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In Situ Casting Integrated with FDM 3D Printing: Curing Behavior, Process Constraints, and Mechanical Demonstration
Supatpromrungsee Saetia1, Pimolkan Piankitrungreang1, Ratchatin Chancharoen1,2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Polymers
|May 4, 2026
Summary
Integrating dispensing-based in situ casting into fused deposition modeling (FDM) requires managing curing constraints. This hybrid fabrication method allows for enhanced polymer part properties when thermal and temporal factors are controlled.
Area of Science:
- Additive Manufacturing
- Polymer Science
- Materials Engineering
Background:
- Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a widely used additive manufacturing technique.
- Integrating distinct polymer regions into FDM parts can enhance mechanical properties.
- Dispensing-based in situ casting presents a method for achieving this integration during fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the process constraints for stable integration of dispensing-based in situ casting within an FDM workflow.
- To evaluate the performance of UV-curable photopolymer and two-component epoxy resin systems for in situ casting.
- To provide practical guidance for hybrid polymer fabrication involving confined casting during printing.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of thermoplastic confinement geometries using FDM.
- Dispensing and curing of liquid polymers (UV-curable photopolymer and epoxy resin) within FDM-printed cavities.
- Characterization of UV curing, thermal imaging of heat generation, confined epoxy curing, and layer-wise integration.
- Mechanical testing of hybrid linkage specimens.
Main Results:
- UV-based in situ casting is limited by curing depth, peak temperature, and deformation, necessitating staged curing and thermal relaxation.
- Epoxy resin allows bulk filling with lower peak temperatures but requires significantly longer curing times.
- A layer-wise UV curing strategy successfully integrated four cast layers without leakage or collapse.
- Localized casting effectively modified structural stiffness through selective reinforcement.
Conclusions:
- Dispensing-based in situ casting can be successfully integrated into FDM processes.
- Successful integration depends on explicit management of thermal, temporal, and filling constraints.
- This hybrid approach offers a practical route for fabricating polymer parts with enhanced and tailored properties.
