Modelling the stiffness of plastic springs manufactured via additive manufacturing

Abstract

The helical spring is one of the most used components in mechanisms but there is little research on the application of 3D printing, also called Additive Manufacturing, to springs. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to derive a model for the stiffness of 3D printed springs. The equation assumes that springs are made of orthotropic material and with a rectangular wire cross-section, that is, die springs. A second version of the equation has also been postulated that accounts for the misalignment of the deposited tracks with respect to the direction of the coils due to the coil pitch. The two models are compared to various springs printed with PLA and ULTEM 9085 and are found to accurately predict the stiffness of real, 3D printed springs. These equations allow the design and manufacturing of helical die springs for applications with few load cycles and that require chemical and radiation resistance, such as in space. The equations are also the first step in the development of models for new kinds of springs, such as linear conical springs or hollow wire die springs.

On 3D printing of electro-active PVDF-Graphene and Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticle-based composite as a self-healing repair solution for heritage structures

“…1 The 3D printing of polymers for spring manufacturing and health monitoring applications has been reported by some researchers in which recyclability and other properties were more advanced thermoplastic filaments and characterization and recycling of plastic waste to increase their applications in 3D printing technology and to take it a step ahead toward 4D printing. [2][3][4][5] In the past two decades along with the use of 3D printing and additive manufacturing (AM) for construction, advanced techniques based on 3D surface analysis for heritage structures have been well reported. By integrating the advanced tools of damage detection and 3D printing effective solutions for constructions can be developed.…”