Abstract

3D printing is the prevalent technique applicable for prototyping and end-use products. In this study, a filament of polymer blend of glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETg) and polylactic acid (PLA) is manufactured with the injection moulding process, and printed using the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) technique. To enhance wear resistance and structural integrity and to provide durability, hardness is essential. The hardness of the polymer blend was assessed by designing the trials based on Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Thickness of the layer, infill density, and type of patterns were selected as the machine variables. The hardness for the present trial range lied between 73 and 91 HRR. All the selected variables were crucial for hardness as suggested by variance analysis (probability value < 0.0001). The investigation found that the layer thickness must be kept minimum so as to achieve better bonding between the layers, leading to better hardness. Moreover, higher infill density provides a greater solid fraction and leads to printing a stronger part. Similarly, Cubic pattern provides a more rigid structure and thus was found to be the hardest among the selected patterns. The forecasted R2 of 0.9065 complies with the adjusted R2 of 0.9737. Furthermore, the model validation performed depicted a residual error of 1.11% that illustrates that the model is significant.

Keywords

Polymer Blend, Hardness, RSM, 3D Printing,

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References

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