ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a multiscale investigation of the fused deposition modeling (FDM) printed structure. The structure behaves as a laminated composite, printed using a layer-by-layer method resulting in a complex microstructure. The mechanical properties of such structures are the function of the process parameters: the layer height and the raster orientation. To analyze these properties, the constitutive behavior of the material in the form of the stiffness matrix needs to be calculated. The primary purpose of the study is to calculate the elastic properties such as elastic modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson’s ratio of the printed laminate. The analysis is further extended to investigate the effect of FDM process parameters on the calculated elastic properties. The structure is discretized into two different scales: micro and macro. Micro scale is also referred to as representative volume element (RVE), and the volume average method (VAM) is used as a multiscale tool to compute the stiffness matrix of the RVE. Subsequently, the stiffness matrix of RVE is homogenized over the printed structure and can be used for further analysis like finite element study. Layer height and raster orientation (0° and 0°/90°) are considered as FDM process parameters, and their effect is analyzed. From the analysis, it is found that the FDM printed laminate is stronger in the raster direction and behave orthotropically for a 0° angle and nearly isotropically for 0º/90º. The elastic and shear modulus increases with the decrease in layer height. Results from the analysis show that the present multiscale analysis can effectively estimate the stiffness matrix and predict the process parameters–property relationship for the FDM-printed laminated structures.
