Fused Filament Fabrication for Metallic Materials: A Brief Review

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a primary additive manufacturing (AM) technique for thermoplastics.
• Extending FFF to metallic and ceramic materials involves a sintering-based process with distinct stages.
• The process requires careful management of interrelated parameters for final part quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of recent advancements in metallic FFF.
• To identify key challenges and potential applications for metallic FFF.
• To analyze the impact of metallic FFF on manufacturing, design, and supply chains.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on metallic FFF processes, materials, and applications.
• Analysis of the five-step FFF process for metals: feedstock preparation, filament extrusion, component production, debinding, and sintering.
• Examination of material compatibility, production quality, and cost-effectiveness.

Main Results:

• FFF enables the production of high-accuracy, complex metallic components.
• Key challenges include material compatibility, consistent production quality, and cost-competitiveness against laser-based AM.
• Recent developments focus on optimizing metals and binders for improved FFF performance.

Conclusions:

• Metallic FFF holds significant potential to revolutionize manufacturing with enhanced design freedom and customization.
• Addressing current challenges is crucial for widespread adoption and competitiveness.
• FFF impacts various aspects of manufacturing, including prototyping, end-part production, and supply chain logistics.