Session: 15-01-01: ASME International Undergraduate Research and Design Exposition

Paper Number: 95564

95564 - Multi-Axis 3d Printer 

Abstract

A Multi-axis melt-extrusion additive manufacturing process potentially offers expedited processing of designs with customized spatial properties. In a novel approach, a secondary printhead with an extended nozzle is devised orthogonal to the primary printhead assembly on a filament extrusion printer. The primary and secondary printheads have two and three degrees of motion freedom, respectively. The print bed moves only in one direction perpendicular to the primary nozzle's plane of motion. The coordination between printheads is essential to prevent their collision and increase printing efficiency. Since printheads are controlled independently in this work, CAD designs are sliced into segments for the coordination between printheads. Therefore, each segment will be constructed by a printhead with customized print settings, including layer height, deposition orientation, material type, and infill density. Also, the primary printhead starts first to create a part of the design as a substrate for the secondary printhead, which will be activated when enough space is provided for its motion. The extended nozzle head benefits the control and maneuverability of the secondary printhead. A PID-controlled heating jacket covers the extended nozzle to hold molten material's temperature before extrusion. A tilted nozzle head can replace the straight configuration of the secondary printhead nozzle to accommodate printing at sharp corners.

The multi-axis printer is tested to manufacture a cube model that was sliced into two wedge-shaped segments. Each printhead manufactured a segment by individualized settings for layer height and deposition orientation.

 

Uniaxial compression tests were conducted in different directions to obtain maximum force before the onset of fracture identified by a sharp drop of the load. The significant difference in compression fracture force confirmed that the spatial properties of the structure could be customized using a multi-axis 3D printer. Therefore, a print product's properties (e.g., strength and density) can be enhanced at a specified location to withstand critical loading conditions.

These results are promising, showing the potential of multi-axis 3D printers for manufacturing complex designs with customized geometrical and material properties. The design can be further advanced by automated software coordination of printheads motions, promoting the process expedition. Shortening the additive manufacturing time is crucial to the high-rate and economical production of complex designs. Developing software for such control capabilities is the objective of the next phase of this design project. This interdisciplinary objective will be the topic of another senior design project of undergraduate students from Mechanical, Material, Electrical, Computer, and Industrial Engineering programs.

Keywords: 3D printer, Multi-axis, Filament extrusion

Presenting Author: Joshua Short Oklahoma State University

Presenting Author Biography: Joshua Short is currently a senior undergraduate student in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University. He is a senior design group leader, working on designing and manufacturing a novel multi-axis 3D printer.

Authors:

Joshua Short Oklahoma State University
Ben Warner Oklahoma State University
Gavin Shepherd Oklahoma State University
Duron Lee Scruggs Oklahoma State University
Laura Southard Oklahoma State University
He Bai Oklahoma State University
Hadi Noori Oklahoma State University