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Description
Additive Manufacturing or the 3D printing is the emerging technology of the present times, offering a great advantage to produce complex geometries easily from a CAD model. The capability of the process to work with different materials ranging from polymers, metals, ceramics and composites, offers a diverse opportunity for industries to adopt this technology. Because of the high cost of 3D printing devices for metals & ceramics, industries are still reluctant to integrate this technology into their manufacturing process. Presently the biggest challenge is finding the cost-effective solutions to 3D print parts of these materials. This research work investigates the potential of fused deposition devices to 3D print metal & ceramic components and includes the further study on their sintering behavior. A detailed process description is given concerning the previous work done which focuses on the properties of binder systems needed in 3D printing of metals and ceramics. The study demonstrates significant parameters that influence the printing process like particle nature, extrusion mechanism, in relation to the sintering factors (temperature, time) that play a critical role in obtaining a dense structure. The major material of interest in this research is Tin, and Titanium-Silica composites. Successful attempts have been undertaken on printing parts of metal-polymer composites and metal-ceramic composites. Moreover, further results obtained from mechanical testing and microstructure characterizations reveal the density levels achieved and the mechanical properties associated with the produced specimens. Additionally, two theoretical models: one on sintering with rigid inclusions and another one on the impact of the bimodal powder mixture on the efficiency of the 3D printing – sintering processes, are discussed providing an insight into processes occurring at microscopic and macroscopic level, rendering the results which can be used in future process developments.
