Influence of FDM 3D printing process parameters on the tensile strength of pla parts.

Abstract

Multi color 3D printing technology is increasingly being widely applied in product design, technical education, and rapid prototyping. However, the mechanical strength of the parts heavily depends on the process parameters during printing. This study focuses on investigating the effect of three main printing parameters: layer thickness, printing speed, and nozzle temperature, on the tensile strength of specimens made from PLA material using FDM technology. The experiments were designed according to the Taguchi method with 9 runs. Test specimens were fabricated following the ISO 527-2 standard and tested on an Instron 3382A machine. The results show that layer thickness and nozzle temperature have the strongest influence on the tensile strength, while printing speed has a weaker effect. The optimal parameter set recorded is: layer thickness 0.16 mm, nozzle temperature 210°C and printing speed 300 mm/s