A Process Parameter Design Method for Improving the Filament Diameter Accuracy of Extrusion 3D Printing

Area of Science:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Materials Science
• Polymer Processing

Background:

• Precise control of filament diameter is critical for extrusion 3D printing quality.
• Existing methods often lack experimental guidance for process parameter design.
• Understanding the interplay between process parameters, rheological properties, and filament diameter is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel experimental method for guiding extrusion 3D printing process parameter design.
• To investigate the influence of key process parameters and material rheology on filament diameter.
• To demonstrate the method's application using poly (l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) as a case study.

Main Methods:

• Development of a dedicated extrusion 3D printing device for experimental investigation.
• Experimental determination of the printable process parameter range for PLCL.
• Calculation of a fitting surface from experimental data to guide parameter selection.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of PLCL filaments with diameters of 120, 130, 140, 150, and 160 μm using a 100 μm nozzle.
• Achieved deviations between actual and desired filament diameters of less than 5 μm.
• Validation of the proposed method's reliability in achieving precise diameter control.

Conclusions:

• The proposed experimental method effectively guides the design of process parameters for precise filament diameter control in extrusion 3D printing.
• The developed method is reliable and applicable to materials like PLCL, enabling the fabrication of filaments with specific diameters.
• This approach enhances the manufacturability and quality of 3D printed components by ensuring consistent filament dimensions.