Study on the temperature field distribution of the interface and process parameter optimization for material extrusion of PLA

Abstract

Despite the significant development and wide application of 3D printing technology, there are rarely reports on the influence of the build plate temperature upon the manufactured products. By conducting transient thermal analysis and 3D printing experiments, researchers optimized the build plate temperature for reducing defects in printed samples formed through material extrusion (MEX). The temperature distribution near the bottom interface was analyzed using ANSYS parametric design language (APDL) numerical calculation, and the temperature variation at the key monitoring node was examined for different build plate temperatures. Standard samples were then prepared to study warping and tensile properties. The results indicated that sagging would occur when the key monitoring node's temperature exceeded the glass state temperature of the PLA filament, particularly at build plate temperatures of 55 and 60°C. This conclusion was verified through MEX experiments. Ultimately, without sagging, an optimal build plate temperature of 50°C was determined based on APDL calculations, warping measurements (0.42 mm), and tensile yield strength (39.63 MPa). Thus, research on this parameter of temperature field distribution will contribute to the realization of high‐quality and high‐precision 3D printing.Highlights Optimized the build plate temperature to reduce defects of MEX. The temperature distribution of the interface near the bottom was analyzed by APDL and monitored. Optimal temperature was discussed by combining the results of APDL and experiment data.