An Investigation to Study the Effect of Process Parameters on the Strength and Fatigue Behavior of 3D-Printed PLA-Graphene

Abstract

3D printing, an additive manufacturing process, draws particular attention due to its ability to produce components directly from a 3D model; however, the mechanical properties of the produced pieces are limited. In this paper, we present, from the experimental aspect, the fatigue behavior and damage analysis of polylactic acid (PLA)-Graphene manufactured using 3D printing. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the combined effect of process parameters, loading amplitude, and frequency on fatigue behavior of the 3D-printed PLA-Graphene specimens. Firstly, a specific case study (single printed filament) was analyzed and compared with spool material for understanding the nature of 3D printing of the material. Specific experiments of quasi-static tensile tests are performed. A strong variation of fatigue strength as a function of the loading amplitude, frequency, and process parameters is also presented. The obtained experimental results highlight that fatigue lifetime clearly depends on the process parameters as well as the loading amplitude and frequency. Moreover, when the frequency is 80 Hz, the coupling effect of thermal and mechanical fatigue causes self-heating, which decreases the fatigue lifetime. This paper comprises useful data regarding the mechanical behavior and fatigue lifetime of 3D-printed PLA-Graphene specimens. In fact, it evaluates the effect of process parameters based on the nature of this process, which is classified as a thermally-driven process.

In-Process Monitoring of Temperature Evolution during Fused Filament Fabrication: A Journey from Numerical to Experimental Approaches

“…Regarding different methods that are widely used in AM, FFF has brought much attention due to its ability to provide functional prototypes in numerous polymers [14] and thermoplastics [15] (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), Nylon, etc.) and composite-based polymers [16,17]. FFF, also known as fused deposition modeling (patented in 1989 [18]), was developed and utilized for modeling and prototyping to produce complex geometrical, low cost, and easy operation parts.…”

Deposition of Biocompatible Polymers by 3D Printing (FDM) on Titanium Alloy

“…Due to the fact that the print parameters are crucial, the parameters used for depositing plastics with 3D FDM printing to metal are presented in Table 3. Researchers agree that the parameters for the 3D FDM printing process have a significant influence on the properties of the printed element [68][69][70][71][72][73]. Due to the fact that the print parameters are crucial, the parameters used for depositing plastics with 3D FDM printing to metal are presented in Table 3.…”

Vibration Fatigue of FDM 3D Printed Structures: The Use of Frequency Domain Approach

“…Beside previous aspects, the mechanical characterization of the materials used in 3D printing and the study of the influence of the printing parameters on the structural strength, both static and dynamic, is of considerable interest [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ].…”