Session: 17-01-01 Research Posters

Paper Number: 72597

Start Time: Thursday, 02:25 PM

72597 - Employing Multi-Material Additive Manufacturing for Coating of 3-D Printed Structures 

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has had a big impact on the manufacturing world through its low cost, material recyclability, and fabrication of intricate geometries with a high resolution. Three-dimensionally printed polymer structures in aerospace, marine, construction, and automotive industries are usually intended for service in outdoor environments. During long-term exposures to harsh environmental conditions, the mechanical properties of these structures can be degraded significantly. Developing coating systems for 3D printed parts that protect the structural surface against environmental effects and provide desired surface properties is crucial for the long-term integrity of these structures.

With the advancement of AM processes, the creation of multifunctional parts becomes feasible, which has never been possible through traditional, single-material manufacturing methods. This unique AM feature is possible through layer-by-layer placement of material in the specific areas, which enables the manufacturer to control structural properties at exact locations and tailor them for specific applications. Multi-material additive manufacturing can produce coatings with certain properties on the surface of 3D printed structures, and it is a great replacement for conventional ways of painting structures, such as brushing and air-spraying, or recently developed methods for metallization of structural surface that are more costly and time-consuming. The compatibility between 3D printing materials as well as the printing parameters such as nozzles’ temperatures and printing speed are important factors in creating a strong adhesion between 3D printed layers with distinct material properties using multi-material additive manufacturing methods.

In this study, a novel method was presented to create 3D printed structures coated with a weather-resistant material in a single manufacturing operation using multi-material additive manufacturing. One group of specimens was 3D printed from acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) material and the other group was printed from ABS and acrylic-styrene-acrylonitrile (ASA) as a substrate and coating material, respectively. ABS, or acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, has seen the largest commercial usage in the additive manufacturing industry due to its rigidity and high mechanical performance. ABS can be used to create objects with intricate designs, structures with moving parts, and structures that are aimed for further plastic forming, without the risk of breakage. However, it has been reported that the mechanical properties of 3D printed ABS structures can diminish significantly during exposure to harsh environmental conditions. ASA, or acrylic-styrene-acrylonitrile, is a weather-resistant thermoplastic material with a high performance in outdoor environmental conditions, including UV radiation, moisture, and high temperatures. It offers easy printing, good dimensional stability, and excellent layer-to-layer adhesion.

The uncoated ABS specimens suffered significant degradation in the mechanical properties, particularly in the failure strain and toughness, during exposure to UV radiation, moisture, and high temperature. However, the ASA coating preserved the mechanical properties and structural integrity of ABS 3D printed structures in aggressive environments.

Presenting Author: Arash Afshar Mercer University

Authors:

Arash Afshar Mercer University