The Effects of Printing Parameters on The Surface Quality of Metal Composite by Using Fused Deposition Modeling

Authors

  • Nor Aiman Sukindar, Muhammad Afif Md Azhar , , Nor Farah Huda Abd Halim, Shafie Kamaruddin, Mohd Hafis Sulaiman

Abstract

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is a three-dimensional (3D) printing method that uses a
material in filament form to fabricate a product directly from a CAD design. The flexibility of the system
has placed this technology as a popular choice among the users whereby with a single FDM machine,
various types of building materials can be printed such as polymer, composite, and ceramic. However, FDM
poses its drawback in terms of producing a good surface finish. This research examines the effect of several
printing parameters on the surface quality of metal matrix composite, which is a combination of polylactic
acid and copper by using a low-cost FDM-3D printer. From the analysis, it shows that the raster angle is the
main factor that affects the surface finish of the printed parts, followed by layer thickness and bed
temperature. This finding is essential in tuning the right printing parameters to achieve the desired surface
finish.

Published

2020-10-17

Issue

Section

Articles