scholarly journals 3D Printing of Objects with Continuous Spatial Paths by A Multi-Axis Robotic FFF Platform

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 4825
Author(s):  
Yuan Yao ◽  
Yichi Zhang ◽  
Mohamed Aburaia ◽  
Maximilian Lackner

Conventional Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) equipment can only deposit materials in a single direction, limiting the strength of printed products. Robotic 3D printing provides more degrees of freedom (DOF) to control the material deposition and has become a trend in additive manufacturing. However, there is little discussion on the strength effect of multi-DOF printing. This paper presents an efficient process framework for multi-axis 3D printing based on the robot to improve the strength. A multi-DOF continuous toolpath planning method is designed to promote the printed part’s strength and surface quality. We generate curve layers along the model surfaces and fill Fermat spiral in the layers. The method makes it possible to take full advantage of the multi-axis robot arm to achieve smooth printing on surfaces with high curvature and avoid the staircase effect and collision in the process. To further improve print quality, a control strategy is provided to synchronize the material extrusion and robot arm movement. Experiments show that the tensile strength increases by 22–167% compared with the conventional flat slicing method for curved-surface parts. The surface quality is improved by eliminating the staircase effect. The continuous toolpath planning also supports continuous fiber-reinforced printing without a cutting device. Finally, we compared with other multi-DOF printing, the application scenarios, and limitations are given.

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 659-667
Author(s):  
Nicholas R. Fry ◽  
Robert C. Richardson ◽  
Jordan H. Boyle

Purpose This paper aims to present a multi-axis additive robot manufacturing system (ARMS) and demonstrate its beneficial capabilities. Design/methodology/approach ARMS was constructed around two robot arms and a fused filament fabrication (FFF) extruder. Quantitative experiments are conducted to investigate the effect of printing at different orientations with respect to gravity, the effect of dynamically changing build orientation with respect to the build tray when printing overhanging features, the effect of printing curved parts using curved, conformal layers. These capabilities are combined to print an integrated demonstrator showing potential practical benefits of the system. Findings Orientation with respect to gravity has no effect on print quality; dynamically changing build orientation allows overhangs up to 90° to be cleanly printed without support structures; printing an arch with conformal layers significantly increases its strength compared to conventional printing. Research limitations/implications The challenge of automatic slicing algorithms has not been addressed for multi-axis printing. It is shown that ARMS could eventually enable printing of fully-functional prototypes with embedded components. Originality/value This work is the first to prove that the surface roughness of an FFF part is independent of print orientation with respect to gravity. The use of two arms creates a novel system with more degrees of freedom than existing multi-axis printers, enabling studies on printing orientation relationships and printing around inserts. It also adds to the emerging body of multi-axis literature by verifying that curved layers improve the strength of an arch which is steeply curved and printed with the nozzle remaining normal to the curvature.


2020 ◽  
Vol 992 ◽  
pp. 461-466
Author(s):  
A.Yu. Korotchenko ◽  
D.E. Khilkov ◽  
M.V. Tverskoy ◽  
A.A. Khilkova

In this work, to reduce the cost of production of parts using injection molding metal technology (MIM technology), it is proposed to use additive technologies (AT) for the manufacture of green parts. The use of AT allows us to abandon expensive molds and expand the field of use of the MIM of technology in single and small-scale production. For manufacture of green parts, the technology of manufacturing fused filament (Fused Filament Fabrication – FFF) is offered. The original composition of the metal powder mix (feedstock) and the filament manufacturing modes for 3D printing have been developed for the FFF technology. The cost of filament is much lower than its analogs. The factors affecting the print quality of green part are considered. All factors are divided into two groups depending on the possibility of their change during printing. The research of the influence of the coefficient filament supply on the geometry of green parts during 3D printing is presented.


2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 825-830
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Sovaiala ◽  
Alexandru-Polifron Chirita ◽  
Sava Anghel ◽  
DragoȘ Manea

The article presents the process by which, with the help of 3D printing technology, the piston of the differential injection device was produced using ABS material. It was made with fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology, and the smoothing process was used to improve the surface quality. The piston is part of a complex equipment for underground fertilization of agricultural crops.


Khazanah ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aji Nur Wijaksono ◽  
◽  
Bima Agung Setyawan ◽  
Miftah Rosyida Fitri ◽  
◽  
...  

Industrial Revolution 4.0 requires every line of life to apply technology, especially in the field of prototyping. 3D PrintingFDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) technology is used for the needs of rapid prototyping. The plastic filament material is the main requirement in printing FDM or FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication). However, there are poor print quality problems in this storage process because all types of plastic filaments used in this 3D printing technology are affected by moisture and dust. The moisture of the plastic filament can be seen if there is a hiss in the printing process and the surface of the printing result becomes rough. At the same time, the dust on the filament will clog the hot end nozzle. Current 3D printing technology is used to reduce this problem by storing filaments in the filament box dryer. However, this storage has several drawbacks. It is less efficient and practical because the filament box can only hold one of the plastic filament rolls. From this problem, we tried to create "Direct Filament Dryer with Moisture and Dust Absorbent for 3D Printing Plastic Filaments". The principle of this tool is to put the filament into the heating chamber. This room contains silica gel as a damper for moisture and a sponge to clean the dust on the filament's surface. The heating room temperature is controlled by a thermostat, which will keep the temperature between 40-50 °C. This research uses R&D techniques with the 4D method, namely, Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate. Meanwhile, to test the results of this research by comparing the printing results between plastic filaments that are allowed to become damp and dusty with technology. Therefore, it was concluded that using made the filament surface smooth without any rough parts.


