Identification of Optimal Process Parameter Settings Based on Manufacturing Performance for Fused Filament Fabrication of CFR-PEEK

Abstract

<jats:p>Fused filament fabrication (FFF) has been proven to be an effective additive manufacturing technique for carbon fiber reinforced polyether–ether–ketone (CFR-PEEK) due to its practicality in use. However, the relationships between the process parameters and their trade-offs in manufacturing performance have not been extensively studied for CFR-PEEK although they are essential to identify the optimal parameter settings. This study therefore investigates the impact of critical FFF parameters (i.e., layer thickness, build orientation, and printing speed) on the manufacturing performance (i.e., printing time, dimensional accuracy, and material cost) of CFR-PEEK outputs. A full factorial design of the experiments is performed for each of the three sample designs to identify the optimal parameter combinations for each performance measure. In addition, multiple response optimization was used to derive optimal parameter settings for the overall performance. The results show that the optimal parameter settings depend on the performance measures regardless of the designs, and that the layer thickness plays a critical role in the performance trade-offs. In addition, lower layer thickness, horizontal orientation, and higher speed form the optimal settings to maximize the overall performance. The findings from this study indicate that FFF parameter settings for CFR-PEEK should be identified through multi-objective decision making that involves conflicts between the operational objectives for the parameter settings.</jats:p>

Simulating energy consumption based on material addition rates for material extrusion of CFR-PEEK: a trade-off between energy costs and cycle time

“…In recent years, carbon fiber–reinforced poly-ether-ether-ketone (CFR-PEEK) has emerged as another option, as parts printed using CFR-PEEK exhibit superior mechanical properties when compared to ABS and PLA [ 24 , 25 ]. Despite the advantages of CFR-PEEK, parts printed using it require additional time to finish printing [ 26 ] and thereby increase EC. A few studies investigate the relationship among AM process parameters, the manufacturing performance [ 26 , 27 ], and the optimal mechanical properties [ 28 , 29 ] of CFR-PEEK parts.…”

“…Despite the advantages of CFR-PEEK, parts printed using it require additional time to finish printing [ 26 ] and thereby increase EC. A few studies investigate the relationship among AM process parameters, the manufacturing performance [ 26 , 27 ], and the optimal mechanical properties [ 28 , 29 ] of CFR-PEEK parts. However, studies that examine the effects of process parameters on energy performances and the productivity of material extrusion using CFR-PEEK are limited.…”

Estimation and Improvement of the Achievable Tolerance Interval in Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing through a Multi-State Machine Performance Perspective

“…Those works investigating dimensional quality in the AM process are frequently focused on providing a quantification of dimensional quality [8][9][10][11][12], analyzing the influence of different factors upon dimensional accuracy [13][14][15][16][17], or proposing strategies to improve dimensional quality [18][19][20][21]. Boschetto [13] modelled the dimensional deviation of parts manufactured in MEX machines as a function of the deposition angle and layer thickness.…”

“…Nevertheless, in recent years, several attempts to apply this type of analysis have been published. Singh [32] investigated process capability in a MJT machine for different dimensional features corresponding to a single part, although the number of replicates in this analysis (16) was too low under the accepted conventions. Preißler [33] conducted an attempt to perform a capability analysis for a MEX multi-feature specimen, but the experimental design was conducted with 25 replicas.…”

The effects of infill patterns and infill percentages on energy consumption in fused filament fabrication using CFR-PEEK

“…Parts fabricated using CFR-PEEK exhibit higher mechanical strength than those using ABS and PLA (Popescu et al, 2018). However, it takes a relatively long time to perform FFF with CFR-PEEK (Park et al, 2020), and thus EC can more increase during the printing process than other materials. In addition, appropriate infill strategies are required for the FFF of CFR-PEEK due to its much higher material cost compared to other low-performance polymers.…”