Development of a Method for Testing Temperature Distribution During 3D Printing of Specimens with Application in Aerospace Industry

Abstract

Additive manufacturing and 3D printing technologies are rapidly evolving and influencing changes in design, prototyping, engineering and manufacturing processes in various industries, including aerospace. In order to use 3D printing processes to produce parts with adequate and satisfactory mechanical properties for aircraft that are constantly exposed to extreme temperatures and environmental conditions, the temperature variations that occur must be taken into account. In this study, small-scale specimens of the thermoplastic polymer material polylactic acid (PLA) were printed using an FDM printer while a thermal imaging camera was used to record the temperature changes during the printing process. The aim was to determine the temperature changes during each step of the printing process of small specimens and to create a future model for testing the temperature distribution.