Slip Risk on Surfaces Made with 3D Printing Technology

Slip risk on surfaces used by humans or active in mechanisms is studied to mitigate its effects or harness its beneficial outcomes. This article presents pioneering research on the risk of surfaces created using 3D printing technology. The study examines three materials (Polylactic Acid, PLA; Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol, PET-G; and Thermoplastic Polyurethane, TPU), considering three print head movement directions relative to the British Portable Skid Resistance Tester (BSRT) measurement direction. In addition, surface roughness tests were performed. Dry tests showed that the structure created by the printing direction perpendicular to the movement direction is the safest in terms of slip risk. The SRVs of the measured samples on a qualitative scale were classified on this scale as materials with low or extremely low slip risk (ranging from 55 to 90 SRV dry and 35 to 60 SRV wet). Referring to the influence of the type of material on the SRV, it was found that the safest material in terms of reducing the risk of slipping in dry conditions is TPU and, in wet conditions, PLA. During wet tests, the best properties that reduce the risk of slippage in most cases are shown by the printing direction on a horizontal plane at an angle of 45° to the direction of movement. Statistical analysis showed that the printing direction and roughness do not have a statistically significant effect on the SRV, but the type of material and the type of method (dry and wet) and their interaction have a significant effect.