Mechanical behavior of 3D printed polymers under tensile and bending loads

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of infill orientation, infill density, and printing speed on the mechanical behavior of PLA, ABS, and PETG materials. Using Taguchi’s DoE approach, relevant mechanical properties determined from uniaxial tensile and four-point bending tests were statistically analyzed to assess their significance. Results indicate that infill orientation and infill density significantly influence the mechanical properties of the materials, whereas printing speed showed minimal impact. The stress-strain for the three materials determined from uniaxial are presented. Furthermore, 3D surfaces plots describing the interaction between the parameters are presented and discussed. These findings provide systematized and accessible information for optimizing 3D printing parameters and calibrating finite element models to predict the behavior of printed components under tensile and bending loads.