A

Project Report

on

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON EFFECT OF LAYER WIDTH

ON DIMENSIONAL ACCURACY OF FDM BUILD PARTS
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement
For the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Submitted by

D. Deeksha Kanaka Lakshmi 18A31A0303

K. Maheswari 18A31A0304
N. Naga Babu 18A31A0338
C. Sunil 19A35A0307
A.Vivek 18A31A0310
Under the esteemed guidance of
Mr. M. SUNIL RAJ M.Tech.,
Associate Professor of ME

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

PRAGATI ENGINEERING COLLEGE

(AUTONOMOUS)
(Approved by AICTE, Permanently Affiliated to JNTUK, KAKINADA, Accredited by NBA)
1-378, ADB Road, Surampalem, Near Peddapuram-533437

2018-2022
 A

Project Report

on

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON EFFECT OF LAYER WIDTH

ON DIMENSIONAL ACCURACY OF FDM BUILD PARTS
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement
For the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Submitted by

D. Deeksha Kanaka Lakshmi 18A31A0303

K. Maheswari 18A31A0304
N. Naga Babu 18A31A0338
C. Sunil 19A35A0307
A.Vivek 18A31A0310
Under the esteemed guidance of
Mr. M. SUNIL RAJ M.Tech.,
Associate Professor of ME

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

PRAGATI ENGINEERING COLLEGE

(AUTONOMOUS)
(Approved by AICTE, Permanently Affiliated to JNTUK, KAKINADA, Accredited by NBA)
1-378, ADB Road, Surampalem, Near Peddapuram-533437

2018-2022
 PRAGATI ENGINEERING COLLEGE
(AUTONOMOUS)
(Approved by AICTE, PermanentlyAffiliated to JNTUK, Kakinada, Accredited by NBA)

1-378, ADB Road, Surampalem, Near Peddapuram-533437

CERTIFICATE
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

This is to certify that the project report entitled “EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON

EFFECT OF LAYER WIDTH ON DIMENSIONAL ACCURACY OF FDM BUILD PARTS” is being
submitted by D. Deeksha Kanaka Lakshmi(18A31A0303), K. Maheswari(18A31A0304), N. Naga Babu
(18A31A0338), C. Sunil (19A35A0307), A. Vivek(18A31A0310)in partial fulfilment for the award of the
Degree of Bachelor of Technology, during the year 2018-2022 in Mechanical Engineering of Pragati
Engineering College, for the record of a bonafide work carried out by them.

Project Guide:
Mr. M. Sunil Raj M.Tech.,
Associate Professor
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We express our thanks to project guide Mr.M. Sunil Raj, Associate Professor of Mechanical
Engineering, who deserves a special note of thanks and gratitude, for having extended their fullest co-
operation and guidance, without this, project would never have materialized.

We express our deep sense of gratitude to Dr.B.S.V.Rama Rao, Professor and Head of the
Department of Mechanical Engineering, for having shown keen interest at every stage of development
of our project and for guiding us in every aspect.

We wish to express our special thanks to our beloved Dr.K. SATYANARAYANA, Professor
&Principal for giving guidelines and encouragement.

We wish to express our special thanks to our beloved Dr. S. SAMBHU PRASAD, Professor &
Director for giving guidelines and encouragement.

We wish to express sincere gratitude to our beloved and respected Dr. P. KRISHNA RAO,
Chairman and Sri. M. V. HARANATHA BABU, Director (Management)andSri. M. SATISH, Vice-
President for their encouragement and blessings.

We are thankful to all our faculty members of the Department for their valuable suggestions. Our
sincere thanks are also extended to all the teaching and non-teaching staff of Pragati Engineering
College.

D. Deeksha Kanaka Lakshmi 18A31A0303

K. Maheswari 18A31A0304
N. Naga Babu 18A31A0338
C. Sunil 19A35A0307
A. Vivek 18A31A0310
 ABSTRACT
3D printing is emerging technology in advance manufacturing process. The
main moto of the 3D printing is to achieve the most complex geometries accurately
without effecting the features of the object within less time compare to conventional
manufacturing. To build any component we need material and power source.
Materials used in 3d printing are polymers, metals powders, ceramic powder etc…

Material consumption is one of the important factors, here we are trying to

optimize the consumption of material without effecting the features of the object
before going for printing. most of the parameters effecting the material consumption
and printing time among all the parameters like layer height, infill density, print speed
and shell thickness etc... are majorly effecting parameters. Among these parameters
line width or layer widthalso playing major role in consumption of material. Layer
width in directly proportional to the material consumption which means increasing
line width increases the material consumption and decrease in layer width decrease
the material consumption.

This line width directly effecting the printing time, bond strength and surface
quality. Rapid increment and decrement of line width causes failure of print. In this
investigation we are trying to optimize the material consumption andprinting time by
varying the line width for a constant layer height at different infill densities.
 INDEX
Ch No. Name Pg. No.

1 Introduction
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 PrintingMethods 2
1.2.1 Fused DepositionModelling 2
1.2.2 Granular Material Binding (Using Heat/Energy) 3
1.2.3 Granular Material Binding (Using BindingAgent) 4
1.2.4 Selective Laser Sintering(SLS) 4
5
1.2.5 Selective HeatSintering
1.2.6 Selective Laser Melting(SLM) 6
1.2.7 Electron Beam Melting(EBM) 7
1.2.8 Photo Polymerization 8
1.2.9 Stereo Lithography 8

1.2.10 DLPProjecting 9

1.2.11 MaterialJetting: 10

1.2.12 Laminated Object Manufacturing(LOM): 10

2 Literature Review 12
3 Problem Statement 14
4 Methodology 17
5 Approaching Methodology 18
5.1 Designing of CAD Model 18
5.2 Significance of STL file 18
5.3 Creating STL file output 20
5.3.1 Chordal Tolerance 20
5.3.2 Angle Control 20
5.3.3 Type of exported STL file 20
5.3.4 Tessellation generation error 21
5.3.5 Convex boundary error 21
5.3.6 Flipped normal 22
5.3.7 More than two triangles per edge (mid-line nodes) 22
5.3.8 Closure (holes) 22
5.3.9 Truncation errors 22
5.3.10 Other errors 22
 5.3.11 Improper vectorization 23
5.3.12 Laser beam or jet thickness error 24
5.3.13 Z effect 24
5.3.14 The Facet Normal 24
5.4 Analysis of Defects in STL File 24
5.4.1 Non-manifold facets 25
5.4.2 Complex cracks 25
5.5 Modelling for Defects 25
5.5.1 Non-manifold facets travelling 25
5.5.2 Crack-tracking 25
5.6 Slicing in Ultimaker CURA Software 26
5.7 3D printing materials 32
5.7.1 Materials used in FDM Process 33
5.7.2 Reasons for selecting the PLA Material 35
5.8 Experimental Procedure 36
5.8.1 Experimental procedure steps 36
6 Results and Discussions 39
7 Conclusion 49
8 Future scope 51
9 References 52
 Chapter 1

INTODUCTION
1.1 Introduction:
The potentials of additive manufacturing (AM) to produce the parts for
various applications including prosthetics, automotive, intelligent structure and
defence show its increasing recommendations. It is able to fabricate the parts using a
variety of materials ranging from plastics to metals. Many AM systems are
commercially available such as stereolithography apparatus (SLA), selective laser
sintering (SLS), fused deposition modelling (FDM) and three-dimensional printing
(3DP) for advanced applications. Among all available AM systems, FDM technology
is the most widely used process for polymeric material. The major advantages of
FDM technology are material availability, material diversity, cheaper, compact size
and low working temperature. Based on the literature survey many studies also
revealed some disadvantages of FDM technology such as surface properties, slow
process and limits of dimensions. Researchers also performed the optimization of
process parameters for avoiding limitations of FDM process.

