Feasibility Study of Manufacturing Hydraulic Fittings Using Additive Manufacturing Technologies: Comparative Analysis...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Conventional hydraulic fitting production generates significant material waste.
• Additive manufacturing (AM) offers a potential solution to reduce waste and enable customized component fabrication.
• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Stereolithography (SLA) are emerging AM technologies for component manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of manufacturing hydraulic fittings using FDM and SLA.
• To assess the dimensional accuracy, thread quality, and leak tightness of 3D-printed hydraulic fittings.
• To compare the performance of FDM- and SLA-printed fittings against conventional brass fittings.

Main Methods:

• Hydraulic fittings were designed using CAD software (SolidWorks 2022).
• FDM with PETG and SLA with photopolymer resin were used for fabrication.
• Non-destructive leak testing was performed per PN-EN 1254 standards (0.1–1.0 bar).
• Dimensional accuracy and microscopic thread quality were analyzed.

Main Results:

• SLA parts showed ~1% shrinkage; FDM parts showed ~2% shrinkage.
• SLA exhibited superior thread quality over FDM, which had layer separation and porosity.
• Both FDM and SLA fittings failed leak tightness tests above 0.5 bar and experienced structural failure at 1.0 bar.
• Brass reference fittings maintained seal integrity.

Conclusions:

• Current FDM and SLA processes with PETG and photopolymer resin, respectively, do not yield leak-tight hydraulic fittings.
• Achieved dimensional tolerances are acceptable, but material properties and thread geometry limit performance.
• Further research into advanced materials (e.g., reinforced polymers) and design optimization is recommended for AM hydraulic fittings.