Effect of Acetone Vapor Smoothing Process on Surface Finish and Geometric Accuracy of Fused Deposition Modeling ABS Parts

Abstract

FDM is a widely used additive manufacturing process, however, it has some limitations, such as surface finish, due to the staircase effect caused by the layer-by-layer deposition. Studies have been conducted on surface finish of ABS parts with the use of acetone, but the process parameters and the resulting effects have not been fully investigated in the literature. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acetone vapor smoothing process on surface finish and geometric accuracy of fused deposition modeling ABS parts. Specimens with different geometries were created and printed using two directions in different scales. The parts were exposed to acetone vapor for 20, 30 and 40 minutes. 3D deviation maps, roughness and microscopic analyses were conducted. The staircase effect was reduced at the expense of some geometric deviations, which varied according to the exposure time and part orientation. The smoothing process applied to the flat surfaces proved to be quite effective in reducing roughness by 90%, however, this reduction led to an undesirable rounding of the sharp edges. The results obtained in this study are consistent with those found in the literature and may help improve the quality of the ABS printed parts.

Luminal Surface Plasma Treatment of Closed Cylindrical Microchannels: A Tool toward the Creation of On-Chip Vascular Endothelium

“…The possibility of rapid prototyping was ensured by using 3D printing to prepare a mold for PDMS casting. Since the resolution of the used FDM technique is limited in terms of the production of smooth surfaces, the 3D-printed ABS mold was polished by acetone vapor etching . On the contrary, the etching of precise alignment structures was prevented with water-soluble PEG masking.…”

“…Since the resolution of the used FDM technique is limited in terms of the production of smooth surfaces, the 3D-printed ABS mold was polished by acetone vapor etching. 35 On the contrary, the etching of precise alignment structures was prevented with water-soluble PEG masking. Such surface modification secured both intact alignment structures and resulted in a very smooth and optically clear bottom surface of the PDMS cast.…”

Development of hydrophobic coating on 3D printed ABS samples and surface characterization

“…The biocompatible polyvinylpyrrolidone hydrogels were prepared by coating PLA flat discs and 3D-printed scaffolds with nHA [10]. ABS material can be chemically finished with acetone and hot air, while smooth surfaces can be treated with acetone [11,12]. hydrophobic coatings, including electrochemical deposition, chemical etching, photolithography, sputtering, phase segregation, sol-gelling, self-assembling and electrospinning.…”

Erimiş Filament Üretim Yöntemi ile Üretilen Kompozit Yapılarda Yöne Bağlı Yüzey Özelliklerinin İncelenmesi ve İyileştirilmesi

“…to improve the surface quality of ABS-printed parts [11,12]. Rajan et al examined the effect of Tetra Hydro Fluoride (HF) solution on the surface properties of polylactic acid (PLA) samples produced by the FDM method.…”