In every manufacturing process, the cost of process depends upon the material
and energy consumption per part. Since 3d printing is advancing rapidly in
manufacturing process, the material consumption per part varying depend on the
process parameter like infill density, wall count, infill pattern, support material,
support infill and brim count etc.. The cost of 3D printed part is varying depends upon
the complexity of the geometry. If the complexity of the geometry of the increases
cost also increases & vice versa. Since 3d printing is layered manufacturing process
the, material consumption per each layer varies because material each layer contains
cross sectional details of the geometry. The area of each cross section varies
continuously and material and energy also consumption also varies. Compared with
conventional manufacturing (CM), this unique fabricating approach largely simplifies
and accelerates the production process without the requirements of moulds, dies and
tools. Its feature of rapid prototyping provides users with an efficient manufacturing
environment with higher material utilisation and lower time consumption. As opposed
to subtractive manufacture (SM) such as CNC machining, AM is conducive to both
thin-skin and light-weighted production with an alternative infill density and a higher
1
material usage efficiency, rather than solid fabrication. The design freedom with
limitless geometric constraints offers AM a broad application into customised
productions, which allows users to personalise the processing parameters. To produce
complex designs, AM avoids the tooling-related constraints with the assist of support
structure, especially for the consolidation of assemble parts. Since AM implements
fabrication in terms of pre-defined path-planning code, it drives the production mode
into mass customisation of high-differentiated products.

Due to the outstanding competitiveness, AM has profound impacts on

numerous domains such as medicine, architecture, mechanics, aeronautics, chemical
industry, education, food and social culture. It has been expanded into a wide variety
of branches based on material feed and material process systems, ranging from
powder bed fusion to material extrusion, from material deposition to sheet lamination,
from thermal melting to light polymerisation. Many manufacturers have dedicated to
developing AM mechanism and its supporting software to provide consumers an
easy-to-use, high-dominated, and customised operation environment. However, this
emerging production mode still has weaknesses in manufacturing speed, energy and
material consumptions.

1.2 PRINTINGMETHODS:

1.2.1 FUSED DEPOSITIONMODELLING:

In this process the thermoplastics; which constitute ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene

styrene), wax and nylon were utilized. The introductory venture of the FDM
procedure were to warmth up the thermoplastic constituent until it is at an intertwined
state .Then, the 3D printer uses advanced demonstrating information from a CAD
record to create the 3D item layer by layer, The printers join a much weaker bolster
composite. The bolster material goes about as framework to the test item. This is
valuable amid the building procedure when parts have overhangs that could not
bolster it. The thermoplastic for the most part has a filamentous structure which
benefits warmth exchange and serves to move with a print head that navigates in the x
and y bearings. After every layer is printed, a cylinder navigates the stage beneath (z-
hub) the separation of thickness of printed layer. There are numerous benefits of FDM
2
innovation; it is anything but difficult to control, use, and fix. The expense of the
machine and material are generallylow.

Fig 1.1:Basic Method of FDM Technology

1.2.2 GRANULAR MATERIAL BINDING (USING HEAT/ENERGY)

The joining of granular materials involves specifically fusingpowder, layer by

layer. The elemental constitution of the powder and binding process relies on the
machine

Fig 1.2:Granular material binding

3
1.2.3GRANULAR MATERIAL BINDING (USING BINDINGAGENT):

This methodology utilized fluid binding material for the binding procedure of
thepowder together, instead of a laser. Zcorp, has a copyright of this innovation
around the world. 3D printing is also called fundamental inkjet printing procedures.
As opposed to utilizing paper like as a part of the instance of a 2D printer, a 3D
printer moves the print heads over a bed of powder whereupon it printed information
sent from the product. The fluid binding materials here utilized is much the same as
super glue. Composite material or mortar is utilized as powder here.

Fig 1.3:Illustration of granular material

1.2.4 SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING(SLS):

One of the sorts of binding processes is Selective Laser Sintering, or SLS. It
utilizes a high- powered laser to sinter the powder. Once the first layer is made, the
whole granular plate, in which the powder (and the "print") is found, is cut down. As
seen in Figure 6, this procedure is supplemented by the vertical development of a
cylinder. Moreover, cylinders are additionally utilized as a part of a few printers to
send the coupling powder up so that the moving instrument would continue working
adequately and the sintering can proceed. A mirror is integrated to control the laser
bar into the foreordained "cut" of the CAD model. When the greater part of the layers
is appropriately sintered, the item is removed from the build chamber.

4
Fig 1.4:Selective Laser Sintering Citation Process

1.2.5 SELECTIVE HEATSINTERING:

SHS is indistinguishable to SLS. Selective Heat Sintering utilized a thermal

print head. This new strategy uses concentrated heat to fuse the binding powder

Fig 1.5:Illustration of a Blue Printer Citation

5
 Fig 1.6:A model created by Blue Print Citation

1.2.6 SELECTIVE LASER MELTING

SLM is almost as same as SLS. A more powerful laser is generally used. It
required more energy for the metal to be melted.

Fig 1.7:Illustration of selective laser sinteringmethod

6
Fig 1.8:Selective laser sintering in action

1.2.7 ELECTRON BEAM MELTING(EBM)

Electron Beam Melting is some cases similar to SLM; an electron beam
was used to melt the powder. Unlike models produced by SLM, EBM models are
fully accurate, void-less, and extremely powerful.

Fig 1.9: Illustration of an EBM process citation

7
1.2.8 PHOTO POLYMERIZATION:

This is an additive manufacturing process. This methodology utilizes UV light for

the hardening of the photograph polymer. There are diverse sorts of photopolymers
which are accessible today. Photograph polymerization is really same as FDM and
Granular Material binding process. The fundamental contrasts are the material sand
the system utilized for the printing systems.

