The Effects of Build Parameters and Strain Rate on the Mechanical Properties of FDM 3D-Printed Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

In this paper, the effects of build parameters on the mechanical properties of 3D-printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) produced using fused deposition modeling (FDM) are investigated. Full factorial experimental design incorporating a 2-level, 3-factor design with raster angle, layer thickness and interior fill style was carried out. Tensile tests were performed at four different strain rates to determine how the build parameters influence the mechanical properties of the 3-D printed ABS and to assess its strain rate sensitivity under quasi-static loading. It was found that the modulus of toughness of ABS material is most influenced by raster angle, while the interior fill style is the most dominant build parameter that dictates the specimen’s modulus of resilience, yield strength and ultimate tensile strength. At all strain rates, it is further revealed that higher mean values of yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and modulus of resilience were obtained when the interior fill style is solid as opposed to high density. This can be attributed to the denser structure and higher effective cross-sectional area in solid interior fill style in comparison with high density interior fill style. However, the influence of the layer thickness on the investigated mechanical properties was found to be inconsistent. It was noted that specimens built with both 0.254 mm layer thickness and the cross [0°/90°] raster angle had superior mechanical properties when compared to those built with the 0.3302 mm layer thickness and cross [0°/90°] raster angle. This suggests that there is a key interaction between the layer thickness and the raster angle. At any FDM build parameter, it was found that all the mechanical properties investigated in this work exhibited modest sensitivity to strain rates. This study has provided a platform for an appropriate selection of build parameters combinations and strain rates for additive manufacturing of 3D-printed ABS with improved mechanical properties.