Study of Part Geometric Features and Support Materials in Rapid Freeze Prototyping

This paper describes the investigation of part geometric features and support materials in the fabrication of ice parts by Rapid Freeze Prototyping (RFP). The achievable geometric features of the ice part including the smallest thickness of a wall and the smallest diameter of a rod are analyzed and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCIRP annals Vol. 52; no. 1; pp. 185 - 188
Main Authors Leu, M.C., Liu, Q., Bryant, F.D.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 2003
Subjects
Freezing
Prototyping
Rapid
Rapid
Freezing
Prototyping
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Summary:This paper describes the investigation of part geometric features and support materials in the fabrication of ice parts by Rapid Freeze Prototyping (RFP). The achievable geometric features of the ice part including the smallest thickness of a wall and the smallest diameter of a rod are analyzed and expressed as functions of process parameters including water pressure, nozzle diameter, valve open/close frequency and duty cycle, and x-y table moving speed relative to the nozzle. The validity of the predicted results of geometric features from the analysis is verified using our experimental RFP system. In order to realize fabricating ice parts of any complex 3-D geometry, support materials are also studied. The experimental results showed a eutectic mixture of dextrose and water works well as the support material while a eutectic mixture of salt and water does not work satisfactorily.
ISSN:0007-8506
DOI:10.1016/S0007-8506(07)60561-7