DESIGN OF EXTRUDER SIZING TOOL FOR LARGE FORMAT ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

With the introduction of larger machines into the additive manufacturing industry, many companies attempting to adopt the technology can be overwhelmed by the number of choices in machine and extrusion types. Large Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM) has gained traction in several industries, but what end users should be looking for in a machine can vary greatly by application. Part size, material, and feature complexity can all play a large role in the selection process. When it comes to the sizing of these machines for a specific application, the extruder type and component sizing play the largest role in determining the type and cost of the machine required. Although there are several extrusion methods in the industry, the two main methods for plastic extrusion remain Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) for small-scale applications and Fused Granulate Fabrication (FGF) for large-scale applications. This paper analyzes the application differences between the two main extrusion methods and uses them to create a software tool that recommends the size and type of extruder required for a specific application. The sizing tool was validated by applying it to different use cases and demonstrating that it can be used for a wide range of applications.