Effect of filament material and process parameters on mechanical properties of parts manufactured through fused deposition modelling

Purpose Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is used in the study to assess the mechanical and surface characteristics of 3D-printed materials. This study aims to examine the effects of process variables on mechanical strength, surface roughness and overall print quality, including material type, infill pattern, infill density, nozzle diameter and printing speed. Design/methodology/approach Three thermoplastics were chosen because of their unique mechanical characteristics and appropriateness for FDM applications: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG). To optimize process parameters, an experimental setup was created using the Taguchi L27 orthogonal array. In addition to hardness and surface roughness examination, the manufactured samples underwent tensile, flexural and compression tests. Grey relational analysis (GRA) and analysis of variance were used for optimization to better evaluate the impact of important parameters. Findings The findings show that PETG has superior elongation qualities, indicating more flexibility, while PLA has the highest ultimate tensile strength (39.2 N/mm²). ABS offers a balanced performance in toughness and impact resistance despite having the lowest tensile strength. Nozzle diameter and speed strongly influence surface roughness, with increased roughness found at larger nozzle diameters. The study demonstrates that improving infill density, printing speed and nozzle size can improve surface quality and mechanical performance. Practical implications The study provides valuable information on process parameter optimization for enhancing the strength and quality of FDM-printed parts. The study contributes to enhanced printing efficiency, reduced post-processing and optimized material and process conditions for industrial and functional applications. The study underscores the necessity for precise control of printing conditions for the manufacture of high-performance parts. Originality/value This study is innovative in the application of a systematic optimization method with Taguchi and GRA to improve the properties of FDM-printed parts. The findings underscore the significance of heat transfer, nozzle geometry and material selection in determining print quality. This study is beneficial to manufacturers, engineers and researchers working with 3D-printed parts, enhancing additive manufacturing technology.