On the correlation between process parameters and specific energy consumption in fused deposition modelling

Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques enable the layer-wise fabrication of complex shapes without the need for specific production tools, reducing the economic lot size to the single unit and allowing the mass customization. Besides the technological drivers pushing AM towards several industrial applications, the energy efficiency and the time/cost performance in comparison to more conventional manufacturing processes are still to be investigated. This research focuses on the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) process for the production of components made either of ABS or PC-ABS. The impact of the main variables (such as the layer thickness and the infill strategy) on the process time and the energy consumption was analysed while considering the FDM unit-process. Empirical predictive models correlating the energy efficiency with the main process variables are proposed in this paper. The results confirm that the Specific Energy Consumption approach already applied to other manufacturing unit-processes can be successfully extended to FDM. Moreover, the increase in the average Deposition Rate, which is related to the deposition path, appears to be a strategy for the reduction of the specific printing energy. Such experimental evidence might suggest further energy-conscious improvements in the design of AM processes and equipment.