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Investigation and Optimization of Effects of 3D Printer Process Parameters on Performance Parameters
Ray Tahir Mushtaq1, Asif Iqbal2, Yanen Wang1
1Bio-Additive Manufacturing University-Enterprise Joint Research Center of Shaanxi Province, Department of Industry Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 13, 2023
Summary
This study optimizes 3D printing settings for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) to balance conflicting responses like strength, surface roughness, print time, and energy consumption. Optimal parameters were identified for improved material performance and efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Additive Manufacturing
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Industries are developing predictive techniques for engineered materials.
- 3D printing with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) presents challenges in optimizing conflicting performance characteristics.
- Balancing mechanical properties, surface finish, print time, and energy consumption is crucial for ABS 3D printing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine optimal 3D printing parameters for ABS.
- To investigate the impact of layer thickness (LT), printing speed (PS), and infill density (ID) on flexural strength (FS), tensile strength (TS), average surface roughness (Ra), print time (T), and energy consumption (E).
- To develop a predictive model for forecasting ABS 3D print outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a full central composite design (CCD) to create twenty experimental samples.
- Employed analysis of variance (ANOVA) to confirm the significance of performance parameters.
- Applied numerical multi-objective optimization to identify ideal settings.
Main Results:
- Layer thickness (LT) significantly influenced surface roughness (Ra) and print time (T).
- Infill density (ID) was most critical for achieving desired mechanical characteristics (FS, TS).
- Optimized parameters: LT = 0.27 mm, ID = 84%, PS = 51.1 mm/s, yielding FS = 58.01 MPa, TS = 35.8 MPa, Ra = 8.01 μm, T = 58 min, E = 0.21 kWh.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully established optimal 3D printing parameters for ABS.
- The developed numerical model enables prediction of surface quality and mechanical properties.
- Manufacturers and practitioners can use this model to forecast outcomes and improve efficiency in ABS 3D printing.
