UV curable FILAMENT?

Assuming we all want the strongest parts possible In 3d printing, it seems we are limited to reprap-style extrusion, which is doomed to layer adhesion issues no matter how awesome of filament you choose (carbon fiber infused, nylon, PET, etc.) or SLA which is cost prohibitive and complicated. But what if we combined techniques for a middle of the road compromise? What if we made a filament that was UV curable? Reading the datasheets on some of these SLA resins, I find that SLA resin printed parts can (depending on resin, of course) increase strength by a factor of 5, simply by post-processing in a UV cure oven. Would it not be possible to make a filament that, after being extruded into a finished part, when it is exposed to heat and UV light, bonds on a molecular level to nullify the issue of layer adhesion?

I'm not a thermoplastics engineer and I really have no clue what I'm talking about, so feel free to drop a dope slap of reality across my face. I assume there's something wrong with this idea since I can't find any UV curable filament for sale. But, I thought I'd drop the idea, just in case.

I think putting parts in an acetone vapor bath (for ABS) would give a similar affect as putting SLA parts in a UV oven. the layers would be able to "melt" together more thoroughly.

Having a UV curable filament doesn't make much sense to me, granted im not a materials engineer either. But the UV is what bonds the resin into layers to begin with. So with a UV filament you would need it to be extrudeable at appropriate temperatures, THEN UV curable.

It would be interesting to see a comparison between a vapor bathed part and a UV baked part to see if they are comparable...

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Quote
gmh39
I think putting parts in an acetone vapor bath (for ABS) would give a similar affect as putting SLA parts in a UV oven. the layers would be able to "melt" together more thoroughly.

Having a UV curable filament doesn't make much sense to me, granted im not a materials engineer either. But the UV is what bonds the resin into layers to begin with. So with a UV filament you would need it to be extrudeable at appropriate temperatures, THEN UV curable.

It would be interesting to see a comparison between a vapor bathed part and a UV baked part to see if they are comparable...

I don't have any experience post processing ABS in a vapor bath, though I do plan to try it. My SWAG is that it would create a well-fused shell on the exterior surface, but the layers just 1mm inside the structure would suffer the same issue that an un-processed part would. I could be wrong about that though; When I write on white ABS parts with a sharpie marker, I notice that the ink spreads out over the surface as if the ABS is as absorbent as a paper napkin. It could soak into the part as deep as is spreads across the surface.

Anyway, assuming that ABS doesn't absorb the acetone more than 1mm deep, I think the UV curable filament would have an advantage if it were clear/translucent like t-glase or PET+ and the UV rays could penetrate to the core of the part and cure it thoroughly throughout.

... you can put some UV-resin in a motor-driven dispenser and attach some high power UV-diodes to the tip, so the leaving resin is instantly hardening when leaving the needle.

Look here for an example - [www.reprap.org]

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I would imagine a custom G-code and then Adding carbon fiber or Kevlar tow to this uv-tip with resin extruder Idea would produce a very strong print.

The main problems are:

1 how to lay down the print to correctly get uni-directional patterns ensuring the strength modulus of the fibers using g-code?

2. Applying the correct amount of resin on the filament fibers per cm/3 to insure fine layer adhesion.

As I see it if you can print in a weaving pattern and then apply a thin layer of UV resin which is 80% cured by the UV light then secondary layers would adhere, fiber would be woven as is typical carbon composites and the print should end up as strong as high strength aluminum.

.....In theory.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2014 10:25AM by creativeautomaton.

Just an example of something similar already being done.
In respect of laying carbon fiber, that is.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2014 10:34AM by MrDoctorDIV.

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