Non-planar material extrusion and continuous fiber-reinforced 3D printing: Algorithmic modeling and G-code generation

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master_Nan_Htike_Arkar_2024.pdf (4.42 MB)

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School of Engineering | Master's thesis
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Date

2024-11-18

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Mechanical Engineering

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Degree programme

Master's programme in Mechanical Engineering

Language

en

Pages

59

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Abstract

The thesis aimed to investigate the capabilities of non-planar 3D printing in thermosplastic material extrusion printers and continuous fibre-reinforced 3D printers. Material extrusion can achieve many diverse benefits, thanks to the freedom of geometry it brings. However, there are still significant challenges in surface quality, freedom of movement and dimensional accuracy of the manufactured parts. Therefore, from the point of view of the development of the industry, it is important to investigate whether these challenges can be solved by non-planar 3D printing. This thesis aims to develop a comprehensive methodology for generating custom G-code for non-planar toolpath movement in 3D printing, leveraging tools such as Python, Rhino 3D, and Grasshopper. The first objective is to successfully create G-code for a single non-planar layer of a 3D model, followed by validating the process through the practical application of extruding plastics to manufacture a shin guard as a case study. The second phase explores extending this methodology to composite fiber printers, enabling the application of non-planar techniques to advanced materials. The research also outlines potential future directions, including non-planar printing with carbon fiber and customizing 5-axis FFF printers. The overarching goal is to provide a foundational manual for future work in non-planar fused filament fabrication (FFF), advancing the understanding of its scientific and industrial applications. As a result of the thesis, promising results were obtained from the use non-planar 3D printing and the benefits it could achieve. Despite the results, non-planar 3D printing would still require further research. Further research and development targets were presented to ABBLAB.

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Supervisor

Partanen, Jouni

Thesis advisor

Puttonen, Tuomas

Keywords

3D printing, additive manufacturing, fused deposition modeling, G-code generation, Rhinoceros & Grasshopper, continuous fiber-reinforced 3D printing

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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202412167803

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