Computational and mathematical analysis of dynamics of fused deposition modelling based rapid prototyping technique for scaffold fabrication

Abstract

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) based rapid prototying technique, is basically used to fabricate three dimensional (3D) objects. Recently, the technique has been considered as the most promising for fabrication of 3D scaffold from polymeric materials for biomedical application including tissue engineering. It is further reported that the scaffold designed from FDM by layer by layer deposition process does not mimic geometry as designed in the computer aided design (CAD) software. In this context, the adjustment of instrument parameters such as extruder nozzle diameter, nozzle angle and liquefier length is of paramount importance to achieve improved extruded melt flow behaviour and scaffold design. Therefore, this main focus of this thesis work is to analyse the flow behaviour of PCL scaffold material using computational and mathematical tools by varying extruded nozzle diameter, nozzle angle and nozzle length of the existing FDM machine. This analysis shows that the reduction in nozzle diameter and nozzle angle, results in higher pressure drops that leading to fine geometry of the scaffold. The proposed designed suggests that the nozzle diameter can be decreased from 0.5mm to 0.2mm with a nozzle angle of 120 degrees, that will increase the pressure at the nozzle tip and decrease extruded melt diameter that contributes better resolution during scaffold fabrication.