1.2.9 Stereo Lithography:

A stereo lithographic printer is regularly known as a SLA. A perforated
platform was put just beneath the surface of a carriage of fluid polymer.
The UV-treatable fluid solidifies quick, shaping the essential layer of the 3D-
printed item. Next, the stage was brought down, uncovering another surface layer of
the fluid substance. This procedure is rehashed more till the whole question is framed
and is completely submerged in the tank [10]. Regularly, the utilization of the UV
stove issued for the ensuing cure of the photograph polymer.

8
1.2.10 DLPProjecting:
DLP (Digital Light Processing) is one kind of stereo lithographic procedure.
It utilizes a projector to solidify a layer of photopolymer at once, as opposed to
utilizing a laser for the following of distinctive layers. A mirror was most normally
used to position and size the replication precisely onto layer of photopolymer.

Fig 1.10: Illustration of DLP Projection

Digital Light Processing is a 3D printing technology known as DLP,

used in DLP 3D printers. The object is formed by the solidification of a photo-
reactive resin using a digital light projector as the UV light source. The projector
used in a DLP 3D printer can be a regular video projector, its resolution will
determine the 3D print resolution. DLP 3D printers are gaining traction, notably
because of their superior print speed thanks to the light projector which hardens the
resin layer by layer and not point by point, as lasers used in SLA 3D printers do.

9
1.2.11 Material Jetting:
Material Jetting is much the same as the FDM process, yet it works
absolutely in an alternate manner than the basic plastic extrusion system. Layers
were made by emanating fluid photopolymer into a specific example. These sorts of
printers utilize a bolster material alongside the model material. When every layer is
shaped, an UV laser is utilized for the solidification of the photopolymer. The
platform is then moved down, and the model is printed layer by layer.

Fig 1.11: Illustration of material jetting process citation

1.2.11 Laminated Object Manufacturing(LOM):

Covered article assembling can give great results. Other than the laser
(carbon dioxide) that is involved for following the patterns in the material. It is a less
prevalent rapid prototyping process yet looks into are continuing for its future
actualizes.

10
 Fig 1.12:Depiction of Laminated Object
Manufacturing process

In this technique the chose printing material is initially covered with a sticky material.
The material supply roll turns simply enough with the goal that there is another layer of
substance which is prepared to be cut with the assistance of the laser. The warmth and
weight from the roller join so that the following layer is safely stuck to the past layer. The
laser is being customized in a manner that it cuts the material so that the abundance
material is effortlessly expelled from the setup. After the "print" is expelled from the
stage, the abundance material and backings are to be uprooted. In this technique at last,
regularly there is requirement for devices, for example, etches, to pry the additional parts
far from the set up.

11
 Chapter 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
Whether AM is veritable as called ―rapid prototype‖ is still doubtable. For
mass customised production, AM mechanism is a limited factor itself as it consumes
certain times on nozzle travelling, component heating and cooling down as well as its
―job by job‖ mode. Against this issue, a relaxation scheme proposed by (Fok K et al.,
2016) developed a path optimiser to shorten the extruder traversing time of each layer.
Simulation results proved that the optimiser could significantly reduce the average time
consumption in prefabricating and printing processes by nearly 10%. Another study in (Li
et al., 2017) proposed a production planning model to estimate production time and cost
of specific AM machines by considering multiple factors, including design geometry, task
and machine allocation, machine characteristics.

Energy sustainability has become an important topic in recent decades. A

related study outlined available research on the environmental performance of AM,
including the analyses of energy and resource consumptions. Detailed statistics on various
AM processes compared with CM were performed. The results confirmed that AM
system had a higher electrical energy demand and less material consumption and wastage
of material, in which the energy required for direct metal deposition, direct laser
deposition, FDM and selective laser melting (SLM) was higher than the average level
(Kellens et al., 2017)

From the perspective of material consumption, a research by (Watson J

and Taminger K M, 2015) proposed a decision-support model for comparing energy and
material consumptions between AM and SM. A volume faction was obtained as a critical
value to judge AM‘s feasibility. The result confirmed the weakness of AM, for instance,
the poorly recycled material from the products with higher usage ratio of support.

The move from subtractive manufacturing processes can minimize

material waste (Huang et al., 2013), but are currently prone to various human errors.
Under ideal conditions, the only material waste for FDM is support material. In practice,

12
however, 3D printers may be used similarly to conventional printers in offices and result
in high usage error. Since many users of commercial FDM printers are inexperienced in
3D printing operation, the actual material waste could be larger than that under ideal
operating conditions without human or printer error. The quantity of support material
changes with part orientation and other settings of the printer or design.

Failure could increase both the material and energy consumption, which
undermined the environmental benefits of FDM. Failed prints might be produced due to
various reasons such as insufficient preheating time, inappropriate geometry of parts or
printer malfunctions (Grieser, 2015). When evaluating the material waste from FDM,
most studies only consider the support material generation, in other words, the production
under ideal conditions without failures.

Existing slicer software provides users with customised process parameters, such
as layer thickness, support structure, product infill pattern, infill density, etc. Users may
optimise both design and parameters to reduce consumed indicators. However, how to
accurately model consumptions based on 3D design, machine characteristics and
processing parameters; how to determine the most appropriate parameters to achieve the
optimal consumptions require to be solved. Therefore, this study proposed a flexible and
modular method to reduce the material consumption of AM task at prefabrication stage. It
aims to benefit the improvement of design part and assist users in customised selection of
process parameters. To achieve a high-precision prediction, the initial model can be
upgraded in terms of machine characteristics. The prediction method is expected to be
applied in practical AM environment which is suitable for other related manufacturing
techniques using numerical control (NC) programming.

13
 Chapter 3

PROBLEM STATEMENT
To build any component raw material plays major role. To build the component raw
material is subtracted or added to build the component. Similarly, in the 3d printing
process raw material is added layer wise to build the component. In 3d printing process
material consumption is controllable when compare with subtractive manufacturing.
Quality and material consumption per part depend upon different slicing parameters. The
main moto of this study is to study the material consumption per print by varying the
layer line width without effecting the geometrical details of the component. The cross
section of the layer width is elliptical in shape. The output material from the nozzle in
Circular cross section when the nozzle prints one layer over the other, due to gap between
the nozzle and the previous layer, material will be compressed. The line width of the layer
is depending upon the gap between the nozzle and the bed. The line width of the layer is
directly affecting the consumption of material. Material consumption is depending on
various parameters as we mentioned earlier infill density and support structures etc... but
layer line width will affect the infill pattern, infill patrician thickness and wall thickness
of the printed part.

