Investigation of thermal and dimensional behavior of 3-D printed materials using thermal imaging and 3-D scanning

Abstract

Fused deposition modeling is one of the most widely used 3-D printing technologies, among other additive manufacturing processes, because it is easy to use, can produce parts faster, and the cost of the finished part is low. Printing processes and finished parts are often studied and characterized using different techniques to collect mechanical, numerical, thermal and dimensional data, with the aim of improving and optimizing the result. The first part of this research is based on the observation of temperature changes with a thermal imaging camera during the fused deposition modeling printing process and during the cooling process after printing. Specimens of polylactic acid and polylactic acid-X improved with second-phase particles were prepared to compare the thermal and dimensional properties of the two materials. The obtained results determined the characteristic temperature behavior of the materials. In the second part of the research, a 3-D optical scanner was used to verify the stability and accuracy of the printed specimens over time. The proposed measurement period showed that stabilization of the parameters takes place, and further follow-up should be performed thereafter.

Effect of Aging on Tensile and Chemical Properties of Polylactic Acid and Polylactic Acid-Like Polymer Materials for Additive Manufacturing

“…After scanning, ten specimens were tensile tested. Since the previous results showed insignificant changes in the PLA filament in the 7-day aging time [ 49 ], the current research focuses on scanning two groups of five specimens (FDM and DLP ones) right before mechanical testing, with the specimens having been manufactured two months before. The scanned STL models of specimens were compared in the 3D dimensional analysis software GOM Inspect 2020 software.…”

Influence of Aging on the Flexural Strength of PLA and PLA-X 3D-Printed Materials

“…This material is dimensionally stable and easy to extrude at low temperatures, so the platform does not need to be heated. It melts at low temperatures of 180–220 °C and has a glass transition temperature of 60–65 °C [ 23 , 24 ]. PLA exhibits certain challenging characteristics, notably in terms of thermal resistance, and these properties also have an impact on its mechanical behavior.…”

“…In terms of the fracture behavior of the modified material, referred to as PLA-X, the addition of second-phase particles to the PLA base material results in a significant enhancement in both the overall strain and the calculated tensile toughness. The PLA-X utilized in this study is an enhanced variant of PLA, characterized by the incorporation of second-phase particles with a melting temperature in the range of 190–220 °C [ 24 , 26 ]. This indicates that the inclusion of these particles has a positive effect on the material’s ability to withstand deformation and absorb energy before fracture occurs [ 22 ].…”