Slip Risk on Surfaces Made with 3D Printing Technology.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Tribology
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Slip risk on surfaces is a critical concern for human safety and mechanical system reliability.
• 3D printing technology offers novel possibilities for surface design but requires thorough slip risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the slip risk of surfaces fabricated using 3D printing.
• To analyze the influence of material type, printing direction, and surface roughness on slip resistance.
• To compare slip resistance under dry and wet conditions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the British Portable Skid Resistance Tester (BSRT) to measure the Slip Resistance Value (SRV).
• Tested three 3D printing materials: Polylactic Acid (PLA), Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PET-G), and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU).
• Investigated three print head movement directions relative to the BSRT measurement and performed surface roughness tests.

Main Results:

• Dry conditions: Printing direction perpendicular to movement offered the lowest slip risk.
• Material safety: TPU was safest in dry conditions; PLA was safest in wet conditions.
• Wet conditions: A 45° printing angle on a horizontal plane generally reduced slippage.
• SRV classification: All tested materials exhibited low to extremely low slip risk (55-90 SRV dry, 35-60 SRV wet).

Conclusions:

• Material type significantly impacts slip resistance, more so than printing direction or roughness.
• The interaction between material type and test conditions (dry/wet) is statistically significant for slip resistance.
• 3D printed surfaces generally present low slip risk, with optimal material and printing orientation choices enhancing safety.