All dimensions are in mm

Fig : a Fig: b
14
 Fig : c

Fig : d

Fig 3.1: a) shows the layer height 0.2 and layer width 0.1 b) shows the layer height 0.2
and layer width 0.2 c) shows the layer height 0.2 and layer width 0.3 d) shows the layer
height 0.2 and layer width 0.4

The material consumption is varying depends on the width of the cross section
varies. Here we are studying the consumption of material by keeping the infill density
constant. In the Fig 3.1, we can see the different layer widths from 0.1 to 0.4 mm with
constant layer height 0.2mm.This variation in line width directly effecting the surface
15
quality of the component and mechanical properties of the final printed component. Here
we are trying to explore the significance of the layer width parameter in slicing and study
how it will affect the final printed component.

16
 Chapter 4
METHODOLOGY

CAD Modeling

STL Filr conversion

Slicing the model for Different Line widths

Calculating Material Consumption and printing

time for different layer widths

Optimizing the process parameters

17
 Chapter 5
APPROCHING METHODOLOGY
To study the effect of line width on material consumption and printing time. The
modelling of the part has been carried out by using Solid works software and converted in
.stlfile format. After converting the model into .stl format it is imported to Cura slicing
software. Here we designing simple basic geometries to study the effect of different line
width values on final printed component.

5.1 Designing of CAD Model:

To study the effect of layer width wee have designed 20 x 20 x 20 mm3. The
design carried out in solid works software. Cube allows easy study of material
consumption and energy consumption.

Fig 5.1: Simple basic model of cube and connecting rod assembly

5.2 Significance of STL file:

Then convert the design into mesh file format. Stl (stereo lithography) file is mesh
type file and Stl stands for Standard Tessellation Language. Tessellation means that the
surface is divided into different geometric forms without overlapping and gaps. Standard
geometries used for tasseling are triangles, square and hexagonal. For 3D printing we
normally use triangular tessellation 3D printing method because of triangular geometry

18
enables the faster printing speed and reduce the amount of material for a part to be print.
Usually when the cad model converted to stl file, the surface of the cad model is divided
into number no of triangles without overlapping and gaps. Smaller triangles are created
near the edges to form fine edge and reinforce the model. To print the minimum features
of the cad model, we need smaller triangles to capture the edges of the minimum feature,
such as taking a cad model with 0.5 mm hole, we need smaller triangles to capture the
circular edge, if the triangle size is large, it is very difficult to capture the edge of the hole.
The larger triangles are shape out the holes. The surface roughness of the printed part
depends on the size of the triangles and layer height. If the triangle is large, the surface
roughness will be high and the surface rough. If the size of the triangle is small, the
surface roughness will be low and the surface shall be smooth.

Different CAD software saves the modelled files in different formats. To establish
consistency, a standard format has been adopted which is known as STL (stereo
lithography, the first RP technique) format for rapid prototyping industry.This format
represents a three-dimensional surface as an assembly of planar triangles. Increasing the
number of triangles improves the approximation and result, but the file size gets
bigger.Since the STL format is universal, this process is identical for all of the RP build
techniques.

Fig 5.2: Typical STL View

19
5.3Creating STL file output

Most of solid and surface CAD software devices enable automated export of their
models toSTL file format. In most of these CAD systems, the settings of STL export
depend on followingparameters:

5.3.1Chordal Tolerance:

Chordal tolerance numerically describes the maximum distance betweenthe

actual part surface and the tessellated surface of the STL file.

5.3.2Angle Control:

Setting the angle control influences the tessellation of curves with relativelysmall
radii in comparison to the overall size of the CAD model.

5.3.3Type of exported STL file:

In most systems, two types of exported STL files are allowed,binary and
ASCII. The binary format is compressed and allows smaller file size, whereas
the ASCII format can be read and visually checked.

As the number of triangle increase and therelative triangle size decreases,

the shapebegins to be more accurate what is definedas facet resolution. Parts
constructed byrapid prototyping may require additionalfinishing or may not
measure to accuratedimensions if the facet resolution is toolow.

20
 Figure 5.3: STL triangle

Theuser has to balance the accuracyissue with the file size. Often, the usersover-tessellate
exported design, but rapidprototyping technologies have limitedfeature spot sizes, so one
spot size mayinclude facets with useless information. STL file represents surfaces of
CAD model, as a mesh of triangles. The quantity and size of the triangles determines how
accurately the surface mesh represents the product.

Figure 5.4: STL - quality of meshing

Accuracy issues, making the export of model created in CAD to STL is obviously
performed fortwo possible reasons, direct use of STL file for rapid prototyping method
and use of STL file asexchange format required by some CAE software. For both
exploitation areas, it is necessary to takeinto account that exporting the models to STL file
formats can be influenced by several types oferrors:

5.3.4Tessellation generation error:

In some of the generated triangles of the model, the distancebetween origin

surface and tessellated surface is more that chordal tolerance. This type of error
is shown in Figure 10a.

5.3.5Convex boundary error:

21
 In this case, the tessellation results in a smaller object where the twoleft
segments are removed and the third segment results in added material. This type
of error is shown in Figure 10b.

5.3.6Flipped normal:

The points that form a triangle are not listed in the correct order that
typicallyfollows some convention (right hand rule) which results in the cross product
of the two vectorsformed by the three points. Occasionally, the computed normal is in
the opposite direction or isnon-existent or plains wrong, and must be corrected. This
error is typically easy to correct.

5.3.7More than two triangles per edge (mid-line nodes):

The basic rule used to check the validityof the STL file to ensure that each
edge of a triangle is shared by only two triangles is not kept.This type of error is
shown in Figure 10c.

5.3.8Closure (holes):

The tessellation is performed with round-off errors and this causes one point
tobe at multiple locations at the same time. Thus, triangles are formed, and a thin hole
is presentin the finished model.This type of error if often generated if user selects a
very small chordaltolerance and it is shown in Figure 10d.

5.3.9Truncation errors:

These are the errors added by the computers that pre-process the files. Eachof
these machines has only certain accuracy, and errors can result from reading and
writing thefiles on different platforms. These errors are usually negligible.

5.3.10Other errors:

These errors are obviously caused as a result of pure CAD to STL converter
andcan have various forms.

22
a) Tessellation generation error b) Convexboundaryerror

c) Mid-line nodes error d) Closure error

Figure 5.5: Various Errors in STL File

The above-described errors are the errors caused by software export modules. If using
someof the rapid prototyping machine, it is necessary to consider other types of errors,
such as:

23
5.3.11 Improper vectorization:

Vectorization is the transformation of curves into series of vectors. Inmost current

rapid prototyping processes, the tessellation converts non-planar surfaces into amesh
of triangles. The intersection of these triangles with parallel planes at z height
incrementresults in the vectors that drive the laser or build head controllers. Improper
method ofvectorization can result in problems with transferring the file to rapid
prototyping machine.

5.3.12 Laser beam or jet thickness error:

Most processes, whether laser based or printer head-basedhave to compensate the

thickness of the delivery system. Laser beams thickness used in the SLAis typically
0.25 mm in diameter.

