A decision-making strategy for selection of FDM-based additively manufactured thermoplastics for industrial applications based on material attributes

• A multicriteria decision-making methodology developed for material selection of 3D printing materials for industrial applications employing the Promethee II outranking method. • Candidate materials cover a diverse range of FDM thermoplastics, including the high performance polymers which exhibit thermal and chemical resistance and superior mechanical properties. • Multiple criteria that represent industrial product requirements and focus on the resistance to harsh environmental conditions which is critical for product functionality in practical application. • Three product scenarios, that correspond to different industrial sectors where FDM is increasingly being adopted, i.e. marine machinery, petrochemical equipment and medical device, validated the methodology. • Overall, high performance polymers, such as PEEK and PEI, are optimal for demanding industrial applications, while more cost-effective options, such as ABS and PLA, remain viable for less critical uses. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is an Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology that creates solid objects through layer-by-layer deposition of the material filament onto the build platform according to the specified CAD model. FDM is considered a sustainable technology that allows the manufacturing of functional products with minimal material usage and is compatible with a diverse range of polymers used for consumer or industrial products with a broad application range. To address the material selection problem, a multi-criteria decision-making strategy (MCDM) has been developed using the PROMETHEE II method for the assessment of the criteria. The candidate materials include commercially available FDM thermoplastics, i.e. standard polymers such as HIPS, ABS, PETG, PLA, engineering polymers such as PC, PA, PMMA, POM-H, and high performance polymers (HPPs) such as PVDF, PPS, PSU, PPSU, PEI and PEEK. Multiple criteria represent important material attributes required in industrial applications such as tensile strength, flexural strength, lightweightness, maximum service temperature, ultraviolet-ageing resistance, chemical resistance to acids and bases, chemical resistance to organic solvents, dimensional stability, surface quality, printability and material cost. The applicability of the proposed approach has been confirmed through three industrial product scenarios that correspond to different end-use product requirements. The results have shown that HPPs are versatile AM materials suitable for 3D printing applications across various industrial sectors due to their enhanced properties and superior resistance to harsh environments. The MCDM strategy can serve as an effective tool for informed selection of optimal 3D printing material for industrial applications at an early design stage.