Date: 20-09-2021

Project Title : Selection and Integration of 3D Printers for Industry 4.0

Presentation Title : Material Extrusion Technologies (Design and Applications)

Name : Alap Patel (2018B5A40689G)

Supervisor : Dr. G. Karthikeyan

BITS Pilani
Pilani Campus
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Introduction

• FFF is one of the most simplest 3D printing technologies.

• However, it comes with its own design limitations and rules that must be considered during
designing the model.
• Factors like the anisotropic behaviour, support structures, infill parameters and hole diameter
reduction are key to designing. Any model must be designed with these factors in mind.
• The following slides will provide a detailed understanding of the design elements of FFF.

• FFF produces thermoplastic structures and is used in a variety of applications.

• Rapid prototyping, non-commercial use, educational purposes, low cost manufacturing, etc.
are some of the applications of FFF.
• These will be further elaborated in slides to come.
• Two specific cases will also be discussed in detail for better understanding the applications.

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Support Structures

• A common feature on FFF prints are overhangs.

• Overhangs occur when the printed layer of material is only partially supported by the layer below.
Angled walls or curved surfaces are examples of overhangs.

• When a feature is printed with an overhang of 45° or less (relative to the horizontal) it can sag and
requires support material beneath it to hold it in place.

• Support allows overhanging features that are below the 45° threshold to be printed accurately.

• The downside to support is that it must be removed and this can have a detrimental effect on the
surface of the part.

• The location and amount of support a print requires is heavily dependent upon part orientation.

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Support Structures

• The ABC’s (or YHTs) of FFF support

○ The arms of the letter Y can be printed without support because they extend at 45° (or more).
○ For the letter H, if the center bridge is under 10 mm, it can be printed without support or any
sagging. Over 10 mm support will be required.
○ The letter T requires support for the arms of the letter. In some cases, short cantilever sections
can be included without support, but must be less than 3 mm.

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Support Structures

• For some geometries, like curved surfaces, support is not required over the entire length of a
surface. By selectively placing support only where it is needed the cost and time required to
complete a print can be reduced.

• One exception relating to FFF and the need for support material is a bridge. Generally, FFF bridges
do not require support if they are less than 10 mm in length.
• Bridging in FFF occurs when the printer is required to print between two supports or anchor points.
• Because there is no support offered for the initial layer being printed, the material will tend to sag.
• Material also plays a role in the length a bridge can be printed at.

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Support Structures

• Types of FFF supports

○ Dissolvable
■ Requires two print heads
■ Simpler removal and better surface finish
■ Increased cost and time
■ Support material must be able to adhere to the primary material
■ Common combinations are PLA with PVA (dissolved in warm water),
and ABS with HIPS (dissolved in a 1:1 ratio of (R)-(+)-Limonene and
isopropyl alcohol)
○ Accordion
■ Most common and suitable because of simple geometry
■ Requires more material than tree support and hence is costlier
○ Tree-like
■ Better surface finish due to less contact with print
■ Lesser stability makes it unsuitable for complex prints

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Anisotropy

• The layered adhesion in FFF is oval in structure and creates valleys and is responsible for the
strength of the structure.

• The lack of continuous material paths and the stress concentration created by the joint of each
layer, contributes to the weakness of FFF parts.

• A test data shows that the horizontally printed part has a tensile strength nearly 5 times greater
than the vertically printed part when printed with 100% infill.

• Part orientation plays an important role in determining the strength of the structure and needs
to be considered before printing.

• For parts under tension, the print should be orientated so that the build direction is parallel with
the load.

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Infill

• FFF prints are typically printed with a low density infill.

• Infill allows a part to be printed faster and more cost effectively with the strength of a design being
directly related to infill percentage.

• Most FFF slicer programs by default print parts with a 20% infill. Higher infill percentages increase
cost and time.

• Understanding the application of a printed part allows one to decide the infill percentage. It has a
significant impact on the strength of the part.

