Page 56 - eBook_Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Manufacturing V1

Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Manufacturing –
Volume 1

and blockboard enclosure configurations were systematically
analysed to examine temperature variations and their potential
impacts on thermal stability as well as overall print quality.

Figure 7 shows the experimental setup used in this research,
with Figure 7 (a) illustrating the initial configuration of the
equipment using a PMMA material enclosure, and Figure 7 (b)
depicting the modified setup using blockboard as a material for
the enclosure.

(a) (b)

Figure 7: (a). PMMA material enclosure,
(b) Blockboard material enclosure

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

PMMA Material Enclosure

To evaluate the thermal stability of a closed 3D printing
environment using PMMA sheet material, a PMMA enclosure
was designed and implemented. Figure 8 illustrates the ambient
temperature profile recorded within a PMMA enclosure over the
course of a 200-minute FDM process.

During the initial 30 minutes, the internal temperature exhibits
a sharp increase from approximately 36°C to 67°C. This rapid rise
suggests efficient early-stage heat accumulation, likely
attributable to the enclosure’s capacity to retain thermal energy
generated by the printing components. Following this initial

40