Additive manufactured structures are replacing the corresponding ones realized with classical manufacturing technique. As for metallic structures, 3D printed components are generally subjected to dynamic loading conditions which can lead to fatigue failure. In this context, it is useful, and sometimes mandatory, to determine the fatigue life of such components through numerical simulation. The methods currently available in literature for the estimation of fatigue life were originally developed for metallic structures and, therefore, it is now necessary to verify their applicability also for components fabricated with different materials. To this end, in the current activity three of the most used spectral methods for the estimation of fatigue life were used to determine the fatigue life of a 3D printed Y-shaped specimen realized in polylactic acid subjected to random loads with the aim of determining their adaptability also for this kind of materials. To certify the accuracy of the numerical prediction, a set of experimental tests were conducted in order to obtain the real fatigue life of the component and to compare the experimental results with those numerically obtained. The obtained outcomes showed there is an excellent match between the numerical and the experimental data, thus certifying the possibility of using the investigated spectral methods to predict the fatigue life of additive manufactured components.
The industrial interest in additive manufacturing (AM) techniques is currently increasing for the realization of functional mechanical components. For this reason, the structural simulation of parts or complete structures made using this new manufacturing technique is gaining considerable importance. To realise accurate finite element models for the purpose of predicting the dynamic or static behaviour of the component printed and avoid unexpected failures, it is necessary to be aware of some mechanical and physical properties of the print material. Unfortunately, in the literature, it is very difficult to find all the data necessary to perform static or dynamic simulations of 3D printed parts. In this context, this activity aims to determine all these mechanical and physical properties for parts made in White-Pearl Polylactic-acid (PLA) Ultimaker filament using the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technique. A set of printing parameters was chosen and kept constant in all tests which, based on literature data, maximizes the static strength and the fatigue limit of the component. Only the building direction was varied to increase the applicability of the obtained results to any geometry. The main results found for the horizontally moulded specimens (representing the best constructive solution) are the Ultimate Tensile Strength equal to 57.15 MPa, the elastic modulus 2606 MPa, the fatigue limit evaluated at $$2 \times 10^{6}$$
2
×
10
6
cycles equal to 13.5 MPa, the damping and density of the material of 0.008 dimensionless value and 1.1246 g/cm3, respectively. Only thanks to the obtained results, finite element models can be developed for reliable static and dynamic analysis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.