Impact of Raster Angles on the Mechanical Performance of 3D Printed Face Shield

This study investigated the influence of raster angles on the mechanical properties of 3D-printed facial protectors using polylactic acid and thermoplastic polyurethane materials.

Shore D hardness, impact resistance, tensile, and compression tests were conducted to evaluate material performance under different printing orientations.

Polylactic acid maintains relative hardness consistency regardless of the printing orientation, while thermoplastic polyurethane exhibits greater variability. In terms of impact resistance, thermoplastic polyurethane outperformed polylactic acid, making it more suitable for applications requiring high energy absorption. Tensile tests revealed that raster orientation significantly affected the mechanical properties, with polylactic acid showing higher tensile strength at 0° raster and thermoplastic polyurethane demonstrating greater ductility. In compression, polylactic acid maintained more consistent strength, whereas thermoplastic polyurethane showed greater variability.

The material type and print orientation selection should be tailored to specific application needs, highlighting the advantages of 3D printing for customizing and optimizing facial protection devices.