An Approach to FFF Elastic Properties Based on Classical Laminate Theory

Abstract

Polymers are the primary materials used in additive manufacturing, with fused filament fabrication (FFF) being one of the most widely adopted techniques. However, the large number of process parameters complicates the prediction of mechanical behavior, often resulting in variability and inefficient material usage. This study introduces a methodology based on Classical Lamination Theory (CLT) for estimating the elastic properties of 3D-printed components. Experimental and numerical analyses were conducted on ABS specimens considering 45 combinations of infill pattern, printing speed, and raster orientation. The results show that the 3D cubic infill pattern exhibited superior mechanical performance compared to 2D configurations such as grid, tri-hexagon and triangle. Performance coefficients were proposed to simultaneously assess mechanical response, material consumption, and printing time, providing a balanced evaluation of process efficiency. ANOVA analysis quantified the influence of each parameter and their interactions. A strong correlation was observed between experimental measurements and CLT-based predictions, with deviations in elastic moduli along directions 1 and 2 of 8.8% and 3.3% for the line pattern, and 8.5% and 8.5% for the grid pattern. The proposed approach offers a consistent framework for predicting mechanical properties and optimizing design parameters in FFF-printed polymer components.