An Experimental and Computational Comparison Between the Eco-Friendly PLA-Based 3D Printed Component and the GFRP Component

3D printing gives us a glimpse into the future of additive manufacturing that might possibly revolutionize the industry. It is a highly efficient manufacturing method as no waste formation occurs due to its “additive” nature. In this paper, we utilize eco-friendly polylactic acid (PLA) as a raw material in the fused deposition modelling approach of 3D printing. The component made through this approach is then tested against a glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) component to test its utility and potentially offer PLA as a sustainable alternative. The comparison was conducted based on dynamic mechanical analysis to contrast their vibration damping properties and ultimate tensile strength using the universal testing machine. Computational simulation through ANSYS was explored to predict the ultimate tensile strength of the two components to eliminate the requirement of experimental tests for further studies. The results showed that the PLA-based component exhibited much higher vibration damping properties but lesser ultimate tensile strength when compared to the GFRP component.