Additive manufacturing (AM) enables users to easily produce components based on computer models. 3D printing has established itself as a manufacturing process, particularly in areas of application where customization or highly complex geometries are of great importance. Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is one of the most widely used AM processes for thermoplastic polymers.
In the FFF process, the plastic used is gradually melted during the printing process and then deposited line by line and layer by layer on the build platform until the entire component has been printed. The molecular bonding of the layers and lines (layer adhesion) is highly dependent on the process conditions and can result in reduced mechanical properties due to premature delamination.
The aim of this project is to determine the bond strength of FFF-printed components under defined process parameters. Within this framework, a measuring device for determining layer adhesion is being developed which uses a camera to continuously record the tearing of the bond/delamination process on a test specimen. The influence of different process parameters, such as printing temperature, speed, layer height, etc., can thus be quantitatively recorded for various polymer materials. Based on this, it will be possible to find ideal printing parameters and predict the mechanical behavior of components.
