Effect of Printing Process Parameters on the Tensile Behavior of FDM-Built Parts

The present study deals with the qualification of the effect of polymer printing parameters on tensile mechanical properties of parts manufactured based on the fused filament deposition (FDM) process. Two types of polymers, namely PLA and PETG, were selected for this study. For that the influence of three key FDM parameters which are layer thickness, infill ratio and infill pattern on the mechanical behavior of precited parts were evaluated according a design of experiment. Particular attentions were taken to Young’s Modulus (E) and Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) evolutions. The results demonstrate that these three process parameters have an important influence on the variation of the tensile properties of FDM-manufactured parts. Furthermore, optimal printing parameters for PLA and PETG were determined resulting in higher mechanical properties than those obtained using parameters indicated in the filament technical datasheets.