Discrete Acoustic Emission Investigation of the Fracture of Plastic Specimens Fabricated by Fused Deposition Modeling

Abstract—The efficiency of acoustic emission (AE) for detecting defects in plastic parts fabricated by fused deposition modeling and subjected to load is investigated. Specimens of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), and polylactide (PLA) are tensioned to failure, and discrete AE signals are simultaneously recorded. The time dependences of the number of AE signals and their activity and the amplitude distributions of AE signals are analyzed. A correlation is revealed between changes in the AE flow parameters and the formation of cracklike defects, the presence of which is confirmed by optical microscopy.