Determination of the Mechanical Tensile Characteristics of Some 3D-Printed Specimens from NYLON 12 CARBON Fiber Material

This study investigates the mechanical behavior of Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber specimens manufactured through fused filament fabrication (FFF) for potential integration into light water well drilling rigs. Fifteen tensile test samples were 3D-printed on a MakerBot Method X printer in three orientations: horizontal, vertical, and lateral. Each specimen was printed with a soluble SR-30 support material, which was subsequently dissolved in an SCA 1200-HT wash station using heated alkaline solution. Following support removal, all samples underwent thermal annealing at 80 °C for 5 h in the printer’s controlled chamber to eliminate residual moisture and improve structural integrity. The annealed specimens were subjected to uniaxial tensile testing using an Instron 8875 electrohydraulic machine, with strain measured by digital image correlation (DIC) on a speckle-patterned gauge section. Key mechanical properties, including Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, yield strength, and ultimate tensile strength, were determined. Finally, a finite element analysis (FEA) was performed using MSC Visual Nastran for Windows to simulate the tensile loading conditions and assess internal stress distributions for each print orientation. The combined experimental and numerical results confirm the feasibility of using additively manufactured parts in demanding engineering applications.