無支撐材料積層製造之實現方法與系統建立

Abstract

研究介紹了一種創新的最小化支撐熔融沉積成型(MSFFF)系統，以減少傳統熔融沉積成型(FFF)製造中難以避免的支撐材及其消耗的材料與時間。該系統結合了一個由可獨立升降平台單元組成的離散化平台模組、一個帶有電磁鐵的特製擠出噴頭外殼，以及一個最小化支撐材演算法(SMA)，與平台配合以最佳化物體的位置並最小化對支撐材的需求。 為評估該系統，研究中分別以FFF和MSFFF製造了一系列不同大小的橋形物體與幾何較複雜的案例，並進一步探討兩者的材料用量、製造時間及幾何外型的異同。首先，橋形物體的實驗表明，MSFFF與FFF相比，於製造過程減少了25-36%總材料用量及20-33%總製造時間。若針對支撐材本身，材料用量和製造時間的節省比例則分別高達67-87%和46-72%，同時亦保有相當的幾何精度。 其次，研究結果表明MSFFF作用於階梯結構和風扇葉片等複雜幾何形狀，也能達成相當的效果。單就支撐材而言，階梯結構顯著地減少87.20%材料用量和80.70%製造時間，風扇葉片則減少36.82%總材料用量及20.99%總製造時間。儘管葉片連續變化的表面曲率一定程度上限制了MSFFF的使用範圍，但藉由直接減少支撐材最大限度地減少了使精細結構變形或損壞的風險。 綜上所述，MSFFF系統具有相當潛力增進FFF的效率和發展性，並適用於複雜幾何形狀。而模組化的設計與現有FFF製程的高相容性，以促進該系統於工業中的廣泛應用。這項技術代表了積層製造的重大進步，並可應用於多種積層製造製程共同面臨的支撐材問題。

This research introduces an innovative Minimized-Support Fused filament fabrication (MSFFF) system to reduce support material in 3D printing. The system combines a discretized platform module with individually liftable units, a customized extruder housing with an electromagnet, and a Support Minimization Algorithm (SMA) to optimize object positioning and minimize support requirements. Experiments with bridge-shaped test objects demonstrated significant reductions in total material usage, support material usage, total fabrication time, and support fabrication time compared to conventional FFF. These reductions were 25-36%, 67-87%, 20-33%, and 46-72%, respectively, while maintaining comparable geometric accuracy. Case studies with complex geometries (stepped structure and turbine blade) further validated MSFFF's effectiveness. The stepped structure case achieved an 87.20% reduction in support material usage and an 80.7% reduction in fabrication time. The turbine blade case showed reductions of 36.82% in total material usage and 20.99% in total fabrication time, despite some limitations due to continuous surface curvature. But notably, it also resulted in lower separation forces during post-processing, minimizing the risk of deformation or damage to delicate structures. The MSFFF system has the potential to evolutionize FFF efficiency and sustainability, particularly for complex geometries. Its modular design allows for straightforward integration with existing FFF printers, thereby promoting wider adoption in industrial applications. This technology represents a significant advancement in additive manufacturing, with potential applications across various AM methods that are currently struggling with support material issues.