• Infill is generally printed in a rectangular shape. Triangular, wiggle and honeycomb are other shapes.
For greater strength and a lightweight structure, honeycomb or triangular shapes are used.

• Some slicing software programs even offer the ability to vary infill percentage throughout a print.

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Infill

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Holes

• FFF prints vertical axis holes smaller in diameter than intended.

• As the nozzle prints a new layer over another, they press against each other to improve
adhesion. However, this increases the width of the layers and results in a decrease in the hole
perimeter and its diameter.

• Often, the reduction in diameter of vertical axis holes is accounted for in the slicing program.
But if a high level of accuracy is required, drilling the hole after printing is the best solution.

• FFF can also encounter limitations when printing horizontal holes. If the holes are large enough,
support material will often be required. If no support is included, the top of the hole will often
begin to sag or have a poor surface finish.

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Holes

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Applications

• Investment Casting Patterns

○ The low cost of FFF materials and the geometries the process is able to produce make it
a good solution for investment casting patterns. Because the infill structure printed inside
FFF parts is not solid, it also allows for less material to be used, making burnout easier
during the casting process.

• Electronic Housings
○ FFF allows a designer to create a prototype or final design in a matter of hours and is
much cheaper compared to traditional manufacturing methods. 3D printed enclosures
offer an effective method of confirming design geometry and several of the materials that
can be used for printing enclosures are suitable for end use applications.

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Applications

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Applications

• Jigs and Fixtures

○ The high level of customization and complexity that FFF allows for in a design coupled
with the speed and accuracy at which parts can be produced, make it suitable for creating
grips, jigs and fixtures.

• Form and Fit Testing

○ Form and fit designs are used to showcase the geometry as well as provide haptic
feedback to the designer. FFF allows for the creation of curves and organic shapes which
would be difficult to produce using traditional manufacturing techniques.

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Applications

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Applications

• Case Study - Volkswagen Autoeuropa

• FFF printing can be used for the manufacturing of functional jigs and fixtures. A design can be
printed overnight and tested on the assembly line the next morning. Operator feedback can be
incorporated into consecutive design iterations until the perfect tool is produced.
• Volkswagen Autoeuropa used this to its advantage by producing almost all previously externally
manufactured tools in-house.
• Volkswagen Autoeuropa currently has seven desktop FFF Ultimakers in operation.
• The transition to 3D printing saved Volkswagen Autoeuropa over 90% in tool development costs
and time.
• In 2016, the facility saved an estimated €150,000 on jigs and fixtures - a figure that was expected
to increase to €250,000 in 2017.

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Applications

• Case Study - Peak Additive

• Peak Additive were approached by a customer with a design for a cap that turns and locks into
place over a USB insert. Previously, the customer sourced the part from a supplier that used
injection moulding.
• 3D printing can be a competitive solution for low to mid sized production runs, as there are no
initial costs relating to tooling. Because the customer only required 200 parts per year, 3D printing
was identified as a cost effective solution.
• Using the Stratasys Fortus 380mc, Peak Additive was able to produce the caps in a single run,
lowering the costs even further, to a dimensional tolerance of ~0.005” (0.127 mm) for all critical
dimensions.
• Peak Additive suggested to use ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate) instead of nylon 12. ASA has
one of the best finishes on the market for FFF thermoplastics, a high accuracy, low shrink rate and
is UV stable.

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Applications

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Conclusion

● Limitations of design pertaining to the anisotropic nature of FFF and requirement for support
structures were understood thoroughly.
● The anisotropy affects the strength of the structure and orientation of the part plays an
important role.
● The type of support one uses is significant along with understanding when support must be
used.
● The infill pattern and percentage determine the strength of the printed part.
● Special consideration should be given when printing holes.
● The technology is mostly used for non-commercial purposes and rapid prototyping.
● FFF has specific applications in the industry like castings, electronic housings, jigs and
fixtures and form and fit testing.
● The case studies provide an insight into the importance of this technology.

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