A Case Study on The Generation of Tree-Like Supports For Fused Deposition Modelling


Eryıldız M., Dındogdu T., Altan M.

5TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADVANCES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, İstanbul, Türkiye, 17 - 19 Aralık 2019, ss.1501-1507

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: İstanbul
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1501-1507
  • Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has become popular for rapid prototyping and it is presently widely used in
different branches of industry. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is one of the most commonly used additive
manufacturing processes for plastics and it is fast, cheap, and enables the creation of complex geometries from three
dimensional (3D) model data. However, printing parts with overhanging features brings problem such as sagging,
distortion and surface roughness quality in part production. In order to prevent these problems, the printers need to
connect overhangs with the lower parts of the object or the ground in order to print them. The support structure under
overhangs waste material and prolong production time. In this study, tree-like support structures for FDM parts as a
case study were generated to maintain dimensional stability of the part and to reduce support material in volume. In
this regard, distance between branches, diameter of branches and branch angle were considered as key factors in
designing tree-like supports.