5.3.13 Z effect:

The error is caused if the slicing is performed by constant layer thickness

and the curvature of the surface is complicated. Slicing process at constant z height
increments may leadto missing planes or missing edges on top surfaces of parts. This
is solved by adaptive layeringprocess, with slice height changing in accordance to
curvature of design. Using adaptive slicing,surface finish quality increases
significantly.

5.3.14 The Facet Normal

In both ASCII and binary versions of STL, the facet normal should be a unit
vector pointing outwards from the solid object. In most software this may be set to
(0,0,0) and the software will automatically calculate a normal based on the order of the
triangle vertices using the 'right hand rule. Some STL loaders (e.g. the STL plug-in for
Art of Illusion) check that the normal in the file agrees with the normal they calculate
using the right hand rule and warn you when it does not. Other software may ignore
the facet normal entirely and use only the right hand rule. So in order to be entirely
portable one should provide both the facet normal and order the vertices appropriately
– even though it is seemingly redundant to do so. Some other software (e.g. Solid

24
 Works) uses the normal for shading effects, so the "normal" listed in the file are not the
true facets normal.

5.4Analysis of Defects in STL File

Simple defects, such as incorrect normal‘s and overlappingfacets are easy to

identify and correct. Defects that traditional STL file repairing programsfind difficult to
deal with are divided into the followingtwo types:

5.4.1 Non-manifold facets:

When two parts of a model aretangent, most CAD systems will export an STL file
withnon-manifold facets, one edge of which will be shared by more than two adjacent
facets. TheSTL file is generated by Pro/E and the edge marked witha bold white line
has 4 adjacent facets, on which parts 1and 2 are tangent. Although each part of the
model istessellated into triangular facets correctly, the exported STLfile still violates
the vertex-to-vertex rule as a whole.

5.4.2 Complex cracks:

To generate the STL file of a model, thesurfaces of the model must be tessellated.
The surfacesare represented in either parametric or implicit form andtessellation
methods for these two types of surface are available. Since a B-Rep model is the union
of allconstituent surfaces, errors would occur at the boundariesbetween two
triangulated surfaces if the boundaries do notmatch properly. Some STL file
generation algorithms cannotmerge the boundaries properly, so a bad STL file,
whichcontains cracks on the boundaries, will be generated.

5.5Modelling for Defects

5.5.1Non-manifold facets travelling:

To save memory, only oneadjacent facet reference is stored for each edge in
mostslicing algorithms when building the topological structure.If an STL file contains
non-manifold facets, that is, containsany over-adjacent edges, some adjacency
information fornon-manifold facets will be lost. Therefore, a topologicalmodel for

25
 non-manifold facets must be built particularly tohold this information, which will
guide the algorithm tofind out which facet is the following facet when
nonmanifoldfacets are met with during the slicing process.

5.5.2 Crack-tracking:

Although information about facets that originallybelongs to a crack is absent in an

STL file, the edgecontour of the crack is easy to find and is very useful.When slicing
an STL model with cracks, all facets thattouch the slicing plane are traversed one by
one to formthe slicing contour. When traversing a facet adjacent to acrack, a crack-
tracking method is used to find the next facetthat is adjacent to the crack and touches
the slicing plane. With the guide of the crack contour, the brokensliced contour
sections are connected automatically, whichmakes the slicing algorithm continue and
generate nearlycorrect contours. Generally, a straight line is used to connectthe broken
contour sections. If the distance between thetwo sections is too long, some vertices are
interpolated.

5.6 Slicing in Ultimaker CURA Software:

Cura is an open-source slicing application for 3D printers. It was created by David

Braam who was later employed by Ultimaker, a 3D printer manufacturing
company, to maintain the software. Cura is available under LGPLv3 license. Cura
was initially released under the open source Affero General Public License version
3, but on 28 September 2017 the license was changed to LGPLv3. This change
allowed for more integration with third-party CAD applications. Development is
hosted on GitHub.[3] UltimakerCura is used by over one million users worldwide
and handles 1.4 million print jobs per week. It is the preferred 3D printing software
for Ultimaker 3D printers, but it can be used with other printers as well.

26
 Fig 5.6: Slicing software Interface

Fig 5.7: loaded stl file in slicing software

27
 The designed typical stl model is loaded into the slicing software. After loading the
stl model the component will be shown as designed model. In the Fig 4 shows the
interface of the cura slicing software interface. By clicking the file symbol on the right
top side we can load the design typical loaded simple cube shown in Fig 5.

5.6.1 SETTING UP
Overview

UltimakerCura
indicates relations
between custom settings
with icons that indicate
their relation. Settings
visible to the user can be
linked, automatically
calculated, unavailable or
hidden. This is the full
list of icons and
indicators used in the
custom mode.

fig 28 segmented part

1. Linked setting - Settings with this icon are linked between extruders, the setting
will always be equal between all extruders

2. Greyed out setting - This setting is overwritten by a child setting. Reset the
child setting to alter this setting

3. Gear icon - Opens the setting visibility preferences

28
 4. Information icon - Shows a hidden setting influences the printing strategy. This
only occurs when you accidentally change a setting and hide it afterward

5. Categories - Can be collapsed to hide them temporarily when focusing on

different aspects.

6. Reset icon - Resets the value to its default or parent setting.

7. Calculated icon - Indicates the setting is normally calculated from a parent

setting.

Setting Filter

UltimakerCura has a lot of settings that are easiest to find using this filter.

Simply start typing to filter both already visible and hidden settings.

29
 1. Setting filter. Only settings with the phrase ‗layer‘ are visible

2. Active settings. These are displayed solid. They will still be visible after
clearing the filter

3. Hidden settings. These are displayed greyed out. They will remain
hidden after clearing the filter

4. Tooltip. Shows useful setting information when hovering the mouse over
a setting

5. Quick menu. Right-clicking a setting has options to copy the settings‘

value, hide/show it and to open the setting visibility preferences

PRINITNG PARAMETERS

The below are the main slicing parameters which effect the printing time and
part quality of the part.

Layer thickness – It is the thickness of material which will be printed per single layer.

Shell thickness – It is the thickness of the outer surface of the part which is being
printed.

Wall count – Wall count is usually the number of times the printing nozzle should
print the layer in horizontal direction in order to obtain the required shell thickness.
This can also be referred as shell count.

Infill density – It is the percentage of material which will be filled inside the given
part‘s outer surface.

Printing speed – It is the travel speed of the printing nozzle.

Printing temperature – It is the temperature which is attained at the nozzle while

printing

Bed temperature – It is the temperature of the bed which has to be attained before the
actual start of the printing.

30
 Adhesion type – It is the means of the part to stick to the build plate which ensure the
stability of the part.

After assigning all the parameters, then we slice the cad model. after slicing done cura
will give the typical information of sliced component like printing time, material
consumption and no of layers.

