The aim of my diploma thesis was to find the possibilities of reaching the dimensional tolerance in the individual phases of casting by the investment casting process. The accuracy of the selected wax patterns and castings were measured by a caliper. At first the selected dimensions of the wax models were measured right after taking them out of the mold and then they were measured during seven days. The castings were measured after pouring. The obtained figures were statistically evaluated. The results show that the large-scale and thick-wall wax model should be coated after seven days of stabilization because the dimensions of the wax model are not stable.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has the ability to fabricate components of high geometric complexity that are difficult or near impossible to be produced by traditional manufacturing technologies. Selective laser melting (SLM) is a commonly used AM technology for metallic fabrications. SLM offers the opportunities to customize the characteristics of the as-build part produced, by adjusting the laser settings. However, high strength aluminum (Al) alloys presents an obstacle for SLM production due to the low alloying content, which increases the alloys’ probabilities to form cracks due to thermal stress induced by the SLM build process. The current study focuses on the study of surface roughness and dimensional accuracy of SLM fabrication of Al6061 and AlSi10Mg. Using design of experiment (DOE), wide ranges SLM process parameters were experimented with, and their individual effect along with their interactive effects on the fabricated parts’ quality were evaluated. The quality characteristics studied are: microstructures, microhardness, tensile strength (ultimate tensile strength, and yield strength), density, surface roughness, and dimensional accuracy. Regression models were created for each quality characteristics, and the combination of density, surface roughness, and dimensional accuracy results was used to create processing window for SLM that ensures the production of high-quality parts. The work aims to not only be used as-is, to help with the selection of SLM process parameters for Al6061 and AlSi10Mg that will reduce the post- processing time, but also to set a foundation for future development for numerical models that could better predict and describe the relations between SLM process parameters and the part’s fundamental qualities. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

The Master's thesis deals with the determination of mechanical properties of materials used for 3D printing by ALPS ELECTRIC CZECH, s.r.o. (PETG, PLA, ABS, PLA ESD), extended of new materials (ASA, PC / ABS). The prepared test samples, produced by 3D printing technology Fused Deposition Modeling, were analyzed using mechanical tests (tensile test and two hardness tests), surface roughness and dimensional accuracy. Statistical evaluation was performed for individual materials of selected parameters (tensile strength, modulus of elasticity in tension, elongation, Shore hardness, hardness of ball indentation). The conclusion of the thesis is devoted to the comparison of materials by selected parameters and production costs. The additive material PLA Filament Plasty Mladeč proved to be the best with its properties and the second lowest price.

Additive manufacturing is gaining popularity at a rapid rate and has been a resourceful production process to reduce material usage, wastage (scrap) and manufacturing costs for various applications. The project conducted, emphasizes on Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE SE6300C-65A) material, which is a highly versatile compound, and has the ability to exhibit properties of both rubber (Elastomers) in terms of flexibility and plastic (Polymers) in terms of recyclability. Cost reduction without compromising quality is one of the important factors for industries. The project involves the use of TPE pellets to extrude filaments that could be used for 3D Printing. Filament extrusion involves process variables like Nozzle Temperature, De-humidification of pellets, Diameter of the nozzle, Distance of collection, Cooling and Angle of inclination of the extruder. These process variables are optimized to accomplish the desired quality of filament. The filament produced through extrusion is further used to make products using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). FDM also involves numerous process variables like Layer Thickness, Build Orientation, Print Infill, Print Speed etc. In this study, different test specimens, in terms of geometrical shapes are printed from the material, TPE SE6300C-65A and tested in order to understand how the surface features as well as the dimensional accuracy change with different process variables. It is observed that the surface topography produced throughout FDM process is majorly affected by the angle of orientation of the printed part. The main goal of this thesis is to give the reader a better understanding on which process variable, such as layer thickness, temperature and print speed affect the surface roughness of the models and also a comparison between these three variables, highlighting which is more or less affecting. It is also observed the dimensional accuracy of the real specimen deviate from the value input into the CAD software. The results obtained in this study clearly suggest that there is a lot of opportunities for future improvements especially regarding the dimensional accuracy, it is imperative to achieve the highest precision possible in order to have commercial values for the FDM 3D printing.

