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Additively manufactured foamed polylactic acid for lightweight structures

Additively manufactured foamed polylactic acid for lightweight structures This study aims to make foamed polylactic acid (PLA) structures with different densities by varying deposition temperatures using the material extrusion (MEX) additive manufacturing process.Design/methodology/approachThe extrusion multiplier (EM) was calibrated for each deposition temperature to control foaming expansion. Material density was determined using extruded cubes with the optimal EM value for each deposition temperature. The influence of deposition temperature on the tensile, compression and flexure characteristics of the foamable filament was studied experimentally.FindingsThe foaming expansion ratio, the consistency of the raster width and the raster gap significantly affect the surface roughness of the printed samples. Regardless of the loading conditions, the maximum stiffness and yield strength were achieved at a deposition temperature of 200°C when the PLA specimens had no foam. When the maximum foaming occurred (220°C deposition temperature), the stiffness and yield strength of the PLA specimens were significantly reduced.Practical implicationsThe obvious benefit of using foamed materials is that they are lighter and consume less material than bulky polymers. Injection or compression moulding is the most commonly used method for creating foamed products. However, these technologies require tooling to fabricate complicated parts, which may be costly and time-consuming. Conversely, the MEX process can produce extremely complex parts with less tooling expense, reduction in energy use and optimised material consumption.Originality/valueThis study investigates the possibility of stiff, lightweight structures with low fractions of interconnected porosity using foamable filament. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Rapid Prototyping Journal Emerald Publishing

Additively manufactured foamed polylactic acid for lightweight structures

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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
1355-2546
eISSN
1355-2546
DOI
10.1108/rpj-03-2022-0100
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

This study aims to make foamed polylactic acid (PLA) structures with different densities by varying deposition temperatures using the material extrusion (MEX) additive manufacturing process.Design/methodology/approachThe extrusion multiplier (EM) was calibrated for each deposition temperature to control foaming expansion. Material density was determined using extruded cubes with the optimal EM value for each deposition temperature. The influence of deposition temperature on the tensile, compression and flexure characteristics of the foamable filament was studied experimentally.FindingsThe foaming expansion ratio, the consistency of the raster width and the raster gap significantly affect the surface roughness of the printed samples. Regardless of the loading conditions, the maximum stiffness and yield strength were achieved at a deposition temperature of 200°C when the PLA specimens had no foam. When the maximum foaming occurred (220°C deposition temperature), the stiffness and yield strength of the PLA specimens were significantly reduced.Practical implicationsThe obvious benefit of using foamed materials is that they are lighter and consume less material than bulky polymers. Injection or compression moulding is the most commonly used method for creating foamed products. However, these technologies require tooling to fabricate complicated parts, which may be costly and time-consuming. Conversely, the MEX process can produce extremely complex parts with less tooling expense, reduction in energy use and optimised material consumption.Originality/valueThis study investigates the possibility of stiff, lightweight structures with low fractions of interconnected porosity using foamable filament.

Journal

Rapid Prototyping Journal – Emerald Publishing

Published: Jan 2, 2023

Keywords: Fused deposition modelling; Additive manufacturing; Material extrusion; Foamable polylactic acid filament; Lightweight composite beam; Porous structures

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