Metrological Evaluation of Dimensional and Surface Roughness of Thermoplastic PLA Parts in High-Speed MEX 3D Printing...

This study addresses the influence of process conditions on the dimensional accuracy, geometric deviations, and surface quality of PLA parts manufactured using high-dynamics material extrusion (MEX) technology. The aim was to identify the dominant sources of variability and to assess within-condition manufacturing consistency and inter-machine consistency. The investigation considered two 3D printers, nine build locations on the working platform, two printing strategies (layer-by-layer and model-by-model), and model face orientation. Additionally, an exploratory comparison of aligned and random seam configurations and an analysis of local temperature variations within the build chamber were performed. Regular dodecahedron geometries were manufactured using a Bambu Lab P1S system and processed under identical high-quality printing parameters. Dimensional measurements were performed using a Linear 100 universal length measuring machine, while full-field geometric deviations were acquired using a GOM Scan 1 structured-light 3D scanner. Surface roughness (Ra) was measured with a MarSurf XR 20 profilometer. Part orientation is the dominant source of dimensional variability, representing the largest relative contribution to linear deviation in the mixed-effects model (ΔR² = 0.776), while local temperature variations near the printing zone were associated with location-dependent dimensional deviations. Within the supplementary temperature dataset, the regression model including temperature and printers explained 66% of the variability in mean linear dimension. This association provides indirect evidence of a thermal contribution but does not establish direct causality. The layer-by-layer strategy provided better dimensional stability than the model-by-model approach. In the exploratory seam comparison, seam configuration did not explain the orientation-dependent LD pattern. Surface roughness variability was primarily geometry-driven (ΔR² = 0.852). Variability between independent manufacturing series and specimens for linear deviation and Ra was low after accounting for the investigated factors, indicating consistent process performance under constant settings; however, the present design did not allow measurement repeatability and reproducibility to be separated. In conclusion, dimensional accuracy in high-dynamics MEX is strongly associated with part orientation, while thermal variations may represent an additional contributing factor; however, the observed correlation between thermal conditions and dimensional variability does not establish direct causality.