Fig 5.8: preview of sliced component

In the fig 6, we can see the sliced information of simple cube with layer thickness
0.2 mm height and 20 percent infill density. Total printing time is 20 minutes and 5
grams of material consuming. The size of the cube is 20x20x20 mm and the total layer
heights are 100

Total no of layers = Height of the component / layer height

31
 After slicing we can virtually see the printing process by hitting the play button at
the middle bottom of the slicing software interface.

Here in the fig 7 we can see the infill partitions after slicing the model. the same
model is printed when are printing.

Fig: Different sizes of nozzle to achieve required layer width

Fig 5.9: infill view of the sliced component

32
5.7 3D printing materials:

Most of the existing FDM machines use thermoplastic materials which are in a
filament form for the extrusion and deposition purpose. Acrylonitrile Butadiene styrene
(ABS) and Polylactide (PLA) thermoplastics are predominantly used in the process.
The above-mentioned materials are used in following forms:
i.Build material: This material is used to obtain actual part.
ii.Support material: This material is used to construct support structures for the actual
part. The support material is otherwise called as dissolvable material if it is
dissolvable.

5.7.1 Materials used in FDM Process:

a) Plastics
Nylon, or Polyamide, is commonly used in powder form with the sintering process
or in filament form with the FDM process. It is a strong, flexible and durable plastic
material that has proved reliable for 3D printing. It is naturally white in colour but it
can be coloured - pre or post printing. This material can also be combined (in
powder format) with powdered aluminium to produce another common 3D printing
material for sintering — Aluminide.

ABS is another common plastic used for 3D printing, and is widely used
on the entry- level FDM 3D printers in filament form. It is a particularly strong
plastic and comes in a wide range of colours. ABS can be bought in filament form
from a number of non-proprietary sources. This made the filament very popular in
the market.

PLA is a bio-degradable plastic material that has gained traction with 3D

printing for this very reason. It can be utilized in resin format for DLP/SL
processes as well as in filament form for the FDM process. It is offered in a
variety of colors, including transparent, which has proven to be a useful option for
33
 some applications of 3D printing. However it is not as durable or as flexible
asABS.

Lay Wood is a specially developed 3D printing material for entry level

extrusion 3D printers. It comes in filament form and is a wood/polymer
composite.

b) Metals
A growing number of metals and metal composites are used for industrial
grade 3D printing. Two of the most common are aluminum and cobalt derivatives.

One of the strongest and therefore most commonly used metals for 3D
printing is Stainless Steel in powder form for the sintering/ melting/EBM processes.
It is naturally silver, but can be plated with other materials to give a gold or
bronzeeffect.

In the last couple of years Gold and Silver have been added to the range of
metal materials that can be 3D printed directly, with obvious applications across the
jewelry sector. These are both very strong materials and are processed in powder
form. Titanium is one of the strongest possible metal materials and has been used
for 3D printing industrial applications for some time.

c) Rapid PrototypingMaterials
Ceramics

Ceramics are a relatively new group of materials that can be used for 3D printing
with various levels of success. The particular thing to note with these materials is that,
post printing, the ceramic parts need to undergo the same processes as any ceramic part
made using traditional methods of production — namely firing and glazing.

34
Paper

Standard A4 copier paper is a 3D printing material employed by the proprietary

SDL process supplied by Mcor Technologies. The capital outlay for the machine is in the
mid-range but the emphasis is very much on an easily obtainable, cost-effective material
supply that can be bought locally. 3D printed models made with paper are safe,
environmentally friendly, easily recyclable and require no post-processing.
Bio Materials

There is a huge amount of research being conducted into the potential of 3D

printing bio materials for a host of medical applications. Living tissue is being
investigated at a number of leading institutions with a view to developing applications
thatincludeprintinghumanorgansfortransplant,aswellasexternaltissuesfor replacement
body parts. Other research in this area is focused on developing food stuff meat being the
prime example.

Food

Experiments with extruders for 3D printing food substances has increased

dramatically over the last couple of years. Chocolate is the most common one. There are
also printers that work with sugar and some experiments with pasta and meat are
undergoing.

5.7.2 Reasons for selecting the PLA Material

To perform this experiment, since we have so many plastic materials, we choose PLA
material for printing because of

1. PLA polymers range from amorphous glassy polymer to semi-crystalline and

highly crystalline polymer with a glass transition 60–65 °C.
2. melting temperature 130-180 °C
3. Tensile modulus 2.7–16 GPa.
4. Heat-resistant PLA can withstand temperatures of 110 °C.

35
 5. PLA made from potato and sugar cane starch because of this reason this material
used in biomedical field and environment friendly
6. Less energy consumption due to lower melting temperature compare to other
materials

5.8 Experimental Procedure:

Experimental has been done in Creality Ender 3D printer

Fig 5.10: Creality Ender 3D printer

During printing, these materials take the form of plastic threads, or filaments,
which are unwound from a coil and fed through an extrusion nozzle. The nozzle melts the
filaments and extrudes them onto a base, sometimes called a build platform or table. Both
the nozzle and the base are controlled by a computer that translates the dimensions of an
object into X, Y and Z coordinates for the nozzle and base to follow during printing.

In a typical FDM system, the extrusion nozzle moves over the build platform
horizontally and vertically, "drawing" a cross section of an object onto the platform. This
thin layer of plastic cools and hardens, immediately binding to the layer beneath it. Once

36
a layer is completed, the base is lowered — usually by about one-sixteenth of an inch —
to make room for the next layer of plastic.

5.8.1 Experimental procedure steps:

CAD Model Creation: Initially, the item to be 3D printed is designed utilizing a
Computer- Aided Design (CAD) software. Solid modelers, for example, CATIA,
and SOLID WORKS have a tendency to represent 3-D objects more precisely than
wire-frame modelers, for example, AutoCAD. This procedure is comparative for the
majority of the Rapid Prototyping building methods [6].
Conversion to STL Format: The different CAD models use different methods to
present solid parts. To have consistency, the stereo lithography format has been
followed as the standard of the 3D printingindustry.
Slice the STL File: A preprocessing computer program is done which readies the
STL format going to be built. Numerous programs are there, which permit the user
to tweak the model. The preprocessing program cuts the Stereo lithography model
into numerous layers from 0.01 mm to 0.7 mm thickness, in view of the building
method. The program likewise makes an auxiliary structure to help the model
amidst of building. Sophisticated structures are bound to use auxiliary support.

