Abstract
This paper presents the numerical and experimental analysis performed on the polymeric material Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG) manufactured with Fused Deposition Modeling Technology (FDM) technology, aiming at obtaining its mechanical characterization under uniaxial compression loads. Firstly, with the objective of evaluating the printing direction that poses a greater mechanical strength, eighteen test specimens were manufactured and analyzed according to the requirements of the ISO-604 standards. After that, a second experimental test analyzed the mechanical behavior of an innovative structural design manufactured in Z and X–Y directions under uniaxial compression loads according to the requirements of the Spanish CTE standard. The experimental results point to a mechanical linear behavior of PETG in X, Y and Z manufacturing directions up to strain levels close to the yield strength point. SEM micrographs show different structural failures linked to the specimen manufacturing directions. Test specimens manufactured along X present a brittle fracture caused by a delamination process. On the contrary, test specimens manufactured along X and Y directions show permanent plastic deformations, great flexibility and less strength under compression loads. Two numerical analyses were performed on the structural part using Young’s compression modulus obtained from the experimental tests and the load specifications required for the Spanish CTE standards. The comparison between numerical and experimental results presents a percentage of relative error of 2.80% (Z-axis), 3.98% (X-axis) and 3.46% (Y-axis), which allows characterizing PETG plastic material manufactured with FDM as an isotropic material in the numerical simulation software without modifying the material modeling equations in the data software. The research presented here is of great help to researchers working with polymers and FDM technology for companies that might need to numerically simulate new designs with the PETG polymer and FDM technology.
Highlights
IntroductionThis process makes it possible to obtain a solid model whose surface faithfully reproduces the topology of the designed CAD model
Additive technology enables the manufacture of industrial parts, consumer components, and medical products by the addition of material in horizontal layers according to the part geometry.Polymers 2020, 12, 2202; doi:10.3390/polym12102202 www.mdpi.com/journal/polymersThis process makes it possible to obtain a solid model whose surface faithfully reproduces the topology of the designed CAD model
This paper presents an experimental and numerical analysis whose objective was to obtain the elastic and mechanical properties of Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG) plastic material manufactured with Fused Deposition Modeling technology (FDM) technology in three main manufacturing directions and under states of pure uniaxial compression stress
Summary
This process makes it possible to obtain a solid model whose surface faithfully reproduces the topology of the designed CAD model. In the FDM process, components are manufactured from the fusion, extrusion and deposition of plastic material in layers This process has the advantage of manufacturing complex topologies, an inappropriate choice of parameters can cause failures in meeting the mechanical and functional requirements of the manufactured part [12].This fact highlights the need to carry out research work in this area and in the analysis of the plastic material deposition process due to the mechanical requirements and operational specifications of the product [13]
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