FDM 3D Printing Parameters Optimization: The Key Role of Line Width

Additive manufacturing technologies have evolved rapidly and steadily over the last decade and they become widely used not only in large, high-level companies, but also in medium-sized industries for both the production of prototypes, mockups, and the production of finished components. Stratasys' patented fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology, or more generally Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), is by far the most cost-effective additive manufacturing (AM) technology especially if compared to powder technologies such as selective laser melting. It offers an extremely wide range of materials from nowadays mainstream, low-cost polylactic acid to the more advanced carbon fiber PEEK. The use of this technology is usually finalized on the production of prototypes and few case studies of end-use components can be found in the literature. This is due to the difficulties in predicting the final behavior of the resulting component and the presence of defects that can cause unpredictable premature failures in the component. This study focuses on describing how it is possible to reduce the defects present in the component with a careful choice of printing parameters and in particular focus on the effect of the parameter called “line width” and its correlation with the geometry of the printable part. The results would help to make FFF a more reliable process that could be used for obtaining a reliable, industrial production as well as prototype manufacture.