Laboratory for Dynamics of Machines and Structures
An experimental method for simultaneous noncontact identification of elastic modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion in 3D printed materials
Diploma thesis, LADISK, Faculty of Mech Eng, Univ of Ljubljana, August 2022
Recently, alternative composite materials have been promoted for 3D printing, but their properties are still largely unexplored. This thesis presents a non-contact experimental method for the simultaneous determination of elastic modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) in 3D printed materials. The elastic modulus is obtained from the natural frequency of the structure, while the CTE is obtained from temperature measurements with a thermal camera and strain measurements with the digital image correlation method. The application of the method is demonstrated for the identification of the orthotropic material properties of PLA and a composite material made of PLA with the addition of wood particles.