Characterization and parametric optimization of additive manufacturing process for enhancing mechanical properties

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a cutting-edge industrial production technique that enables the creation of lighter, stronger components and systems. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a popular AM process for creating prototypes and functional components out of common engineering polymers. The mechanical characteristics of printed items are dramatically altered as a result of various process factors. As a result, it is critical to examine the impact of printing settings on the quality of the printed item. In terms of flexural strength, this study presents an experimental examination into the quality analysis of parameters on printed components utilizing FDM. By adjusting process factors such as layer height, raster width, raster angle, and orientation angle, the experiment was carried out utilizing Taguchi's L18 mixed orthogonal array approach. The UNITEK-94100 universal testing equipment was used to evaluate the flexural strength of Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) specimens that had been conditioned as per ASTM D790 standard. The impacts of parameters on experimental results were examined and optimized using the hybrid genetic algorithm with response surface methods, response surface approach, and Taguchi method. When the optimal solutions of each technique were studied, the response surface approach and Taguchi methods were determined to be less promising than the genetic algorithm method.