Malaysia Polymer International Conference 2017 (MPIC 2017)

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN 3D PRINTING OF POLYMERS AND THEIR

COMPOSITES

Hazizan Md Akil*, Tuan Noraihan Azila Tuan Rahim

School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering,

Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang.

*Corresponding author: hazizan@usm.my

Additive manufacturing or more colloquially referred as 3D printing is emerged as one of the attractive
manufacturing option to build intricate parts without human intervention. Allowing for product customization, the
technology has been introduced approximately three decades ago for variety types of material including metal,
ceramic and polymer. However, it was just for the past few years that this technology becoming more popular and
rapidly growing for various applications. The technique based on hot melt extrusion process is among of the most
widely used, known as fused deposition modeling (FDM). Recently, by taking advantages of the ability to be
prepared in the form of filament feedstock, as well as possessing moderate melting temperature, FDM
predominantly targets the production of thermoplastic polymers and their composites. Hence, this review focused on
the recent developments of the FDM technique with strong emphasis on its product development and properties of
thermoplastic polymers and their composites. The scenario on how this technology affecting the automotive,
aerospace and medical industries, the challenges and future outlook of FDM research are also explored.

Keywords: 3D printing, additive manufacturing, fused deposition modeling, thermoplastic polymer, mechanical
properties