Title

Open source multi-Head 3D printer for polymer-metal composite component manufacturing

Authors

J. Laureto, Michigan Technological University
Joshua M. Pearce, Michigan Technological UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-15-2017

Abstract

As low-cost desktop 3D printing is now dominated by free and open source self-replicating rapid prototype (RepRap) derivatives, there is an intense interest in extending the scope of potential applications to manufacturing. This study describes a manufacturing technology that enables a constrained set of polymer-metal composite components. This paper provides (1) free and open source hardware and (2) software for printing systems that achieves metal wire embedment into a polymer matrix 3D-printed part via a novel weaving and wrapping method using (3) OpenSCAD and parametric coding for customized g-code commands. Composite parts are evaluated from the technical viability of manufacturing and quality. The results show that utilizing a multi-polymer head system for multi-component manufacturing reduces manufacturing time and reduces the embodied energy of manufacturing. Finally, it is concluded that an open source software and hardware tool chain can provide low-cost industrial manufacturing of complex metal-polymer composite-based products.

Publisher's Statement

© 1996-2018 MDPI AG, Publisher's version of record: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/technologies5020036

Publication Title

Technologies

Recommended Citation

Laureto, J., & Pearce, J. M. (2017). Open source multi-Head 3D printer for polymer-metal composite component manufacturing. Technologies, 5(2). http://doi.org/10.3390/technologies5020036
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/materials_fp/144

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Version

Publisher's PDF