Additive manufacturing of copper parts using extrusion and sinter-based technology: evaluation of the influence of printing parameters and debinding method
ISSN: 1355-2546
Article publication date: 9 July 2024
Issue publication date: 30 July 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This work is focused on the realization of copper parts using the material extrusion additive manufacturing debinding and sintering (MEX+D&S) technology.
Design/methodology/approach
A highly filled filament with 90 Wt.% of copper is used to realize nine different combinations varying the printing speed and the flow rate. The following thermal debinding and sintering are performed at 483 °C and 1057 °C, respectively, burying the samples in specific refractory powder and carbon. The green and sintered density are measured and an inspection at optical microscope is implemented for a detailed internal analysis of the defects.
Findings
The samples, that reported the highest values of the green density, become the worst in the sintered condition due to evident swelling defect generated by the entrapped polymer during the thermal debinding. On the other hand, the parts with the lower values of green density allowed to achieve a satisfying density value without significant external defects.
Originality/value
The realization of copper parts through laser-based additive manufacturing technologies shows several troubles related to the rapid heat transfer and the high reflectivity of copper, which is a hinder of the absorption of the laser power. The MEX+D&S becomes an easier and economical alternative for the realization of copper parts. The internal inspection of the samples revealed the need for the improvement on the process chain, adopting a different debinding process to open channels during the thermal debinding to avoid the entrapment of the polymer.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Authors want to thank the professor Luigi Maria Galantucci for his precious support and the PhD student Raniero Pirlo and the Master student Ludovica Lanzillotti for the realization of the samples.
Funding: This work was partly supported by the Italian Ministry of University and Research under the Programme “Department of Excellence” Legge 232/2016 (Grant No. CUP – D93C23000100001); by the project FRA 2021 “Analisi dei parametri tecnologici di Parti Realizzate in Metal FFF”; by the Project funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3 – Call for tender No. 341 of 15/03/2022 of Italian Ministry of University and Research funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU. Award Number: PE00000004, Concession Decree No. 1551 of 11/10/2022 adopted by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, CUP D93C22000920001, MICS (Made in Italy – Circular and Sustainable).
Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.
Citation
Pellegrini, A., Lavecchia, F. and Guerra, M.G. (2024), "Additive manufacturing of copper parts using extrusion and sinter-based technology: evaluation of the influence of printing parameters and debinding method", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 30 No. 7, pp. 1451-1461. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-02-2024-0081
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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