Additive manufacturing technologies play an important role in Industry 4.0. One of the most prevalent processes is fused deposition modelling (FDM) due to its versatility and low cost. However, there is still a lack of standardization of materials and procedures within this technology. This work aims to study the relationship of certain operating parameters and the conditions of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) polymer with the results of the manufactured parts in dimensional terms, surface quality, and mechanical strength. In this way, the impact of some material characteristics is analyzed, such as the pigmentation of the material and the environmental humidity where it has been stored. The manufacturing parameter that relates to these properties has been the extrusion temperature since it is the most influential in this technology. The results are quite affected especially by humidity, being a parameter little studied in the literature.

The application of techniques to improve the surface finish of pieces obtained by fused deposition modelling, as well as other functional aspects, is of great interest nowadays. Polylactic acid, a biodegradable material, has been considered a possible substitute for petroleum-based polymers. In this work, different chemical post-processing methods are applied to polylactic acid pieces obtained by fused deposition modelling and some characteristics are studied. Structural, thermal, and crystallinity property changes are analyzed according to the treatments applied. This can prevent degradation, eliminate the glass transition phase of the material, and thereby increase the thermal resistance by about 50 °C. An improvement in the roughness of the pieces of up to 97% was also found.

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Nowadays, improvement of the surface finish of parts manufactured by fused deposition modelling is a well-studied topic. Chemical post-treatments have proven to be the best technique in terms of time consumption and smoothness improvement. However, these treatments modify the structure of the material and, consequently, its mechanical properties. This relationship was studied in this work. In this case, on the basis of a previous study on crystallisation, polylactic acid pieces were subjected to different post-treatments to evaluate their effects on the sample’s mechanical properties, i.e., tensile strength and hardness. Models were obtained according to their percentage of crystallisation, which was related to the different treatments, as well as immersion time. Dramatic changes were obtained within a wide range of material behaviour with some treatments. Specifically, changes were obtained in the maximum stress (from 55 to 20 MPa), in elongation (from 3% to 260%), and in the hardness scale (Shore D to A).

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Purpose Fused filament fabrication or fused deposition modeling (FFF/FDM) has as one of its main restrictions the surface quality intrinsic to the process, especially linked to the layer thickness used during manufacture. The purpose of this paper is to study the possibility of improving the surface quality of polylactic acid (PLA) parts manufactured by FFF using the shot blasting technique. Design/methodology/approach The influence of corundum blasting on 0.2 mm layer thickness FDM PLA parts treated with two sizes of abrasive, different exposure times and different incidence pressures. Findings As a result, improvements of almost 80% were obtained in the surface roughness of the pieces with high exposure times, and more than 50% in just 20 s. Originality/value This technique is cheap, versatile and adaptable to different part sizes and geometries. Furthermore, it is a fast and environmentally friendly technique compared to conventional machining or vapor smoothing. Despite this, no previous studies have been carried out to improve the quality of this technology.