Fused Filament Fabrication Process: A Review of Numerical Simulation Techniques

Abstract

Three-dimensional printing (3DP), also known as additive manufacturing (AM), has rapidly evolved over the past few decades. Researchers around the globe have been putting their efforts into AM processes improvement and materials development. One of the most widely used extrusion-based technology under AM processes is Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), also known as Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). Numerical simulation tools are being employed to predict the FFF process complexities and material behavior. These tools allow exploring candidate materials for their potential use in the FFF process and process improvements. The prime objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art scientific achievements in numerical simulations of the FFF process for polymers and their composites. The first section presents an in-depth discussion of the FFF process’s physical phenomena and highlights the multi-level complexity. The subsequent section discusses the research efforts, specifically on numerical simulation techniques reported in the literature for simulation of the FFF process. Finally, conclusions are drawn based on the reviewed literature, and future research directions are identified.

Feasibility of Producing Core-Shell Filaments through Fused Filament Fabrication

“…The last considered parameter is layer thickness. As the nozzles exercise a certain pressure over the material during the deposition, the layer height could influence the material flow [ 19 ].…”

Additive manufacturing of smart polymeric composites: Literature review and future perspectives

“…The most widely employed technique under this process principle is fused deposition modeling (FDM) [37] or fused filament fabrication (FFF). [38][39][40][41] It works with the externally applied pressure on a nozzle containing viscoelastic material, which can directly apply the substance with a predetermined pathway using a computer modeling tool, referred to as direct ink writing (DIW). [42,43] Extrusionbased techniques are advantageous in easy operation and precise printing of complicated geometries with varying structures despite requiring a material with specific characteristics like printing temperature.…”

Effects of Fumed Silica on Thixotropic Behavior and Processing Window by UV-Assisted Direct Ink Writing

“…Various materials are used in different applications, including highly filled composite materials and metal powder composite filament [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. However, the melting process has a theoretically maximum extrusion speed during the heat transfer, limiting the printing speed [ 15 ]. Increasing the extrusion temperature will cause other geometric accuracy issues because of the requirement of a longer cooling time [ 16 ].…”