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Optimizing Fused Deposition Modeling with ANN: Material Consumption and Tensile Strength Predictions

2023-01-01 , Nasuha H. , Mohd Sazli Saad , Mohamad Ezral Baharudin , Nor A.M. , Mohd Zakimi Zakaria

Conventional modelling was once favored for process modelling for its straightforward nature and simplicity. However, conventional modelling is incapable of modelling complex processes such as fused deposition modelling (FDM). This study aims to model an accurate FDM process using an artificial neural network (ANN) to predict material consumption and tensile strength based on layer height, infill density, printing temperature and printing speed. The design of the experiment (DOE) was constructed using face-centered central composite design (FCCCD) yielding a total of 78 specimens. The material consumption was measured by weighting the specimen using a densimeter while the tensile strength of the specimen was tested using a universal testing machine (UTM). Best ANN structures were first identified in a trained network before being modelled for comparison. Models were compared using the lowest mean squared error (MSE), root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and highest coefficient of determination (R2). The best predictive model structure for material consumption is 4-19-14-1 with the lowest MSE of 0.00096 while the best predictive model structure for tensile strength is 4-16-15-12-1 with the lowest MSE of 0.005274145.

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ANN-Based Predictive Modelling for Fused Deposition Modelling: Material Consumption, Tensile Strength & Dimensional Accuracy

2023-01-01 , Irazman H.N.H. , Mohd Sazli Saad , Mohamad Ezral Baharudin , Mohd Zakimi Zakaria , Nor A.M. , Rahim Y.A.

Conventional modelling approaches fall short of accurately capturing the complexities of Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM). This research proposes an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to predict the FDM process's material consumption, tensile strength, and dimensional accuracy. Inputs such as layer height, infill density, printing temperature, and printing speed are considered. A Face-Centered Central Composite Design (FCCCD) with 78 specimens is employed to design experiments (DOE). Material consumption is measured using a densimeter, while tensile strength is determined using a Universal Testing Machine (UTM). The performance of the ANN models is evaluated based on metrics like Mean Squared Error (MSE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), and coefficient of determination (R2). The optimal ANN structure for material consumption prediction is found to be 4-19-14-1, achieving a low MSE of 0.00096. For tensile strength prediction, the best ANN structure is determined as 4-16-15-12-1 with an MSE of 0.005274145. Furthermore, dimensional accuracy is successfully captured using a 4-12-12-11-1 network configuration, which attains the lowest overall MSE of 0.002898. The proposed ANN model provides accurate predictions for material consumption, tensile strength, and dimensional accuracy in the FDM process. This study contributes to the optimization and understanding of FDM manufacturing processes through the utilization of optimized network architectures. The findings demonstrate the efficacy of the ANN model in improving FDM process control and performance.

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Optimizing Surface Roughness of PLA Printed Parts using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)

2023-01-01 , Hadi Irazman H.N. , Mohd Sazli Saad , Mohamad Ezral Baharudin , Mohd Zakimi Zakaria , Nor A.M. , As'arry A.

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is an additive manufacturing-based rapid prototyping technology that has gained widespread attention due to its ability to produce complex geometries with relatively low cost and fast production time. However, the surface finish of the FDM printed parts can be adversely affected by the selection of input parameters, such as layer height, infill density, print temperature, etc. This study aims to investigate the impact of these parameters on surface roughness and optimize the FDM process to improve surface finish. Two optimization approaches were employed in the study to address this problem, namely the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method. The impacts of four factors, layer height, printing speed, infill density, and print temperature, on the surface roughness of Polylactic Acid (PLA) printed parts were evaluated. A Face-centred Central Composite Design (FCCD) was used to reduce the number of experiments and to optimize the process. Both RSM and PSO methods were employed to find the best combination of process parameters for minimum surface roughness. The results of the experiment indicated that the optimal settings for minimum surface roughness were a layer height of 0.10 mm, printing speed of 30.36 m/s, infill density of 77.10 %, and print temperature of 195.12 °C, resulting in a surface roughness value of 1.31 µm. From these findings, the PSO optimization method was found to be more effective than the RSM method, showing a significant improvement in surface roughness with a reduction of 13.5 %.