Joining of polymer-metal hybrid structures by fused deposition modelling

In this study thermoplastic polymers ABS and PLA were deposited over Aluminum alloy 5052 by fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology in order to obtain polymer-metal hybrid structures. The effect of the printing bed temperature and the nozzle offset from the bed on the joint strength is studied. Tensile shear testing was conducted to characterize the strength of the joint. Both varied parameters showed potentials in enhancing the performance of the joint. Moreover, the impact of ABS warping on ABS-AL joint performance is discussed.