Strength and Deformation Analyses of Selected Filaments for Large-Format Additive Manufacturing Applicable to the Production of Firefighting Water Tanks

Abstract

Large-format additive manufacturing is a candidate for tremendous savings in terms of time and cost while simultaneously enabling higher flexibility, quality, and variability. Most of the design constraints of small-scale polymer 3D printers still apply to large-format additive manufacturing. The paper details both the strengths and deformation-related design considerations for additive manufacturing to gain a better understanding of the material capabilities and limitations, mechanical characteristics, and how to use them for large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM). The results show that the tested materials for additive manufacturing meet the requirements from the stress and deformation points of view. Compared to the steel and composite material, the strength limits are lower, but high enough for the given load. The materials HI TEMP, HI TEMP CF, PA12CF, PA6/66, and PLA seem to be the most promising for LFAM to create a firefighting water tank. The results may be considered as an introduction to further research that should lead to real solutions for the production of atypical tanks.