Exploring the Effects of Thermal Cycling on the Precision of 3D-Printed Parts: A Comprehensive Analysis

This study investigates the dimensional stability of FDM-printed Z-ULTRAT components subjected to repeated thermal cycling between −20 °C and 80 °C. Dimensional measurements (height and width) were collected before cycling and after 1, 5, and 10 cycles to quantify thermal-induced drift. Results show that a single thermal cycle produces negligible dimensional change (ΔH ≈ +0.01 mm; ΔW ≈ +0.007 mm), with no statistical significance (p > 0.05). However, repeated cycling leads to cumulative deformation: after 5 and 10 cycles, the average height increased by +0.29–0.30 mm (p < 0.001), while width exhibited a nonlinear contraction–reexpansion behavior with mean variations between −0.05 mm and −0.03 mm (p < 0.05). Standard deviations increased with cycle count, indicating rising variability among specimens. These findings demonstrate that Z-ULTRAT parts experience progressive dimensional drift under sub-Tg thermal cycling, primarily along the build (Z) direction, due to anisotropic thermal response and relaxation of internal stresses. The study highlights the importance of thermal environment considerations in functional and industrial applications involving FDM components. Future work will include microstructural characterization (SEM/XRD) and multi-parameter optimization to better understand and mitigate thermal-induced deformation in polymer-based additively manufactured parts.