Author(s):  
Paul Oehlmann ◽  
Paul Osswald ◽  
Juan Camilo Blanco ◽  
Martin Friedrich ◽  
Dominik Rietzel ◽  
...  

AbstractWith industries pushing towards digitalized production, adaption to expectations and increasing requirements for modern applications, has brought additive manufacturing (AM) to the forefront of Industry 4.0. In fact, AM is a main accelerator for digital production with its possibilities in structural design, such as topology optimization, production flexibility, customization, product development, to name a few. Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is a widespread and practical tool for rapid prototyping that also demonstrates the importance of AM technologies through its accessibility to the general public by creating cost effective desktop solutions. An increasing integration of systems in an intelligent production environment also enables the generation of large-scale data to be used for process monitoring and process control. Deep learning as a form of artificial intelligence (AI) and more specifically, a method of machine learning (ML) is ideal for handling big data. This study uses a trained artificial neural network (ANN) model as a digital shadow to predict the force within the nozzle of an FFF printer using filament speed and nozzle temperatures as input data. After the ANN model was tested using data from a theoretical model it was implemented to predict the behavior using real-time printer data. For this purpose, an FFF printer was equipped with sensors that collect real time printer data during the printing process. The ANN model reflected the kinematics of melting and flow predicted by models currently available for various speeds of printing. The model allows for a deeper understanding of the influencing process parameters which ultimately results in the determination of the optimum combination of process speed and print quality.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 545
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Rodzeń ◽  
Preetam K. Sharma ◽  
Alistair McIlhagger ◽  
Mozaffar Mokhtari ◽  
Foram Dave ◽  
...  

The manufacture of polyetheretherketone/hydroxyapatite (PEEK/HA) composites is seen as a viable approach to help enhance direct bone apposition in orthopaedic implants. A range of methods have been used to produce composites, including Selective Laser Sintering and injection moulding. Such techniques have drawbacks and lack flexibility to manufacture complex, custom-designed implants. 3D printing gets around many of the restraints and provides new opportunities for innovative solutions that are structurally suited to meet the needs of the patient. This work reports the direct 3D printing of extruded PEEK/HA composite filaments via a Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) approach. In this work samples are 3D printed by a custom modified commercial printer Ultimaker 2+ (UM2+). SEM-EDX and µCT analyses show that HA particles are evenly distributed throughout the bulk and across the surface of the native 3D printed samples, with XRD highlighting up to 50% crystallinity and crystalline domains clearly observed in SEM and HR-TEM analyses. This highlights the favourable temperature conditions during 3D printing. The yield stress and ultimate tensile strength obtained for all the samples are comparable to human femoral cortical bone. The results show how FFF 3D printing of PEEK/HA composites up to 30 wt% HA can be achieved.


Lab on a Chip ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Wu ◽  
Stephen Beirne ◽  
Joan-Marc Cabot Canyelles ◽  
Brett Paull ◽  
Gordon G. Wallace ◽  
...  

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) offers a flexible approach for the production of bespoke microfluidic structures such as the electroosmotic pump. Here a readily accessible fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing...


Author(s):  
Bahaa Shaqour ◽  
Mohammad Abuabiah ◽  
Salameh Abdel-Fattah ◽  
Adel Juaidi ◽  
Ramez Abdallah ◽  
...  

AbstractAdditive manufacturing is a promising tool that has proved its value in various applications. Among its technologies, the fused filament fabrication 3D printing technique stands out with its potential to serve a wide variety of applications, ranging from simple educational purposes to industrial and medical applications. However, as many materials and composites can be utilized for this technique, the processability of these materials can be a limiting factor for producing products with the required quality and properties. Over the past few years, many researchers have attempted to better understand the melt extrusion process during 3D printing. Moreover, other research groups have focused on optimizing the process by adjusting the process parameters. These attempts were conducted using different methods, including proposing analytical models, establishing numerical models, or experimental techniques. This review highlights the most relevant work from recent years on fused filament fabrication 3D printing and discusses the future perspectives of this 3D printing technology.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Larisa Dunai ◽  
Martin Novak ◽  
Carmen García Espert

The present paper describes the development of a prosthetic hand based on human hand anatomy. The hand phalanges are printed with 3D printing with Polylactic Acid material. One of the main contributions is the investigation on the prosthetic hand joins; the proposed design enables one to create personalized joins that provide the prosthetic hand a high level of movement by increasing the degrees of freedom of the fingers. Moreover, the driven wire tendons show a progressive grasping movement, being the friction of the tendons with the phalanges very low. Another important point is the use of force sensitive resistors (FSR) for simulating the hand touch pressure. These are used for the grasping stop simulating touch pressure of the fingers. Surface Electromyogram (EMG) sensors allow the user to control the prosthetic hand-grasping start. Their use may provide the prosthetic hand the possibility of the classification of the hand movements. The practical results included in the paper prove the importance of the soft joins for the object manipulation and to get adapted to the object surface. Finally, the force sensitive sensors allow the prosthesis to actuate more naturally by adding conditions and classifications to the Electromyogram sensor.


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