Development of a Quality Gate Reference Model for FDM Processes

Additive manufacturing (AM) enables industries to accomplish mass customization by creating complex products in small batches. For this purpose, fused deposition modeling (FDM) is widely used in 3D printing where the material is applied layer-by-layer from a digital model to form a three-dimensional object. There still exist problems in FDM processes regarding the failure rate of printed parts. Failures vary from deformed geometry, clogged nozzles, and dimensional inaccuracies to small parts not being printed that may be attributed to various process steps (e.g., poor quality CAD models, converting issues, overheating, poor quality filament, etc.). The majority of these defects are preventable and are caused by imprudent try-and-error print processes and troubleshooting quality control. The aim of this chapter is to propose a quality gate reference process with defined requirement criteria to prevent the occurrence of defects. The framework shall be applied in quality control and in-situ process monitoring to enhance overall manufacturing quality.