Evaluation of the surface roughness and dimensional accuracy of low-cost 3D-printed parts made of PLA–aluminum

Sukindar, Nor Aiman and Md Yasir, Ahmad Shah Hizam and Azhar, Muhammad Danial and Md Azhar, Muhammad Afif and Abd Halim, Nor Farah Huda and Sulaiman, Mohd Hafis and Haji Ahmad Sabli, Ahmad Syamaizar and Mohd Ariffin, Mohd Khairol Anuar (2024) Evaluation of the surface roughness and dimensional accuracy of low-cost 3D-printed parts made of PLA–aluminum. Heliyon, 10 (4). pp. 1-13. ISSN 2405-8440

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Abstract

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is currently used in several fields, such as architecture, manufacturing, and medical applications. FDM was initially developed to produce and create prototypes, but the expense appears excessive for producing final products. Nevertheless, in this day and age, engineers have developed a low-cost 3D printer. One of the major issues with lowcost 3D printers is the low dimensional accuracy and high tolerances of the printed products. Herein, different printing parameters, i.e., layer thickness, printing speed, and raster angle, need to be investigated to enhance the surface roughness of the parts produced using FDM. Thus, the present study focuses on investigating the performance of the surface finish produced by FDM by manipulating different parameters such as layer thickness, printing speed, and raster angle. Taguchi’s method, based on the L9 array for experimental design, was employed to elucidate the response variables. The sample model was developed following ISO standards, utilizing polylactic acid (PLA)–aluminum as the filament material. The analysis of variance results indicated that the layer thickness and raster angle significantly affect the surface roughness of the printed parts, with statistical P-values of 0.016 and 0.039, respectively. This enables an easy selection of the optimal printing parameters to achieve the desired surface roughness. The dimensional accuracy of the fabricated part was also evaluated. Thirteen dimensions of the part features were analyzed, and the results showed that the FDM machine exhibited good accuracy for most of the shapes, with a deviation below 5%

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Surface roughness Fused deposition modeling Aluminum composites
Subjects:	T Technology > T Technology (General)
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Engineering Kulliyyah of Engineering > Department of Manufacturing and Materials Engineering
Depositing User:	Dr Nor Farah Huda Abd Halim
Date Deposited:	04 Mar 2024 12:50
Last Modified:	04 Mar 2024 14:22
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/111057

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