Advancements in Functionally Graded Polyether Ether Ketone Components: Design, Manufacturing, and Characterisation Using a Modified 3D Printer

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 15; no. 14; p. 2992
• Main Authors: McNiffe, Eric, Ritter, Tobias, Higgins, Tom, Sam-Daliri, Omid, Flanagan, Tomas, Walls, Michael, Ghabezi, Pouyan, Finnegan, William, Mitchell, Sinéad, Harrison, Noel M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 10.07.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: 3-D printers; 3D printing; Additive manufacturing; Bonding strength; Cooling; Degree of crystallinity; Design engineering; functional graded materials; Functionally gradient materials; fused deposition modelling; High temperature; Interlayers; Manufacturing; material extrusion; Material properties; Mechanical properties; PEEK; Polyether ether ketones; Polymers; Scanning electron microscopy; Temperature; Three dimensional printing; Ireland; additive manufacturing; fused deposition modelling; material extrusion; 3D printing; PEEK; functional graded materials
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym15142992

Functionally Graded Materials represent the next generation of engineering design for metal and plastic components. In this research, a specifically modified and optimised 3D printer was used to manufacture functionally graded polyether ether ketone components. This paper details the design and manufacturing methodologies used in the development of a polyether ether ketone printer capable of producing functionally graded materials through the manipulation of microstructure. The interaction of individually deposited beads of material during the printing process was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, to observe and quantify the porosity levels and interlayer bonding strength, which affects the quality of the final parts. Specimens were produced under varying process conditions and tested to characterise the influence of the process conditions on the resulting material properties. The specimens printed at high enclosure temperatures exhibited greater strength than parts printed without the active addition of heat, due to improved bond formation between individual layers of the print and a large degree of crystallinity through maintenance at these elevated temperatures.