[Master's Thesis/Forschungspraxis] Efficient 3D Printing in Vacuum: How Process Parameters Affect Heat Transfer in PEEK Components

06.08.2025, Abschlussarbeiten, Bachelor- und Masterarbeiten

The University of the Bundeswehr Munich, in collaboration with TUM, offers a Master's thesis focused on optimizing 3D printing of PEEK components in a vacuum using a filament-based FFF printer. The project involves adapting an existing Ansys simulation model, conducting experiments, and validating results to develop guidelines for process parameter selection.

Background: At the Institute of Energy Technology at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich (UniBw), a filament-based 3D printer (FFF) has been developed that operates in a high vacuum environment to produce polymer components from high-performance thermoplastics. This process is of interest for manufacturing in space environments as well as for terrestrial applications such as medical technology.

The absence of convection in the vacuum provides the opportunity to process high-temperature polymers without the need for additional environmental heating, which has a positive effect on layer adhesion. On the other hand, the lack of cooling poses a challenge. If the introduced energy cannot be sufficiently dissipated through conduction and radiation, the geometry deviates significantly from the target. To characterize the energy input, a meaningful physical model of the process is necessary. Such a model has been developed at the Chair of Structural Mechanics at UniBw Munich.

Objective of the Work: The aim of this work is to identify suitable parameters for producing PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) components with defined geometries using FFF in a vacuum with the help of the developed Ansys model. These parameters should then be experimentally validated. From this, a procedure should be developed that enables prediction of optimal printing parameters for modified geometries based on simulation.

Workflow (The workload is designed for a Master's thesis; for other types of theses, the scope will be adjusted accordingly.):
- Familiarization & literature research (Additive manufacturing of PEEK, thermal simulation for FFF)
- Adapting the Ansys model for vacuum environments
- Simulating the specified parameters
- Selection and, if necessary, design of test geometries
- Fabrication of PEEK geometries using the vacuum 3D printer
- Recording and processing thermal camera data
- Conducting mechanical tests
- Comparing simulation with experimental data
- Evaluation and documentation

Requirements:
- Independent and structured working style
- Experience with the Ansys modeling environment is advantageous
- Experience with 3D printing is advantageous
- Experience with image processing using MATLAB or Python is advantageous

Kontakt: jay.phruekthayanon@tum.de

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