Machine set up:

 Copy the sliced model information in a SD card in the format of G code file.
 Then put the SD card in the printer and select the appropriate printing file.
 Before starting the printing level, the bed. The bed should be plane with
respect to extruder.
 If printing bed is not in plane, the final printed part will be deflected at the
bottom and causes failure of print.
 After that load the material in the extruder by selecting the load material
option. Load the material by following the options
 After selecting the file, the printer first heats up the bed to a required
temperature depends on the printing material
 Then heats up the extruder, this temperature also depends on the printing

37
 material. The extruder should not be more than the recommended
temperature which cause over flow of the material and less temperature
causes improper bonding of the layer.
 Before starting the apply glue or printing tape on the bed which gives better
adhesion of part to the bed.
 Once the print is started do not disturb the machine and check the initial
printing layers.
 Once the part is completed the nozzle and bed comes to rest position. Wait
till the bed cools down to room temperature. Which makes the print stronger
at the bottom? If remove the part immediately the bottom of the part is at
high temperature causes warpage of the par

38
 Chapter 6

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

While slicing the CAD model we have observed that, when we are slicing the
model with different layer line width by keeping the layer height constant, the
consumption of material and printing time varies.

Fig a

Fig b

39
 Fig c

Fig d

Fig 6.1: shows that a) Sliced view of the cube with layer height 0.2 and layer width
0.1 b) Sliced view of the cube with layer height 0.2 and layer width 0.2 c) Sliced
view of the cube with layer height 0.2 and layer width 0.3 d) Sliced view of the cube
with layer height 0.2 and layer width 0.4

40
 Fig:a

Fig :b

Fig :c

Fig :d

Fig 6.2: Shows that Material Consumption for 20 x 20 x 20 mm3 cube with a) layer
height 0.2 and layer width 0.1 b) layer height 0.2 and layer width 0.2 c) layer height
0.2 and layer width 0.3 d) layer height 0.2 and layer width 0.4

From the above results w can observe that layer width is directlyeffacing the
printing time, material consumption and energy consumption. In the fig 6.1 we can
see that, by changing the layer width, number of infill partitions are also changing and
layer width indirectly proportional to number of infill partitions. Printing time also
effected directly by layer width, if layer width is decreasing printing time is increasing

41
which means energy consumption increasing. In the fig 6.2, we can see that printing
time for different layer widths.

In the below tables we can see the material consumption and printing time for
different layer widths

Table 1: The below table shows that material consumption and printing time for
different layer widths for 20 x 20 x 20 mm3 cube at 100% infill and later height 0.2

case 1 100% infill and LH 0.2

Layer Material Consumption(grams)/
Print Time(minutes)
Width(mm) length of wire(meters)
0.4 10/3.33 46
0.3 10/3.33 61
0.2 10/3.33 89
0.1 10/3.33 174

Table 2: The below table shows that material consumption and printing time for
different layer widths for 20 x 20 x 20 mm3 cube at 50% infill and later height 0.2

case 2 50% infill and LH 0.2

Layer Material Consumption(grams)/
Print Time(minutes)
Width(mm) length of wire(meters)
0.4 7/2.21 32
0.3 6/2.10 39
0.2 6/1.98 55
0.1 6/1.86 99

Table 3: The below table shows that material consumption and printing time for
different layer widths for 20 x 20 x 20 mm3 cube at 25% infill and later height 0.2

case 3 25% infill and LH 0.2

Layer Material Consumption(grams)/
Print Time(minutes)
Width(mm) length of wire(meters)
0.4 5/1.65 24
0.3 4/1.48 29
0.2 4/1.3 37
0.1 3/1.12 60

Form the above tables we can clearly observe that effect of layer width on printing
time and material consumption.

42
Graph 1: shows that effect of layer width 0.2mm on material consumption and
printing time at 100% infill

200
180
160
Axis Title 140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1

Layer Width

Material Consumption(grams) Print Time(minutes)

When printing at 100% infill the consumption of material at different layer widths
remains same. When a component printing at 100% infill, the component is
completely filled and no gaps left. At this condition changing the layer width wont
effect the material consumption.

Graph 2: shows that effect of layer width on material consumption and printing time
at 50% infill

120
100
80
Axis Title

60
40
20
0
0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1

Layer Width

Material Consumption(grams) Print Time(minutes)

From the above graph we can see that by changing the layer width at 50% infill
material consumption is decreasing at the same time printing time increasing and

43
energy consumption also increases. When the infill is less than 100%, by changing the
layer width will affect the number of infill partitions. By reducing the layer width will
number of infill partitions increases

Graph 3: shows that effect of layer width 0.2mm on material consumption and
printing time at 25% infill

70
60
50
Axis Title

40
30
20
10
0
0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1

Layer Width

Material Consumption(grams) Print Time(minutes)

From the above shown graphs it is clearly conclude that by decreasing the layer width
increasing the material

Similarly for 0.3 mm layer height and for different layer widths material consumption
and printing as shown below

Table 4: The below tableshow the material consumption and printing time for
different layer widths for a 20 x 20 x 20 mm3 cube at 100% infill and later height 0.3

case 1 100% infill and LH 0.3

Layer Material Consumption(grams)/
Print Time(minutes)
Width(mm) length of wire(meters)
0.4 10/3.34 31
0.3 10/3.34 40
0.2 10/3.34 60
0.1 10/3.34 116

44
Table 5: The below tableshow the material consumption and printing time for
different layer widths for a 20 x 20 x 20 mm3 cube at 50% infill and later height 0.3

case 2 50% infill and LH 0.3

Layer Material Consumption(grams)/
Width(mm) length of wire(meters) Print Time(minutes)
0.4 7/2.25 21
0.3 6/2.13 27
0.2 6/2.02 37
0.1 6/1.9 67

Table 6: The below table show the material consumption and printing time for
different layer widths for a 20 x 20 x 20 mm3 cube at 25% infill and later height 0.3

case 3 25% infill and LH 0.3

Layer Material Consumption(grams)/
Width(mm) length of wire(meters) Print Time(minutes)
0.4 5/1.69 16
0.3 5/1.53 19
0.2 4/1.35 25
0.1 3/1.17 41

From the tables we can observe that by changing the layer width irrespective
of the layer height, layer width is directlyaffecting the printing time, material
consumption and energy consumption. Layer width is directly proportional to the
material consumption and indirectly proportional to the print time. Here we related
the print time with energy consumption. If print time increases energy consumption
also increases.

