environmental conditions

Modeling of Bond Formation Between Polymer Filaments in the Fused Deposition Modeling Process

Composite Modeling and Analysis for Fabrication of FDM Prototypes with Locally Controlled Properties

An experimental study and a numerical modeling analysis are carried out to examine the effects of fiber-fiber interactions and coupling between fiber orientation and polymer chains conformation on the rheological properties of fiber suspensions. The experimental study allowed examination of large fiber volume fractions up to 35% over a range of shear rates that spans eight decades. This study confirmed already known results and led to new ones. In particular, a peak in the steady shear viscosity at the low shear rate region is observed at large volume fractions. Furthermore, new results regarding the applicability of the Cox-Merz rule, the behavior of the damping factor, and the end pressure drops are reported, and physical interpretations are proposed. The results of the numerical modeling showed that it is necessary to account for the polymer-fiber coupling factor to obtain a good fit between the model predictions and the experimental measurements. Comparisons between the model predictions and the experimental measurements allowed study of the variation of the parameters that govern the fiber-fiber interactions and the polymer-fiber coupling with the properties of the suspension and the flow. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:385–399, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers

Rheology of fiber filled polymer melts: Role of fiber‐fiber interactions and polymer‐fiber coupling

FDM process fabricates prototypes by extruding a semi-molten filament through a heated nozzle onto a platform. The semi-molten material solidifies with the neighboring material diffusely after deposition. The bonding quality among ABS filaments in FDM2000 process determines the integrity and mechanical property of resultant prototypes. This paper describes heat transfer analysis of the FDM process. Sintering experiments were carried out to evaluate qualitatively the dynamics of bond formation between polymer filaments. Quantitative predictions of the degree of bonding achieved during the filament deposition process were made, based on experimental data used in conjunction with heat transfer and sintering models.

Celine Bellehumeur

Papers

Effect of processing conditions on the bonding quality of FDM polymer filaments

Modeling of Bond Formation Between Polymer Filaments in the Fused Deposition Modeling Process

Composite Modeling and Analysis for Fabrication of FDM Prototypes with Locally Controlled Properties

Rheology of fiber filled polymer melts: Role of fiber‐fiber interactions and polymer‐fiber coupling

Investigation of Bond Formation in FDM Process