Rotating Bending Fatigue Analysis of Printed Specimens from Assorted Polymer Materials

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is a widely adopted additive manufacturing (AM) technique for producing prototypes and functional parts.
• Commonly used FFF materials include polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA).
• Existing research extensively covers the mechanical and fatigue properties of these materials, but lacks S-N curve data from rotating bending fatigue analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and present rotating bending fatigue data for 3D printed specimens of PLA, ABS, and ASA.
• To address the scarcity of S-N curve information for these materials under fatigue loading conditions.
• To contribute foundational data for the design and application of FFF components subjected to cyclic stress.

Main Methods:

• 3D printed specimens of PLA, ABS, and ASA were prepared using FFF.
• Rotating bending fatigue tests were conducted on the specimens.
• Fatigue life data was collected under various applied loading values.

Main Results:

• The study generated comprehensive rotating bending fatigue data for the selected 3D printed materials.
• S-N curves were established based on the experimental fatigue test results.
• The data provides insights into the fatigue behavior of FFF materials under rotating bending stress.

Conclusions:

• This research fills a critical knowledge gap regarding the rotating bending fatigue characteristics of 3D printed PLA, ABS, and ASA.
• The presented S-N curves are valuable for engineers and researchers designing components with these materials.
• The findings support the increased use of FFF parts in applications requiring fatigue resistance.