Steady state thermal analysis of debinding process used in metal fused filament fabrication (MF3)

ABSTRACT

Metal fused filament fabrication (MF3) is a simple and cost-effective additive manufacturing method for generating three-dimensional (3D) metal-based products. In this study, three models were developed individually using a combination of metal and polymer materials with varying layer thicknesses in the radial direction. The specimen model has been developed with five layers where the consecutive layers were prepared with metal and polymer. Obviously, the thickness of the polymer layer increased in each model. The main objective of this work is to confirm the penetration of temperature from one layer to another when debinding through a metal and polymer interlayer stack. Furthermore, the temperature distribution, total heat flux and directional heat flux were investigated in relation to the polymer layer thickness. As a result, the model created with the polymer layer thickness obtained the largest range of temperature distribution (450.15°C), directional heat flux (6206.4 W/m²) and total heat flux (7845.6 W/m²). Thermal analysis clarified the various materials connecting along with the radial direction of the model in order to confront the debinding procedure for converting the model into a physical object. These findings were anticipated to aid in the fabrication of the actual 3D component utilising the MF3 technique in the future.

KEYWORDS:

• Additive manufacturing
• metal fused filament fabrication
• debinding
• steady-state thermal analysis
• heat flux

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India for supporting and funding this project (Ref.: EEQ/2020/000327). Facilities made available under Sophisticated Instrument Facility (SIF) of IIIT Tiruchirappalli are highly acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The Science and Engineering Research Board of India provided funding for this research work [Ref. EEQ/2020/000327].