Page 51 - eBook_Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Manufacturing V1

EVALUATING POLYMETHYL
METHACRYLATE (PMMA) AND

BLOCKBOARD AS ENCLOSURE
MATERIALS FOR AMBIENT
STABILITY IN FDM PRINTING

Mohd Haidiezul Jamal Ab Hadi (Universiti Malaysia Perlis)*,
Shahrizal Dolah (Universiti Putra Malaysia), Noorhafiza Muhammad
(Universiti Malaysia Perlis), Mohamad Syafiq Abd. Khadir (Universiti
Malaysia Perlis), Wan Mohd Faizal Wan Abd Rahim (Universiti
Malaysia Perlis), Mohd Hazwan Mohd Hanid (Universiti Malaysia
Perlis), Muhammad Nur Misbah (Universiti Malaysia Perlis)

ABSTRACT

Maintaining a stable ambient temperature is critical for high-
quality Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3D printing. Open-
frame printers are susceptible to temperature fluctuations that can
cause warping, poor layer adhesion, and print failures. Enclosures
help control the print environment, but the performance of
different enclosure materials is not fully understood. While
PMMA, known scientifically as Polymethyl Methacrylate
(PMMA), is favoured for its lightweight and modularity, the
thermal performance when compared to wood-based enclosures
such as blockboard (a laminated wood core panel) remains a
question. This study compares the effectiveness of PMMA and
blockboard enclosures in maintaining ambient temperature during
the FDM 3D printing process. A Creality Ender 3 Pro printer was
used to fabricate a complex geometry model designed in Autodesk
3Ds Max. Two custom enclosures were prepared, one using 3 mm
PMMA sheets and the other using blockboard, built with similar
dimensions. The nozzle and bed temperatures were set at 270 °C
and 110 °C respectively, with a 0.20 mm layer height. Ambient
temperature inside each enclosure was recorded every 10 minutes
throughout the printing process. Results show that the PMMA

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