Characterization and parametric optimization of additive manufacturing process for enhancing mechanical properties

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, offers advanced capabilities for creating complex components.
• Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a widely used AM technique for engineering polymers, but its mechanical properties are sensitive to process parameters.
• Understanding the influence of printing settings on component quality is crucial for FDM applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally investigate the impact of FDM process parameters on the flexural strength of 3D printed Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) components.
• To optimize these parameters for improved mechanical performance.
• To compare the effectiveness of different optimization methods: Taguchi, response surface methodology, and a hybrid genetic algorithm.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Taguchi's L18 mixed orthogonal array to design experiments, varying parameters like layer height, raster width, raster angle, and orientation angle.
• Prepared Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) specimens according to ASTM D790 standards.
• Evaluated flexural strength using UNITEK-94100 universal testing equipment.
• Applied Taguchi method, response surface approach, and a hybrid genetic algorithm for data analysis and optimization.

Main Results:

• The study identified key process parameters significantly affecting the flexural strength of FDM-printed ABS parts.
• Optimization using a hybrid genetic algorithm yielded superior results compared to the Taguchi method and response surface approach.
• The genetic algorithm demonstrated a more promising approach for achieving optimal flexural strength in FDM components.

Conclusions:

• FDM process parameters critically influence the flexural strength of ABS components.
• A hybrid genetic algorithm is a highly effective method for optimizing FDM printing parameters to enhance material properties.
• This research provides valuable insights for improving the mechanical integrity of 3D printed polymer parts through optimized manufacturing processes.