Infrared Thermography With 3D Scanning Assesses Shipboard-Printed PETG Parts With 1 to 2 mm Walls Showing Minor Dimensional Change, Scientific Reports, November 14
Scientific Reports published an additive manufacturing study on November 14 assessing the thermo-geometric stability of FDM-printed PETG components intended for shipboard use. Such parts are envisioned as rapidly fabricated temporary spare parts for short-term service on board ships.
The researchers first manufactured cylindrical PETG pipe specimens with wall thicknesses ranging from 1 to 2 millimetres, using different layer heights and printing speeds, and evaluated them under steady heating. Analysis used passive infrared thermography combined with pre- and post-heating 3D scanning.
Next, a reverse-engineered PETG replica of a flanged tee connector used in shipboard piping systems was fabricated and tested under the same thermal conditions. Infrared thermography revealed moderate temperature gradients associated with the vertical heating configuration, while 3D deviation maps indicated only minor dimensional changes, comparable to those of the pipe specimens.
The experiments also suggested that rapid thermal and thermo-mechanical loading may lead to layer separation in printed specimens. Delamination was identified through post-test visual inspection, while infrared thermography provided information on the thermal response of the specimens.
The paper concluded that under steady heating conditions the specimens exhibited stable thermal and geometric behavior with only minor dimensional deviations, suggesting that PETG parts printed with time-efficient process parameters may have potential as temporary components under steady-state thermal conditions, and that passive infrared thermography can be a practical monitoring tool.
Source: Scientific
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：多卷三维打印线材与各色打印成品。作者：Maurizio Pesce，CC BY 2.0，维基共享资源。 / Photo: Spools of 3D printing filament and printed objects. Credit: Maurizio Pesce, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
