Quality Control Study on 3D Printed Parts

Abstract

Abstract During the past several decades, additive manufacturing (i.e., 3D printing) has attracted attention from different fields such as design, manufacturing, aerospace, robotics, construction, biomedical, or even the food industry. As 3D printing is transitioning from being just a prototyping capability in the product development process to a final product fabrication capability, there is a need to increase the knowledge of both regular and professional 3D printing users to enhance printing quality. This work has focused on understanding the effect of printing conditions on the final quality of 3D printed parts from both visual and strength aspects. Specifically, we have focused on print deposition angle, the number of shell walls, and retraction speed. Additionally, a micro-scale characterization is performed to better understand the behavior of 3D printing polymers under different relative humidities. It is found that the number of walls does not show any conclusive pattern on the quality and strength of the parts. However, if selected properly, retraction speed and deposition angle could improve the final quality. The most optimum printing condition with maximum ultimate tensile strength is to be with two shell walls, a retraction speed of 75 mm/s and 0 degrees angle of deposition. Additionally, it is found the lower relative humidity during the prints can enhance the strength of filament bonding.