Computer aided simulation and performance evaluation of additive manufacturing technology for component parts manufacturing

Additive manufacturing technology involving the deposition of materials in successive layers provides a realistic possibility for easy and quick production of 3D objects on demand. This work involves the computer-aided simulation and performance evaluation of an additive manufacturing technology. The mechanical design, modelling and simulation of the internal accessory of a railcar were carried out with the aid of the ABAQUS (R) 2016 while the physical experimentations were carried out via the fused deposition modelling (FDM) method using three different 3D printing materials, namely acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, epoxy resin and polytetrafluoroethylene. An additive manufacturing system which essentially comprises the mechanical part having the stepper motor, micro-switch and extruder, and the electronics board having MELZI V2.0, a DIY shield board, USB to serial converter and Arduino micro controller was used for the product manufacturing. The analysis of the results gotten indicates that the three materials possess excellent mechanical properties which make them suitable for the service requirements. This work will assist manufacturers in their quest for innovativeness in product development as well as reduction in the manufacturing lead time and cost.