Optimizing the Flexural Performance of ABS Parts Fabricated by FDM Additive Manufacturing Through a Taguchi–ANOVA Statistical Framework

Additive manufacturing (AM), particularly Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), has revolutionized polymer-based fabrication through design freedom and material efficiency. This work presents a comprehensive statical optimization of FDM parameters affecting the flexural properties of acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene (ABS) specimens. The effects of layer thickness (0.15–0.25 mm), infill density (30–70%), printing speed (35–95 mm/s), and build orientation (Flat, On-edge, Vertical) were investigated following ASTM D790 standards. A Taguchi L9 orthogonal array coupled with ANOVA analysis was employed to quantity parameter significance. According to the ANOVA analysis, infill density was identified as the most influential parameter, accounting for 61.3% of the variation in flexural strength (σf) and 60.1% in flexural modulus (Eb). The optimal configuration (0.25 mm layer thickness, 70% infill, 65 mm/s speed, horizontal orientation) yielded a flexural strength of 84.9 MPa and modulus of 2.54 GPa. Microstructural observations confirmed that higher infill and moderate speed improved interlayer fusion and reduced void formation. The developed Taguchi–ANOVA framework offers quantitative insights for tailoring process–structure–property relationships in polymer-based additive manufacturing.