Investigation of Ultem 1010 FDM Sparse-Build Parts using Design of Experiments and Numerical Simulation

Additive manufacturing is a process which allows the fabrication of three-dimensional parts through layered deposition of material. One such process, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), is used for the extrusion of thermoplastics. This research focuses on the thermoplastic Ultem 1010 due to its high strength and heat resistance. A Stratasys Fortus machine was used to manufacture the Ultem 1010 coupons. Both solid and sparse FDM parts are manufactured. A full-factorial design of experiments was applied to investigate the effect of build parameters on the mechanical behavior of FDM parts. Properties were determined through compression tests performed on FDM coupons. The parts varied in several build parameters including raster angle, air gap, and wall/cap thickness. Properties obtained include compressive modulus and yield strength. It was observed in DOE study that the built parameters have the significant on the mechanical properties of the sparse built parts. The material properties required for the simulation are determined by compression test of solid parts at varying elevated temperatures. A nonlinear material model was developed and implemented in finite element code to study the effects of build parameters on the properties of the FDM parts. The finite element results for sparse built were validated using experimental findings.