Advanced
search

To read this content please select one of the options below:

Characterization of shape memory polymer parts fabricated using material extrusion 3D printing technique

Carlos Alejandro Garcia Rosales (Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA)
Hoejin Kim (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA)
Mario F. Garcia Duarte (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA)
Luis Chavez (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA)
Mariana Castañeda (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA)
Tzu-Liang Bill Tseng (Department of Industrial Manufacturing and Systems Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA)
Yirong Lin (Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA)

Rapid Prototyping Journal

ISSN: 1355-2546

Article publication date: 18 October 2018

Issue publication date: 25 February 2019

773

Abstract

Purpose

Shape memory polymer (SMP) is capable of recovering its original shape from a high degree of deformation by applying an external stimulus such as thermal energy. This research presents an integration of two commercial SMP materials (DiAPLEX and Tecoflex) and a material extrusion (ME) printer to fabricate SMP parts and specimens. The material properties such as Young’s modulus of the specimens was examined as a process output. Furthermore, stress-strain curve, strain recovery, instant shape-fixity ratio, long-term shape-fixity ratio and recovery ratio of SMP specimens during a thermo-mechanical cycle were investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

The ME fabrication settings for the SMP specimens were defined by implementing a design of experiments with temperature, velocity and layer height as process variables.

Findings

It was found, according to main effect and iteration plots, that fabrication parameters have an impact on Young’s modulus and exist minimum iteration among variables. In addition, Young’s modulus variation of DiAPLEX and Tecoflex specimens was mostly caused by velocity and layer height parameters, respectively. Moreover, results showed that SMP specimens were able to recover high levels of deformation.

Originality/value

This paper is a reference for process control and for rheological properties of SMP parts produced by ME fabrication process.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (DUE-TUES-1246050) and (NSF-PREM DMR-1205302). Mario F. Garcia would like to acknowledge the scholarship support by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (RL5GM118969), (TL4GM118971), and (UL1GM118970). Carlos A. Garcia Rosales would like to acknowledge the scholarship support by CONACYT. The authors also wish to express sincere gratitude for their financial support. The authors thank Lubrizol (Ohio, USA) for provide the material Tecoflex EG-72D.

Citation

Garcia Rosales, C.A., Kim, H., Garcia Duarte, M.F., Chavez, L., Castañeda, M., Tseng, T.-L.B. and Lin, Y. (2019), "Characterization of shape memory polymer parts fabricated using material extrusion 3D printing technique", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 322-331. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-08-2017-0157

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles

Manage cookies

We’re listening — tell us what you think

Join us on our journey