The Effect of FDM Parameters on the Mechanical Properties of PLA Printed Parts

Mohd Nazri  Ahmad; Mohamad Ridzwan  Ishak; Muhammad Zulfikri  Zulkafle Hannah

doi:10.37934/aram.123.1.238246

Authors

Mohd Nazri Ahmad Centre of Smart System and Innovative Design, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, Durian Tunggal 76100, Melaka, Malaysia
Mohamad Ridzwan Ishak Department of Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Muhammad Zulfikri Zulkafle Hannah Faculty of Industrial and Manufacturing Technology and Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, Durian Tunggal 76100, Melaka, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37934/aram.123.1.238246

Keywords:

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Three-Dimensional Printing (3DP), Polylactic Acid (PLA), Mechanical Properties

Abstract

The most common method for additive manufacturing of thermoplastics is fused deposition modeling (FDM), which is becoming a growing trend in a variety of engineering applications since it can easily create intricate parts. The appropriate choice of process parameters has a significant impact on the mechanical qualities of 3D-printed parts. This study examined the effect of four crucial process variables on the tensile strength of polylactic acid (PLA) samples: infill density, printing speed, build orientation, and layer thickness. Samples were printed in accordance with ASTM D638 using an FDM 3D printer. The findings of this study show that the tensile strength of the PLA-printed samples is highly influenced by factors such as layer thickness, build orientation, and infill density. The PLA-printed samples' tensile strength and Young's modulus were significantly affected by the 90° orientations, hollow infill, 0.4 mm thickness, and 100 mm/s speed. Therefore, as the FDM 3D printer becomes progressively more significant for manufacturing engineering components, finding the parameter values that may lead to stronger mechanical and physical characteristics would definitely help designers and manufacturers globally.