Development of moulds for thermoforming using FFF additive manufacturing and axiomatic design

Abstract Additive manufacturing processes are mainly used for prototype production. However, an innovative approach consists of producing moulds or tools, which can be used for other traditional manufacturing processes. The main problem with these plastic moulds is that they cannot achieve the traditional metallic moulds properties and quality. By using an axiomatic design, the study analyses different approaches available on the market and other unconventional alternatives, thus making it possible to meet the functional requirements. The obtained methodology presents advantages in production cost and time compared to traditional processes, allowing quick production with a high degree of flexibility in the design of the mould. Thus, the printed moulds obtained were tested, and the preliminary results for different process conditions were presented.