SIMULATING THE DESIGN PROCESS FOR PARTS MANUFACTURED USING ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH CREATING AN IMITATION PRODUCT MODEL

The continuous development of information technologies and automated design systems contributes to increasing automation levels in product design across various industries. One important stage in the product life cycle is creating prototypes. Currently, additive manufacturing techniques and 3D modelling are widely used for prototype production. However, when employing such methods, it is essential to consider material properties of plastics, particularly shrinkage, which affects the dimension of the prototype product. Shrinkage influences actual sizes of parts produced via additive processes compared to their initial designs. Therefore, the research aimed at developing a simulation-based computer model that accounts for factors influencing prototype fabrication accuracy becomes relevant. This study investigates key parameters affecting dimensional deviations from predefined values specified in CAD models. These include filling density and deviation from nominal dimensions. Based on the obtained values of the parameters under study, the authors develop a mathematical model enabling prediction of size variations depending on filling density. This simulation model will facilitate creation of 3D prototypes incorporating compensation for plastic shrinkage, thereby enhancing precision in producing components using additive manufacturing.