Table 7: Shows the final weight of the Cube with different layer width at 100% infill
and 0.2mm layer height

case 1 100% infill and LH 0.2, PLA density 1.24 g/cm3

Line Width Material Volume (cm3) Weight (grams)
0.4 8.0095 9.93
0.3 8.0095 9.93
0.2 8.0095 9.93
0.1 8.0095 9.93

45
Table 8: Shows the final weight of the Cube with different layer width at 100% infill
and 0.2mm layer height

case 2 50% infill and LH 0.2, density 1.24 g/cm3

Line Width Material Volume (cm3) Weight (grams)
0.4 5.316 6.591
0.3 5.051 6.2632
0.2 4.62 5.904
0.1 4.473 5.546

Table 9: Shows the final weight of the Cube with different layer width at 100% infill
and 0.2mm layer height

case 3 25% infill and LH 0.2, density 1.24 g/cm3

Line Width Material Volume (cm3) Weight (grams)
0.4 3.968 4.9203
0.3 3.559 4.413
0.2 3.126 3.8762
0.1 2.693 3.339

Table 10: Shows the final weight of the Cube with different layer width at 100%
infill and 0.3mm layer height

case 1 100% infill and LH 0.3, density 1.24 g/cm3

Line Width Material Volume (cm3) Weight (grams)
0.4 8.033 9.9609
0.3 8.033 9.9609
0.2 8.033 9.9609
0.1 8.033 9.9609

Table 11: Shows the final weight of the Cube with different layer width at 100%
infill and 0.2mm layer height

case 2 50% infill and LH 0.3, density 1.24 g/cm3

Line Width Material Volume (cm3) Weight (grams)
0.4 5.411 6.7096
0.3 5.123 6.352
0.2 4.858 6.023
0.1 4.57 5.66

46
Table 12: Shows the final weight of the Cube with different layer width at 100%
infill and 0.3mm layer height

case 3 25% infill and LH 0.3, density 1.24 g/cm3

Line Width Material Volume (cm3) Weight (grams)
0.4 4.064 5.039
0.3 3.68 4.563
0.2 3.247 4.026
0.1 2.814 3.489

From the above tables we can observe that the when the layer width decreasing the
volume of consumption of material is also decreasing.

Slicing of Connecting rod:

47
Table 13 :Shows the final weight of theconnecting rod with different layer width at
100% infill and 0.2 mm layer height

Slicing of connecting rod at 100% infill and LH 0.2

Layer Material Consumption(grams)/
Width(mm) length of wire(meters) Print Time(minutes)
0.4 39/12.94 196
0.3 39/12.94 263
0.2 39/12.94 361
0.1 39/12.94 682

Table 14 :Shows the final weight of the connecting rod with different layer width at
50% infill and 0.2 mm layer height

Slicing of connecting rod at 50% infill and LH 0.2

Layer Material Consumption(grams)/
Width(mm) length of wire(meters) Print Time(minutes)
0.4 31/10.29 159
0.3 28/9.55 194
0.2 26/8.78 257
0.1 24/8.02 445

Table 13 :Shows the final weight of the connecting rod with different layer width at
25% infill and 0.2 mm layer height

Slicing of connecting rod at 25% infill and LH 0.2

Layer Material Consumption(grams)/
Width(mm) length of wire(meters) Print Time(minutes)
0.4 27/8.89 140
0.3 23/7.82 160
0.2 20/6.75 202
0.1 17/5.68 320

48
 Chapter 7

CONCLUSION
7.1 Conclusion
3D printing is more effective way to achieve the complex geometries without
effecting the dimensional accuracy. But the consumption of material and energy are
the biggest constrain in any manufacturing process. The consumption of material less
when compare to conventional machining and consumes more energy when compare
to conventional machining. To optimize the material consumption, we are more
focused on printing parameters. Majorly line width effecting the material
consumption for a constant a layer thickness. By decreasing the line width, the
consumption of material is decreasing but consumes more power. Similarly, by
increasing the line width consumption of material increases but less energy consumes
but the quality of the printed part decreases when compare to less layer width. The
less the line width more the dimensional accuracy and better surface finish and vice
versa.

1. Here the main observation is only we changing the layer width parameter
remaining parameters are constant. Let‘s consider table 3 shows that material
consumption and printing time for different layer widths for 20 x 20 x 20 mm3
cube at 25% infill and later height 0.2. where the percentage of infill is
constant in that case the weight of the final part should be same but here the
weight of the final part is decreasing.
2. As the infill percentage decreasing at different layer width for decreasing infill
percentage the variation in the weight of the final part also more. If observe in
the table 1, 2 and 3, at different infill percentages for different layer widths the
variation in the final weight of the part increasing.
3. In this study we designed simple cube of 20 x 20 x 20 mm3 block since the
block is very small if we print any large component the consumption of
material for different layer widths will be very high. Similarly, printing time
will be more and consumes more energy.
4. At 100% infill the consumption of material is remains same but the printing
will be high as the layer width reduces. In the table 1 and 4, we can notice that
at 0.2 and 0.3 layer width the consumption of material is same but as the layer

49
width reduces it causes increase in printing time. The main reason for increase
in printing time when layer width reduces the extruder travel time increases.

50
 Chapter 8
FUTURE WORK
Here we concluded that line width directly effecting the printing parameters.
We would like to conduct more test for different layer heights with varying the line
widths and to analyse the dimensional accuracy of final printed component for
different layer heights. we would like to conduct experiments on different layer
heights and line widths to see the effect of layer width on surface roughness and
mechanical properties.

51
 Chapter 9
REFERENCES

1. Alexander, P., Allen, S., Dutta, D., 1998. Part orientation and build cost
determination in layered manufacturing. Comput. Des. 30, 343e356.
2. Barrett, T.W., Pizzico, M.C., Levy, B., Nagel, R.L., 2015. A review of university
maker spaces. In: 122nd ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition. Seattle, WA.
3. Baumers, M., Tuck, C., Wildman, R., Ashcroft, I., Hague, R., 2011. Energy inputs to
additive manufacturing: does capacity utilization matter? In: Solid Freeform
Fabrication Symposium, pp. 30e40. Austin, TX.
4. Baumers, M., Tuck, C., Wildman, R., Ashcroft, I., Rosamond, E., Hague, R., 2013.
Transparency Built-in: energy consumption and cost estimation for additive
manufacturing Baumers et al. Energy and cost estimation for additive manufacturing.
J. Ind. Ecol. 17, 418e431.
5. Bourell, D.L., Leu, M.C., Rosen, D.W., 2009. Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing:
Identifying the Future of Freeform Processing. Austin, TX.
6. Cheng, W., Fuh, J.Y.H., Nee, A.Y.C., Wong, Y.S., Loh, H.T., Miyazawa, T., 1995.
Optimization of part- building orientation in stereolithography. Rapid Prototyp. J. 1,
12e23.
7. Das, P., Chandran, R., Samant, R., Anand, S., 2015. Optimum part build orientation
in additive manufacturing for minimizing part errors and support structures. Procedia
Manuf. 1, 343e354.
8. CES Edupack. Granta Design Limited, 2016.
9. Faludi, J., Bayley, C., Bhogal, S., Iribarne, M., 2015. Comparing environmental
impacts of additive manufacturing vs traditional machining via life-cycle assessment.
Rapid Prototyp. J. 21, 14e33.
10. Ford, S., Despeisse, M., 2016. Additive manufacturing and sustainability : an
exploratory study of the advantages and challenges. J. Clean. Prod. 137, 1573e1587.
11. I. J. Solomon, P. Sevvel and J. Gunasekaran, A review on the various processing
parameters in FDM, Materials Today: Proceedings

52