AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE EMISSION DYNAMICS IN FUSED DEPOSITION MODELLING (FDM) 3D PRINTING PROCESS

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing is a manufacturing process that involves the melting and layering of thermoplastic to create 3D objects. Concerns have arisen from the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted when 3D printing filaments are heated to their melting points, posing environmental and health risks. In the present study, a series of experiments were conducted to characterize the thermal flow phenomena during FDM 3D printing, specifically focused on investigating the VOCs emission dynamics along with the thermal flow during heating and melting in the printing processes. A high-speed Schlieren imaging system and an infrared thermal imaging system were temporally synchronized to both qualitatively and quantitatively characterize the thermal effects and the thermal-induced multiphase flows during the 3D printing process within an FDM 3D printer. In addition, the VOC emissions during the printing process were quantified by using a spatially-distributed-and-temporally-synchronized metal-oxide sensor array system, which can achieve fast spatial tracking of the VOC emissions. By correlating the data from the multiple measurement systems, the VOC emission transport behaviors in the convective gas current were characterized in detail. The findings in this paper offer insights into off-gassing profiles of different filaments, aiding in the development of customized ventilation approaches.