A study to detect a material deposition status in fused deposition modeling technology

Abstract

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology, one of the most commonly used by 3D printers, builds parts layer-by-layer by heating and extruding thermoplastic filament. However, building failures such as nozzle clogging, substrate deformation, etc. often occur when using FDM systems. All of these failures are unpredictable and undetectable, resulting in lost time and money. The present research studies a methodology to detect the material deposition status to solve this crux of FDM 3D printing by sensing the inner pressure change of the liquefied material. The paper hypothesized that the change in deposition status of the FDM system affects the current supplied to the feeding motor in the extrusion head due to a chain reaction. This was corroborated by experiments which investigated how supplied current reacts when an unexpected substance invades the deposition area during a build.