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Extrusion parameter control optimization for DIW 3D printing using image analysis techniques

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Abstract

Material extrusion is a well-recognized facet of additive manufacturing that involves the fabrication of parts through the deposition of structural material from an extrusion head from a bulk supply. In the subdivision of Direct Ink Writing (DIW) additive manufacturing, challenges arise when the structural material is flowable, synchronous extrusion control and tool movement becomes critical for achieving high-quality parts with low defect populations. DIW techniques are most used in laboratory settings using expensive custom instruments and may require specialized 3D slicing software. In this study, the fabrication of an inexpensive, consumer-friendly progressive cavity pump dispensing system is detailed, in which can create high-quality parts by executing G-code commands produced from a commercial slicing software. The precision and repeatability of the movement-synchronized material extrusion is demonstrated through a series of optimization schemes, entailing the alteration of various control parameters, which directly affect the extrusion properties demonstrated during a print. In situ diagnostics were implemented to evaluate the results of the established optimization experiment. Using a machine vision technique, images of the optimization prints are processed. Following this, a supervised machine learning model was trained to autonomously judge whether or not the extrusion parameters produced a passing or failing result. The machine learning scheme serves as a preliminary benchmark for future layer-by-layer evaluation of more complex DIW parts. The construction of the printer and development of in situ characterization capabilities demonstrates the ability for this printer to create high-fidelity DIW parts for a fraction of the price of other systems.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. The authors also gratefully thank the LLNL Lab Directed Research and Development project 21-SI-006 for funding of this project. Document release number LLNL-JRNL-839301.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Colorado School of Mines Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, 80401, USA

    Max J. Sevcik, Gabriel Bjerke, Finnegan Wilson, Rodrigo Chavez Morales & Veronica Eliasson

  2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA

    Dylan J. Kline, Hannah E. Fletcher, Kelly Guan, Michael D. Grapes, Kyle T. Sullivan & Jonathan L. Belof

  3. Arizona State University Fulton Schools of Engineering, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA

    Sridhar Seetharaman

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Contributions

MS: conceptualization, methodology, software, resources, formal analysis, investigation, data curation, writing—original draft, visualization. GB: conceptualization, methodology, software, resources, formal analysis, investigation, data curation, writing—original draft. FW: conceptualization, methodology, software, resources, formal analysis, investigation, data curation. DJK: conceptualization, methodology, resources, writing—review, editing, supervision, project administration. RCM: conceptualization, methodology, software, resources, formal analysis, investigation, data curation, writing - original draft, visualization. HF: methodology, resources. KG: methodology. MDG: methodology, resources. SS: methodology, writing—review, editing. KTS: conceptualization, writing—review, editing, supervision, project administration, funding acquisition. JLB: writing—review, editing, supervision, project administration, funding acquisition. VE: conceptualization, resources, writing—review, editing, supervision, project administration, funding acquisition.

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Correspondence to Veronica Eliasson.

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Sevcik, M.J., Bjerke, G., Wilson, F. et al. Extrusion parameter control optimization for DIW 3D printing using image analysis techniques. Prog Addit Manuf 9, 517–528 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-023-00470-3

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