In-situ observation of the extrusion processes of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene and Polylactic Acid for material extrusion additive manufacturing

In material extrusion (MatEx) additive manufacturing, solid polymer filaments are fed into extruders to generate extrudates that needed build 3D plastic parts. There is a finite gap between the inner surface of an extruder and edge filament, which facilitates insertion translation filament inside extruder. It still not clear how this filled during extrusion. On other hand, it important know information, for example, model distributions temperature pressure work, gap-filling processes Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) Polylactic Acid (PLA) were directly observed through heated glass tube. The tube functioned as in our case. A criterion was first developed determine whether at specific location then different combinations temperatures feed rates. ABS PLA filaments, consisted colors, custom-made aid observation. Although were, respectively, amorphous semi-crystalline polymers, both materials, we found: i) three steps initial stage extrusion; ii) level depended on rate; iii) there no noticeable difference when started with empty or resumed after printing had been paused.