Optimization of a Low-melting Alloy for Fused Filament Fabrication

With low-cost Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) systems proliferating among researchers, developing new filament materials to expand the design capabilities of 3D printed objects has become a focus for research. One material property that has been difficult to achieve though is high conductivity, which would enable the integration of embedded circuitry into functional 3D printed devices. This thesis presents the optimization and integration of low-melting alloys into a FFF system for the production of FFF metal components. The material, extrusion system, and the print parameters were optimized to enable reliable extrusion of the selected non-eutectic alloy. By combining this new material with existing FFF plastics, a 3D printed device with functional electronic circuits will become possible.