Variation of Mechanical Properties of ULTEM™ 9085 and 1010 Depending on Orientation and Printing Direction

3D printing can be used to manufacture metallic, ceramic and polymer materials. The materials used in additive manufacturing are a major challenge in manufacturing-oriented engineering processes as the final objective is that the properties of these materials reach levels similar to those of the materials used in classical manufacturing processes. One of the main advantages of additive manufacturing is mainly the ability to obtain complex geometries and the speed of operation, which allows the rapid creation of prototypes to evaluate design alternatives. In the last few years new polymers of high performance have been developed for aerospace applications, so-called advanced plastics, such as PEI (polyetherimide) (ULTEM™ falls into this category) PEKK (Polyether ketone ketone) and PEEK (Polyether ether ketone). These materials presume of high mechanical strength, good resistance to extreme temperatures and most chemical agents, as well as being light, in comparison with traditionally used metals. Due to the nature of additive manufacturing, layer orientation and printing direction (as well as filament manufacturer, layer height, printer used, etc.) play a significant impact in a component’s mechanical qualities, as numerous studies have shown how the properties can change by modifying one of the many printing parameters. As it is critical to better understand the differences between similar polymers to select the best material for each application, mechanical tests were carried out on ULTEM™ 9085 and ULTEM™ 1010 samples to characterize them due to their novelty and small sample of uses. The mechanical tests performed were tensile, flexural, compression and Charpy impact.