A Low-Cost Process for Fabricating Reinforced 3D Printing Thermoplastic Filaments

Abstract

Low-cost desktop-sized fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers have been widely embraced by small to large-scale institutions and individuals. To further enhance their utility and increase the range of materials that they can process, this work proposes a low-cost solution that adapts to low-cost desktop-sized extruders and enables them to fabricate filaments comprising a wide range of nonorganic reinforcing particles. This solution will fill a gap in the field, as low-cost fabrication techniques for reinforced filaments have been lacking. In the proposed solution, particles are heated and deposited on thermoplastic pellets to form a coating. Coated pellets are subsequently extruded using a low-cost desktop single-screw extruder. The effectiveness of the process is demonstrated by fabricating polylactic acid (PLA) filaments reinforced with two types of reinforcements, namely, dune sand and silicon carbide. Filaments’ stiffness and strength were measured, and their microstructure along their lateral and longitudinal directions were investigated. Improvements in tensile strength (up to 8%) and stiffness (up to 4.5%) were observed, but at low reinforcement levels (less than 2 wt%). Results showed that the proposed process could be used to fabricate filaments with multiple types of particles. The produced filaments were successfully used to fabricate 3D parts using a commercial desktop FDM printer.

3D and 4D Printing as Integrated Manufacturing Methods of Industry 4.0

“…The platform is then moved to the Z location based on the setting for layer thickness. These processes are repeated until the 3D structure is constructed (Hassanien et al, 2023;Bandinelli et al, 2023;Buzko et al, 2023;del Barrio Cortés et al, 2022).…”

Investigation of Tensile Properties of FDM-Printed Reclaimed Carbon Fiber Reinforced Reclaimed Polyamide-6 Composites (rCF/rPA) via Various Densities of Infill Patterns

“…The thermoplastic or thermoplastic-based composite (e.g., fiber-reinforced polyamide) filaments are fed into a convergent nozzle, where they are heated into a semi-molten state and simultaneously extruded layer-by-layer to solidify into a desired 3D object [2]. FDM is also an eco-friendly approach featuring in-house recycling [3]. For example, the support structures and process failure (e.g., model wrapping and cracking) of FDM-printed products can be directly reclaimed into close-looped filaments for secondary printing with sustainable development [4].…”