High-throughput extrusion-based additive manufacturing
Name
941271845-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
32.04 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
271d3445a7b88b206448bd687865cc54
Author(s)
Go, Jamison
Advisor(s)
A. John Hart.
Alternative Title
High-throughput extrusion-based AM
Date Issued
2015
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Additive manufacturing (AM), the process of building objects layer by layer from a three dimensional digital model, is gaining significance due to its ability to create unique geometries and/or novel material compositions while spanning a wide range of length scales. However, the viability of using AM for the production of end-use parts hinges on improvements to production speed without making sacrifices to quality. This thesis seeks to understand the rate-limits to extrusion-based AM, commonly referred to as fused deposition modeling (FDM), and to demonstrate this understanding via the design and fabrication of a high-throughput extrusion AM platform. Three subsystems - the pinch wheel extruder, the conduction liquefier, and the open loop series gantry - were identified as rate limiting to conventional FDM systems via module level experimentation and analysis. These limitations motivated the development of three alternate mechanisms -a screw-feed extruder, a laser-heated extruder, and H-frame gantry - which are designed to overcome the limitations of conventional techniques. These mechanisms are combined into a high-throughput desktop-scale prototype, called FastFDM. Using the FastFDM system, test parts are fabricated at twice the material deposition rate of state-of-the-art machines while maintaining comparable accuracy and resolution. The FastFDM approach has promising future applications to the extrusion AM of nanocomposite polymer resins, high-throughput AM of high performance thermoplastics, and adaptation to large-scale extrusion AM systems.
Description
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2015.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 171-179).
Subjects
Mechanical Engineering.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Terms of Use
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