The ease of manufacturing complex geometries using fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D-Printing reduces the overall production cost compared with the traditional manufacturing techniques. Because of the benefits of 3D printing technologies, it is proposed to be used in the manufacturing of different products. But there is still no definite characterization of the surface quality of objects manufactured by 3D printing. Hence in order to define the texture of the surfaces produced, measurements from different samples are taken and quantified.In this study, a 3D test model consisting of various slopes is printed at different layer thicknesses and different print speeds using different 3D printers.Thus, the effect of the surface orientation on the surface roughness was studied in relation to the different layer thicknesses and different print speeds. The study samples are measured using the state of the art equipment at Halmstad University.This thesis studies the surface roughness at different slopes of FDM models.A related study on the dimensional variation between the CAD model and the actual3D printed model, and causes/reasons for the variations are analyzed.It is observed that FDM produced part surface topography is directly affected by the orientation of the surface. Also, the surface roughness increases with increase in layer thickness. The observed correlations between surface roughness and layer thickness and surface orientation could be used to better understand the behavior of FDM surfaces, thus to better quantify the surface roughness. To improve quality, it must first be quantified. It is well observed that dimensional inaccuracy exists between the CAD model and the printed part. These results suggest that there is a lot of work and improvements to be done in order to close the gap of dimensional inaccuracy and achieve a high precision commercial FDM 3Dprinting.

Additive technology (AT) is increasingly used to design unique parts, mainly due to the ability to produce complex structures such as lattice structures. However, this also includes the need to modify the process parameters or the production strategy of the AT, which is usually set to produce volume geometry. Using samples corresponding to the geometries of the lattice structures, the exact input values were measured, which were used to design the SLM (Selective laser melting) production process using a contour strategy. Thanks to this, vertical and angled (35.26°) struts with low porosity (up to 0.2 %), low surface roughness and high dimensional accuracy were produced. Porosity was measured on µCT, surface roughness and dimensional accuracy were measured on STL data. The results show that if the parameters of the SLM process are set correctly, it is possible to produce struts with low porosity and surface roughness using different combinations of laser power and scanning speed. The above findings were used in the creation of script that allow the selection of suitable process parameters to produce lattice structures.

This diploma thesis focuses on the unconventional method of metal separation, namely on the cutting technology based on the plasma arc. The introductory part deals with studies which focus on the given issue from a theoretical point of view. The core of the work rests in the practical part which is dedicated to the production of samples using a plasma burning machine called Hypertherm HPR 260. The burned samples are monitored and assessed for the surface quality and dimensional accuracy for every created part. The final part of the work is dedicated to the techno-economic assessment of the burned parts. In the end, the evaluation of the attained results is made.

In recent years, multi-jet fusion technology became more popular as it has unlimited potential. Thanks to this technology, it became possible to produce products with complex geometries.This gives a massive advantage compared to the conventional manufacturing process, as by utilising 3D printers, the costs and environmental impact are reduced exponentially with regards to the fact that this is a new technology. Product quality is one of the most important factors when it comes to product manufacturing for a company to stay competitive in the market. This study was conducted in FABLAB at Halmstad University. The research focuses on different aspects of the fabricated test artefacts, such as surface roughness, tensile strength and dimensional deviation. How different printing parameters can affect the printing quality of the printed parts is then analysed. The result is then compared with designed CAD model. During this study, some experiments were conducted by printing test samples at different build orientations to define the printing quality. Measurement is conducted on the different test artefacts and quantified. The effect from build orientation on surface roughness, tensile strength and dimension accuracy were studied during this thesis. The test samples were measured by using appropriate measuring equipment that was available at Halmstad University. From the test results, it becomes clear that the build orientation directly impacts the printing quality of the printed test samples from the HP multi-jet fusion 3D printer

The first part of the diploma thesis is focused on the analysis and evaluation of the current production of sipes by two SLM devices PXL and M2 Cusing, produced by Phenix Systems and Concept Laser companies. The samples of both machines went through the same manufacturing process and the same process of measurement and evaluation, in order to carry out comparison between individual machines. Geometric accuracy, surface roughness, mechanical properties, and material structure of the samples have been compared. For the sipes it was necessary to create a digital evaluation methodology of geometry. In the second part of the thesis, process parameters are selected on the basis of research and further their influence on surface roughness of manufactured sipes is analyzed.