3D Printing using an Industrial Robotic Arm and a Cellulose based filament

Abstract: 3D printing is today done with plastic or metals. Material properties of plastics are too poor in some cases for desired applications. 3D printing is also limited by the need to print in horizontal layers. This thesis project investigates how a continuous thread of cellulose based filament reinforced with a binding material can be used instead in the 3D printing process to increase the material properties and how it can be severed at the end of a print sequence. The use of cellulose based filament is proposed to promote a more environmentally friendly material as opposed to pure plastic-based materials. The thesis also investigates how to print in a non-horizontal fashion using a robotic arm and spatial printing. A printer head was developed to include the continuous thread in the printing process and to cut it when desired. The head was developed so that it could be attached to an ABB robotic arm so as to allow spatial printing. To fully utilize the robot for 3D printing purposes a software interface was developed and adapted. The full system was tested against test cases to find the optimal printing parameters. The results show that the developed hardware was able to cut the continuous thread at desired intervals and the developed software was able to generate the necessary instructions for the ABB robot and printer head to complete a 3D printing sequence. The final system was deemed partially successful but needs further development for practical applications.