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Preliminary investigation into metal-material extrusion

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Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies provide a method of fabrication that minimizes the production of waste and maximizes part customization. The most common form of this technology is material extrusion (ME) in which material is deposited layer-by-layer to produce a highly customized part. However, this additive production method has experienced difficulty in widespread adoption in metal fabrication due to the inability to produce metallic parts with strong mechanical properties. This study presents some innovations on a new metal-fabrication technique for ME printing that allows for low-cost metal printing. A metal powder polymer composite filament, with a high metal composition, can be printed and sintered to yield a part that is completely metal. Overall, this study provides the initial investigation of the microstructural behavior and the resulting hardness levels. This study found that the metal powder in finished parts is fused by approximately 90% derived from the percent area porosity on a microstructural level. The final hardness of the processed parts is reduced by approximately 60%. Characterizing these properties is the initial step in incorporating ME technology in the field of metal 3D printing.

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Acknowledgements

This study has been made available through funding by NSF Award 1801120, Smart Manufacturing for America’s Revolutionizing Technological Transformation; and NSF Award 1601587, AM-WATCH: Additive Manufacturing—Workforce Advancement Training Coalition and Hub. Editing support provided by Dr. Elizabeth Powell of the Clay N. Hixson Student Success Center and Ms. Amy Hill of the Research Office is greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Center for Manufacturing Research, College of Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, USA

    Shane Terry

  2. Department of Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, College of Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, USA

    Ismail Fidan

  3. Department of Engineering Management and Technology, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, USA

    Khalid Tantawi

Authors
  1. Shane Terry
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  2. Ismail Fidan
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  3. Khalid Tantawi
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Correspondence to Ismail Fidan.

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Terry, S., Fidan, I. & Tantawi, K. Preliminary investigation into metal-material extrusion. Prog Addit Manuf 6, 133–141 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-020-00151-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-020-00151-5

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