Study of residual stress and distortions of parts produced by FDM printing using the finite element method

Abstract

In FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) additive manufacturing process, filaments of polymeric materials are fused in an extruder nozzle and deposited in layers to produce a piece with predetermined geometry. During the extrusion process, the polymeric material reaches high temperatures, changing the phase and cooling rapidly after the deposition of the layers, which occurs repeatedly until the end of the process. Thus, it is common for thermal gradients to cause residual stresses and distortions in the parts produced. In this context, this work uses the finite element method to perform thermo-mechanical analysis and to predict the distortions and residual stresses in a part produced by the FDM process.