EXPERIMENTAL AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF 3D PRINTING PARAMETERS ON MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE

Abstract

This study examines the influence of material type, layer height, and fill rate on the surface hardness, bending strength, and printing duration of specimens produced via Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). Specimens made from PLA+ and ABS were fabricated using two distinct layer thicknesses (0.10 mm and 0.20 mm) and four varying fill rates (40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%). The mechanical properties of these specimens were assessed through three-point bending tests and Shore D hardness evaluations. The Taguchi optimization method was employed to identify optimal printing parameters that maximize bending strength and surface hardness while minimizing printing time. The findings revealed that PLA+ displayed superior bending strength compared to ABS, particularly at elevated infill densities. Furthermore, the fill rate predominantly affected the surface hardness, with higher densities correlating with improved hardness values. Statistical analysis conducted through ANOVA indicated that the material type significantly impacts bending strength, while the fill rate primarily influences surface hardness. In addition, the findings indicate that the print time is significantly affected by both material selection and filler density. The results obtained have been verified by producing control samples. According to the verification tests, the model was able to perform predictions with deviations changing between %3-16. This study highlights the essential trade-off between mechanical performance and production efficiency in 3D printing applications and suggests a different approach to optimizing manufacturing process parameters in order to improve part quality while reducing production costs.