Mechanical strength of 3D-printed open hole polymer plates

Abstract

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) as one of the most popular processes of Additive Manufacturing (AM), offers flexibility in manufacturing of parts with complex geometries. Although three-dimensional (3D) printing was initially used for rapid prototyping, currently it is being utilized in manufacturing of final products. Since some 3D-printed plates with open-holes might be subjected to the tensile loads during their operation, study the mechanical strength of these parts is a necessity. In the current study, the specimens have been fabricated by means of the FDM technique using Polylactic Acid (PLA) material. As ratio of the specimen width to the hole diameter has influence on the structural integrity of the part, we have fabricated specimens with different hole diameters. A series of tensile tests under static loading conditions was conducted to determine strength and effect of the the ratio of the specimen width to the hole diameter on the structural integrity of the 3D-printed PLA plate. Moreover, parallel to experimental tests, numerical simulations are performed and a good agreement between experimental finding and simulation results is obtained. The outcome of this study can be used for design of 3D-printed polymer plates with open-hole and improvement of their mechanical strength and structural integrity.