Development of a Thermo-Mechanical Finite Element Framework for Multi-Layer Fused Filament Fabrication of Polypropylene

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-813-9_16How to use a DOI?

Keywords

fused filament fabrication; polypropylene; finite element modelling; thermo-mechanical modelling; additive manufacturing

ABSTRACT

Fused filament fabrication of semi-crystalline polymers is influenced by complex thermal behaviour that contributes to residual stress and part distortion. This work presents the development of a two-dimensional thermo-mechanical finite element framework for modelling the multi-layer deposition of polypropylene using COMSOL Multiphysics. The model combines sequential material activation with a moving Gaussian heat source to represent the deposition process and captures the transient thermal history. The predicted temperature response demonstrates the characteristic reheating associated with successive layer deposition, with peak temperatures at the layer centres increasing from approximately 142 ℃ in the first layer to 218 ℃ in the fourth layer. This work provides a baseline framework for future development towards a fully integrated thermo-mechanical model for semi-crystalline polymers during fused filament fabrication.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Luke Gilmour
AU  - Anto Antony Samy
AU  - Alistair McIlhagger
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/29
TI  - Development of a Thermo-Mechanical Finite Element Framework for Multi-Layer Fused Filament Fabrication of Polypropylene
BT  - Proceedings of the  Global Symposium on Adaptive Manufacturing (GSAM 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 46
EP  - 48
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-813-9_16
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-813-9_16
ID  - Gilmour2026
ER  -