Fused filament fabrication 3D printing using low-melting alloys.

Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing technology has been a popular method of creating prototypes using plastics in the timeliest and most affordable manner for electronic, automotive, and biomedical applications. 3D printing of metals and alloys using FFF technology could provide low-cost alternatives and solutions to the Laser-Powder Bed Fusion Process (L-PBF) and Binder Jetting processes (BJ). In current work, low melting alloys have been used as a starting material and evaluated for FFF 3D printing using two methodologies. In the first methodology, Sn60Bi40 alloy in the form of wire was used as the feedstock for FFF extrusion and process parameters for the fabrication of 2D and 3D geometries were developed. In the second methodology, low melting alloys of Sn42Bi58, Sn60Bi40 and Sn89Sb7.5 were cast onto 3-D printed molds to fabricate metal structures. The influence of mold cooling temperature on the cast specimens of Sn60Bi40 alloy was evaluated. The fabricated specimens were evaluated for its part formability, mechanical properties, and microstructure. A prototype was fabricated using the FFF 3D printing methodology and a souvenir was cast using the FFF 3D casting methodology to show case the applicability of the FFF metal 3D printing process