Abstract

This project addressed the improvement of the quality of metal components manufactured using material extrusion with a metal-filled feedstock (MEX-TRB/M), an additive manufacturing technology notable for its low cost and accessibility. The work focused on the shaping and chemical debinding stages, analysing how part quality evolves from the green state to the brown state. To this end, dimensional, geometric and surface quality indicators were defined, and specific test specimens were designed to systematically evaluate the influence of different process parameters on quality. Using Design of Experiments (DoE) and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), the effects of manufacturing and treatment parameters, such as layer height and extrusion multiplier, as well as part infill density and debinding time, were investigated. The results made it possible to establish the standard quality achievable for cubic specimens manufactured using Zetamix 316L material and to identify process parameters that reduce dimensional deviations and improve shaping. In addition, significant limitations of chemical debinding were identified, particularly regarding the penetration of the debinding bath into the interior of the parts. These findings provide a basis for future research focusing on more complex geometries and the subsequent thermal debinding and sintering stages.