Development and Optimisation of Additively Manufactured Radiometer Casing for Cosmic Particles Characterization

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a digital technology for producingcomponents directly from a 3D model. This study develops the radiometer casing usingthe Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) of the AM technology. The 3D model of thecasing was modeled in a Rhinoceros environment while the implementation wascarried out using the FFF. The optimisation of the process parameters was carried outusing the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and the Central Composite Design(CCD). The range of the process parameters were: extrusion temperature (230-250oC),extrusion velocity (50 mm/sec-250 mm/sec), filament orientation (0-90o) and layerthickness (0.10-0.50 mm). Taking the surface roughness as the response of thedesigned experiment, the statistical analysis of the results obtained from the numericaland physical experiments was used to obtain a predictive model for surface roughness.Furthermore, the combinations of the process parameters that produced the leastsurface roughness (2.05µm) were: extrusion temperature (240 oC), extrusion velocity(150 mm/sec), filament orientation (45o) as well as layer thickness (0.30 mm). Thisstudy provides an insight into the feasible range of process parameters that willenhance the surface finish of products developed using Polyethylene TerephthalateGlycol (PETG) filament.