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Optimisation of 3D Printing for Microcellular Polymers

Christian Griffiths, Andrew Rees, Adam Morgan Orcid Logo, Feras Korkees Orcid Logo

Polymers, Volume: 15, Issue: 19, Start page: 3910

Swansea University Authors: Christian Griffiths, Andrew Rees, Adam Morgan Orcid Logo, Feras Korkees Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.3390/polym15193910

Abstract

Polymers are extensively used in various industries due to their versatility, durability and cost-effectiveness. To ensure functionality and longevity, polymer parts must have sufficient strength to endure external forces without deformation or breakage. Traditional approaches to increasing part str...

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Published in: Polymers
ISSN: 2073-4360
Published: MDPI AG 2023
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64691
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To ensure functionality and longevity, polymer parts must have sufficient strength to endure external forces without deformation or breakage. Traditional approaches to increasing part strength involve adding more material; however, balancing strength to weight relationships is challenging. This paper explorers the viability of manufacturing lightweight components using a microcellular foaming polymer. Microcellular foaming has emerged as a helpful tool to achieve an optimal strength-to-weight ratio; offering advantages such as lightweight, improved mechanical properties, reduced material usage, better insulation and improved cost-effectiveness. It can also contribute to improved fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, making them environmentally favourable. The combination of additive manufacturing (AM) and microcellular foaming has opened new possibilities for design innovation. This text highlights the challenges and efforts in incorporating foaming techniques into 3D printing processes, specifically fused filament fabrication (FFF). This study reveals that microcellular polymers are a viable option when balancing part strength and weight. The experiments completed during the formulation of this paper demonstrated that lightweight LW-PLA parts were significantly lighter than standard PLA parts and that a design of experiments approach can be used to optimise strength properties and provide insights into optimising manufacturability. 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spelling v2 64691 2023-10-10 Optimisation of 3D Printing for Microcellular Polymers 84c202c256a2950fbc52314df6ec4914 Christian Griffiths Christian Griffiths true false e43e88c74976e714e1d669a898f8470d Andrew Rees Andrew Rees true false d6087ed0b26414eea4b519f189cd2fac 0000-0002-3182-7129 Adam Morgan Adam Morgan true false 4d34f40e38537261da3ad49a0dd2be09 0000-0002-5131-6027 Feras Korkees Feras Korkees true false 2023-10-10 GENG Polymers are extensively used in various industries due to their versatility, durability and cost-effectiveness. To ensure functionality and longevity, polymer parts must have sufficient strength to endure external forces without deformation or breakage. Traditional approaches to increasing part strength involve adding more material; however, balancing strength to weight relationships is challenging. This paper explorers the viability of manufacturing lightweight components using a microcellular foaming polymer. Microcellular foaming has emerged as a helpful tool to achieve an optimal strength-to-weight ratio; offering advantages such as lightweight, improved mechanical properties, reduced material usage, better insulation and improved cost-effectiveness. It can also contribute to improved fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, making them environmentally favourable. The combination of additive manufacturing (AM) and microcellular foaming has opened new possibilities for design innovation. This text highlights the challenges and efforts in incorporating foaming techniques into 3D printing processes, specifically fused filament fabrication (FFF). This study reveals that microcellular polymers are a viable option when balancing part strength and weight. The experiments completed during the formulation of this paper demonstrated that lightweight LW-PLA parts were significantly lighter than standard PLA parts and that a design of experiments approach can be used to optimise strength properties and provide insights into optimising manufacturability. Microcellular polymers present an opportunity for lighter and stronger 3D printed parts, offering potential energy and material savings for sustainable manufacturing practices. Journal Article Polymers 15 19 3910 MDPI AG 2073-4360 Additive manufacturing, 3D printing, fused filament fabrication, fused deposition modelling, lightweight PLA 27 9 2023 2023-09-27 10.3390/polym15193910 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym15193910 COLLEGE NANME General Engineering COLLEGE CODE GENG Swansea University 2023-11-08T10:16:30.0662640 2023-10-10T11:48:34.7637709 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, General and Mechanical Engineering - Mechanical Engineering Christian Griffiths 1 Andrew Rees 2 Adam Morgan 0000-0002-3182-7129 3 Feras Korkees 0000-0002-5131-6027 4 64691__28758__d5a15fbc313f4133abbcb8f022cf0a9e.pdf 64691.pdf 2023-10-10T11:50:26.9271889 Output 2624451 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Distributed under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Optimisation of 3D Printing for Microcellular Polymers
spellingShingle Optimisation of 3D Printing for Microcellular Polymers
Christian Griffiths
Andrew Rees
Adam Morgan
Feras Korkees
title_short Optimisation of 3D Printing for Microcellular Polymers
title_full Optimisation of 3D Printing for Microcellular Polymers
title_fullStr Optimisation of 3D Printing for Microcellular Polymers
title_full_unstemmed Optimisation of 3D Printing for Microcellular Polymers
title_sort Optimisation of 3D Printing for Microcellular Polymers
author_id_str_mv 84c202c256a2950fbc52314df6ec4914
e43e88c74976e714e1d669a898f8470d
d6087ed0b26414eea4b519f189cd2fac
4d34f40e38537261da3ad49a0dd2be09
author_id_fullname_str_mv 84c202c256a2950fbc52314df6ec4914_***_Christian Griffiths
e43e88c74976e714e1d669a898f8470d_***_Andrew Rees
d6087ed0b26414eea4b519f189cd2fac_***_Adam Morgan
4d34f40e38537261da3ad49a0dd2be09_***_Feras Korkees
author Christian Griffiths
Andrew Rees
Adam Morgan
Feras Korkees
author2 Christian Griffiths
Andrew Rees
Adam Morgan
Feras Korkees
format Journal article
container_title Polymers
container_volume 15
container_issue 19
container_start_page 3910
publishDate 2023
institution Swansea University
issn 2073-4360
doi_str_mv 10.3390/polym15193910
publisher MDPI AG
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, General and Mechanical Engineering - Mechanical Engineering{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, General and Mechanical Engineering - Mechanical Engineering
url http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym15193910
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description Polymers are extensively used in various industries due to their versatility, durability and cost-effectiveness. To ensure functionality and longevity, polymer parts must have sufficient strength to endure external forces without deformation or breakage. Traditional approaches to increasing part strength involve adding more material; however, balancing strength to weight relationships is challenging. This paper explorers the viability of manufacturing lightweight components using a microcellular foaming polymer. Microcellular foaming has emerged as a helpful tool to achieve an optimal strength-to-weight ratio; offering advantages such as lightweight, improved mechanical properties, reduced material usage, better insulation and improved cost-effectiveness. It can also contribute to improved fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, making them environmentally favourable. The combination of additive manufacturing (AM) and microcellular foaming has opened new possibilities for design innovation. This text highlights the challenges and efforts in incorporating foaming techniques into 3D printing processes, specifically fused filament fabrication (FFF). This study reveals that microcellular polymers are a viable option when balancing part strength and weight. The experiments completed during the formulation of this paper demonstrated that lightweight LW-PLA parts were significantly lighter than standard PLA parts and that a design of experiments approach can be used to optimise strength properties and provide insights into optimising manufacturability. Microcellular polymers present an opportunity for lighter and stronger 3D printed parts, offering potential energy and material savings for sustainable manufacturing practices.
published_date 2023-09-27T10:16:33Z
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