Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, has been used to fabricate parts across multiple industries. This research program focuses on Material Extrusion (MEX), also known as the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), which can process a wide range of feedstock materials. The MEX process for polymers has proven its potential in industrial applications; however, there are still significant challenges to its widespread application. They include suboptimal mechanical properties of feedstock; underexploited manufacturing flexibility; limited simulation and predictive capabilities; traditionally small build volume; immature quality inspection; and lack of material characterization data. My long-term objective is to address these six challenges and enable a transition from ancillary to functional 3D parts made from fiber-reinforced thermoplastics. Here, I will focus on four of the above challenges, which are in my areas of expertise. Therefore, my four short-term objectives (SO) are to: 1.Improve mechanical properties of the feedstock 2.Find optimum process parameters for large-scale 3D printing 3.Propose quality control techniques for 3D-printed parts 4.Develop testing standards tailored to polymer 3D printing To reach the above SOs, we will follow a holistic approach to 3D printing and will propose innovative solutions for the following four components: feedstock manufacturing, manufacturing process, quality control, and testing. We will extrude different batches of filaments with reinforcements to improve their mechanical and thermal properties. Our robotic 3D printer, unique among Canadian universities, and a M2+ 3D printer will be used to manufacture specimens from high-performance high-temperature thermoplastic composites. 3D printing process and design parameters will be optimized for maximum inter-layer properties, and minimum turning radius and voids. The impact of temperature and humidity on mechanical performance of 3D printed parts will be evaluated. 2D laser line scanning will be used to locate defects induced during 3D printing and will be integrated into the robotic 3D printer. We will propose a standardized testing technique for filament tensile properties and novel slicing parameters for dog-bone specimens. We will perform bi-axial testing of composite panels. We will investigate real-world applications by combining innovative solutions for the four research components. For example, a fuselage panel previously optimized for maximum failure load using Variable Stiffness (VS) design and analyzed using Finite Element (FE) models will be considered. It will be manufactured using the robotic 3D printer from high-performance thermoplastics reinforced with continuous carbon fiber. Laser scanning will locate gaps and overlaps, and bi-axial testing will evaluate the failure load. This way, we will put confidence in the results, and Canadian companies will fully benefit from 3D printing's potential.