Experimental Modal Analysis and Characterization of Additively Manufactured Polymers

Modern 3D printed components are finding applications in dynamic structures. These structures are often subject to dynamic loadings. To date, research has mostly focused on investigating the mechanical properties of these 3D printed structures with minimum attention paid to their modal analysis. This work is focused on performing experimental modal analysis of 3D printed structures. The results show that the adhesion type has the most significant impact on the vibration response and parameters obtained from the modal analysis. The average dynamic modulus, natural frequency, and damping coefficient increased by approximately 12.5%, 5.5%, and 36%, respectively, for the specimens printed using skirt adhesion compared to those printed using raft adhesion. SEM analysis suggests that the 3D printed specimens with skirt adhesion yielded flattened layers, while raft adhesion resulted in rounded layers. The flattened layers of the specimens with skirt adhesion are likely an indication of an enhanced heat transfer between the 3D printer bed and the specimen. The printed specimens with skirt adhesion are in direct contact with the printer bed during the printing process. This enhances the heat transfer between the specimen and the printer bed, causing the layers to flatten out. The enhanced heat transfer yields a better inter-layer diffusion, resulting in improved physical bonding at the layers' interface. The improved bonding yields higher stiffnesses and natural frequencies. For the specimens with skirt adhesion, the improved heat transfer process is also likely responsible for the enhanced damping properties. The strengthened inter-layer bonding at the layer-layer interface provides better energy dissipation along the contact lines between the layers.