Effects of FDM Parameters on Energy Consumption and Mechanical Properties of Thermoplastic Parts
The Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) additive manufacturing process is recently being introduced for industrial applications such as tools and fixtures due to its capabilities in building free form and complex shapes that are otherwise challenging to manufacture by conventional methods. The influence of FDM process parameters and their optimization on the energy consumption and mechanical properties of parts manufactured with FDM have not been studied extensively. In this study, the Taguchi L27 robust experimental design and analytical procedure was used to investigate the relationships among 5 FDM process parameters and how they affect the qualities of Polylactic Acid thermoplastic, including time of manufacture, surface roughness, tensile strength, dimensional accuracy, and energy consumption. The parameters varied include layer thickness, infill pattern, infill density, print speed, and wall thickness. The first replication of 27 ASTM Type IV Dogbones is complete, with a second replication underway. Mechanical and physical tests are currently being performed.