Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) has emerged as the most popular additive manufacturing technology, enabling the creation of complex three-dimensional, multi-material objects with unprecedented ease and efficiency. The printing process is based on the extrusion of molten polymer from a nozzle and the subsequent deposition onto a surface. The 3D object is composed in a layer-fashion way by means of the movement of a print-head.

Despite the FFF's widespread adoption in diverse industries, ranging from aerospace to healthcare, the printing performance still do not meet the requirements in terms of dimensional accuracy, mechanical properties and resolution. Within this context, gaining a profound understanding of the underlying physical principles governing the Fused Filament Fabrication process is of paramount importance for developing novel strategies to enhance printing quality.

This seminar will focus on the deposition and extrusion process, uncovering the interdependencies between process parameters and material properties, with the scope of providing an overview of the multifaceted phenomena that characterize FFF.