Multi-Material Additive

Manufacturing of Functionally
Graded Composites
Ph.D. student, Seymur Hasanov
Advisor: Dr. Ismail Fidan
 Regression analysis of the experimental data on mechanical performance of the FGM parts has been modeled.
This allows us to express the material behavior simply as a function of the microstructural descriptors (volume
fraction) without having to understand the underlying microstructural mechanics while simultaneously connecting
it to the process parameters.
 After this computationally predict and experimentally validate the behavior of prescribed designs of FGM tensile
structures with different material gradients.
 AM based on homogeneous metal, ceramic or polymer materials has made inroads into manufacturing
environments such as aerospace, medical devices, spare-part applications and short run production environment.
These industries take the advantage of increased geometrical complexity and mass customization capabilities of
AM. True advantage of AM tech is in product design and manufacturing with maximized product performance
though the synthesis of shapes sizes and hierarchical structures and material compositions.
 In this regard, selective deposition of heterogeneous materials offers unprecedented
possibilities by enabling the fabrication of 3D objects composed of multiple materials
with different physical and chemical properties. Fabrication of complex structures
composed of functionally graded materials is no possible. FGMs displays complex
spatially varying material properties. For example, combinations of rigid and soft
materials can form custom designed anisotropic properties or property gradients that
cannot be generated otherwise within single build using a single material system.
Controlled deposition of multiple materials provides extensive capabilities in engineering
design by enabling the customization of material microstructures and therefore,
programming of the part to achieve prescribed functionality.
 Multi-material AM systems with the ability to vary compositions locally during the build
show great potential for FGM applications.
 Material extrusion allows production of multi-material 3D structures using user0defined
voxel patterns (called voxel printing) in addition to standard practice pf printing with STL
files.
 So we are exploring the use of FFF process to vary the composition of various materials at
macroscale.
 The design of FGM structures requires the simultaneous integration of material design,
structural design and product fabrication.
 Designing and simulating FGM parts is challenging, especially when the
properties of the graded material vary rapidly in space. In this case, grading is
reflected at both meso-scale and macroscale (overall structural scale). To
design FGM, we need to effectively describe the microstructural behavior of
DMs with a representative material model, which can be used to effectively
simulate the material behavior arising from the non-uniform material
distributions. The standard approach based on homogenization procedure entail
identifying various microstructural descriptors (such as volume fractions,
geometry and topology of arrangement of the constituents)
 I adopted here an approach based on regression analysis where tensile test results can
be fit to a quadratic regression model to predict the macro-scale behavior of FGMs.
The use of regression analysis carries an inherent advantage of not only capturing the
microstructural behavior but also the process-structure-property relationships. In our
model, the microstructural descriptor is the volume fraction of the PC within the
FGM and the process parameter is printing temperature which accounts for process
induced anisotropy. Regression models could also lead us towards probabilistic
approach to material modeling woning to the ability to capture prediction intervals
representing a range of likely values or variation for new observations.
 250 - XY (0,0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8,1.0), XZ (0,0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8,1.0)
 260 - XY (0,0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8,1.0), XZ (0,0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8,1.0)
 270 - XY (0,0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8,1.0), XZ (0,0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8,1.0)
 I prepared and characterized several Tensile testing specimens, each with a
uniform volume fraction to obtain their mechanical properties. Specifically, I
employed DOF method to measure Young/s Modulus, tensile strength and
determine their dependence on the microstructural descriptor (volume fraction)
and the manufacturing process parameter (printing temperature).
 Several PC samples were tested volume fractions ranging from f=1, which
represents 100% PC to f=0, which represents 0% PC or equivalently 100%
ABS. In addition, the samples were printed in three different temperature range.
 Design of experiment for the FGM
characterization
Independent variables Nomenclature Levels

PC volume fraction f 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

Printing temperature Temp (0C) 250 260 270

  As part of DOE, ANOVA test was conducted. The ANOVA of the collected data was carried out to a confidence
level of 95% (alpha=0.05). The ANOVA test included both independent variables (f) and printing temperature.
During the analysis, f was treated as a continuous factor subject to 0<f<1; whereas, sample orientation was treated
as a categorical factor, ultimately creating one equation per temperature levels. Eqn. (1) defines the scalar form of
the implemented third order polynomial regression model.
 y
 Here e is the unobserved random error, B with appropriate subscript represents the coefficient of the regression
model for each term (intercept B0, first order B1,quadratic Bii, and cubic Biii). There are calculated by the least
square method. Xi represents the independent variable volume fraction f, xj represents printing temperature which
is treated as categorical variable, and y corresponds to the dependent variables (Youngs Modulus, tensile strength)
 To construct the regression models, all first, second, and third terms were
calculated included in the test. The statistical significance of the terms was
assessed by looking at the test’s p-value. If the p-value was below the specified
significance level, the term was declared to be statistically significant and the
test’s null hypothesis was rejected.
 Linear gradation function
 Y=2.2574+0.6008X
 E(x,y)=Ereg(f(x,y))
 FEA simulation
 FE simulation results will be compared with the experiments to validate the
approach. Poisson ration will be assumed constant independent of f. Plane stress
4 node quadrilateral element to model the structure and impose clamped
boundary conditions on one of the short edges while imposing a unit
displacement boundary condition on the other to replicate the experimental
conditions. The material properties in each element will be varied in accordance
with the gradation function, f(x,y). Specifically Young’s modulus at a location
(x,y) will be varied accordingly.
 Case studies
 Thermal and structural behavior
 FGM broadens an artificial design space by allowing an engineer to customize
different regions of an object to have different material properties. IN essence,
FGM objects enable engineers to tailor object’s design beyond merely changing
the physical shape of the object to meet design objectives and constraints.
Composite materials also take advantage of several different material property
characteristics within a single object,, but composite materials may fail by
delaminating and have only a one-dimensional material variation (layers). In
contrast FGM objects have no clear boundary between materials but instead
have a smooth transition between material types.
The design of printer les the engineer change the composition of the material
while printing. IF the material composition is same, but different color filaments
are used, then the printer manufactures an object with a color gradient. If different
materials are used, then the printer manufactures an object with functionally
gradient properties.
***Because of the low cost, inexpensive printing material, open source software
tol chain (which can be modified for research), and short learning curve.
 IN general optimal FGM part has an optimal outer geometry (shape), inner
holes (topology), and an optimal material composition. Many researchers have
found optimal material compositions using function-based representation.
 Xia and Wang developed a level-set topology optimization for FGM materials
where the internal material model is discretized model by introducing a penalty
for gradients into their objective function.