Static and dynamic characterization of 3D-printed polymer structural elements

Abstract

Considering wide applications of Additive Manufacturing (AM), profound knowledge on the mechanical performance of AMed components is a necessity. In the present study, the mechanical behavior of AMed polymer parts under static and dynamic tests has been investigated. To this end, cantilever beams with three different mesostructure cells were designed and fabricated via ABS Carbon material based on the fused deposition modeling process. The specimens were subjected to a series of static bending tests and free vibration experiments. In addition, numerical models have been presented for both static bending and the dynamic tests. In the current study, digital image correlation technique has been employed to determine strain field and validate the numerical results. The experimental findings and numerical outcomes have been compared and the convergence has been investigated. Based on the applications of AM in fabrication of structural elements with complex geometries, the results of the current study are useful for new designs of AMed parts with customized mechanical strength and enhanced structural performance.

Keywords

• Additive manufacturing
• Bending tests
• Free vibrations
• FEM